Character Sketches
Before beginning a new writing project, even before I know the whole story (I am a total plotter…not pantsing here!) I HAVE to sketch out my characters, so today I thought I’d share the process with you.
It starts off with an idea, for example, my latest WIP is a contemporary that just came to me: What if an American MBA graduate travels to Paris to start a new life and falls in love with her new boss?
So now that I had the “what if” I have to figure out who this girl is and who her boss is. I have to pick her name, her looks, her personality, where she went to school, who he is, his name, looks, personality, his company and what he does. I even have to look up the street where she’ll be staying and where the office building is. I guess with character sketches I do a little world buidling too, so I can see in my mind where my story takes place when I sit down to write the synopsis and plan out the chapters. I might try to find pics to of what they would look like also.
So here are some preliminary copies of my character sketches, and I apologize if its confusing… a writer’s notes usually are!
Character Sketches
Hero: Darcy Raphael Beauleux
French billionaire
Owner of Beaulieu Enterprises, a company with several divisions, telecommunications, real estate, energy commodity, vineyards
2nd district of paris, Rue Vivienne
Hair Color: Dark brown/ black
Hair Length: trim
Hair Texture: Full, smooth and straight, lustrous
Eye Color: Striking dark blue – sapphire, long lashes, perfectly sculpted brows
Skin Color: Tan
Facial Hair: Clean shaven
Height/Build: Just over 6′ / lithe, lean, sculpted
Age: 32 (took over company seven years ago)
Additional: square jaw, chiseled features, straight nose, straight white teeth
His mother loved Jane Austen, hence he was named Darcy.
Very arrogant and flirtatious, but also compassionate and sweet.
Heroine: Portia Lynn Kennedy
American
Just finished college, has moved to France to work for a time being and just maybe find love.
Sees advertisement to work as assistant to CEO of Beauleux Enterprises. On the way into the building literally runs into a very handsome man, spilling her café-au-lait all over him. He is very gracious, and she is mortified. After cleaning off in the bathroom, she goes in for her interview, and its him!
She is staying at a family friends apartment in Paris near the Champs Elysees. As a graduation gift and good luck present, her parents have rented out the place for one month, but after that she will have to pay the rent. Fortunately the family friends, have lowered the rent for her, but only for the first six months, so she can get on her feet and find her own place.
Avenue Des Champs Elysees
Hair Color: blonde
Hair Length: long
Hair Texture: smooth as silk
Eye Color: Emerald with hints of blue
Skin Color: Creamy, rosy
Height/Build: 5′5, very curvy, but slender.
Age: 23
Additional: birthmark shaped like a heart on her buttock / Virgin
MBA in international business from Cornell Univeristy
Thinks of herself as nerdy and bookish, berates herself for having feelings for her new boss, but eventually understands that she is coming out of her shell, coming into her own.
Socially awkward only because she has spent the last 6 years in college, with her nose in textbooks and not hanging out with friends or dating. Quickly picks up on flirting and discovers she has a very witty personality. Likes the side of herself that her boss brings out.
Next week I’ll go into how I write the synopsis, and then the following week, how to plot out chapters.
Cheers!
Eliza
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- Sep 3, 2008: Romantic Inks » Blog Archive » Writing a Synopsis
Eliza – this is a fantastic view of world building and character building. I like how you pick your characters from headshots, almost like a casting director! The details of Darcy’s name – his mother loving Jane Austen – really build his family history, as well. There’s more to this billionaire than meets the eye, obviously.
Excellent tips! I usually write a blurb first, and find out who my characters are after playing around with a scene. I’ll definitely attempt this for my next WIP.
~Ashley
I usually write a blurb first too, but I’m not sure it always works the best. I’ll have to try this.
Thanks,
Renee
Wow, Eliza. This looks like a lot of work! I have a friend who does stuff like this and will even create floor plans to houses and businesses the characters will be spending lots of time in.
Me? Not so much. For me, writing down a name and things about his character for whatever reason makes me feel like that’s WHAT IT HAS TO BE AND I CANNOT CHANGE IT.
Hi Eliza! I am more of a pantser (but go in with a general loose plot point outline), but I also do pretty intense character sketches. I really want to get to know them before I make their lives miserable! LOLOL.
Thanks for the great post!
Renee
Thank you all for your fabulous comments!!!
The blurb is the last thing I write… maybe I should try writing it first?
I’m going to try the floorplans I think that would be fun!
I like to get to know them well beforehand, so I know just how much I’m going to hurt them, and what will really crush them…muahhhahahah muahhahah
Great post! I like to do something similar to this too but probably less detailed. I do like to find pics, especially of the hero.
Nicole
Thanks for your comment Nicole! Isn’t Eric Bana hot?????
I\’m the person with the house plans and pictures for my stories! I\’ve even \”moved walls\” to make a floorplan work better.
I cut a house floor plan out of the paper today!
Not sure “who” lives there but it’ll be great for someone.
What?!?
No pantsing? Where’s the fun in that? 
This character sketch thing is usually something I do only after I’ve started the story. I kind of write, sketch, write, fill in back story, write, outline plot, write, panic, go back and read over everything I have to figure out what’s going on and write the ending. It *usually* works!
I find it interesting to see how different writers approach things, though. Thanks for sharing.
Jaime
Cyndi, that sounds like fun! I really will have to give it a try!
Jaime, I am so type A that I couldn’t do it, I might literally go insane
But I know it works for a lot of people!
I also use character sketches…and I also make floorplans of houses. I’m so glad others do that, too! I thought I was just being anal.
I admit that I used to write by the seat of my pants, but once I started utilizing character sheets (and other plotting worksheets), it has made writing the book SO much easier.
preety good work