Do you write them before hand? Or do you let the characters have no boundaries, giving them the freedom to leap out of your unconscious mind and allowing them to create their own existence?
Some writers prefer to keep a checklist of their characters, whereas some don't. It's all about preference.
Pros of Character Profiling -
- Total peace of mind for example, getting stuck with their motivation for the way that they behave in a situation. Maybe it's their personality, maybe it's psychological or maybe emotional.
- Inspiration. Writing down all your characters' information can intrigue you into digging further. Maybe not so much that you get lost in thought, but to gain ideas about prose to include in the background. They could come useful but make sure they are relevant to the story and the character's situation.
- An Inner Connection. Creating profiles not only empowers your creativity but establishes a connection between you and your army of characters. This is a way of empathising with them, not critiscing their decisions or mistakes but simply comforting them and telling them you'll work through it together. Although it sounds crazy it really does work.
Cons of Character Profiling -
- Time Consuming. Where do I have the time to sit and write about my characters? I need to be writing not talking about their likes and dislikes! This is a common and normal thought amongst many writers. Time is nobody's friend, even more true in the hands of a writer. Everyday tasks get in the way. That's life. You have to decide whether it would be worthwhile.
- Being able to stick to a routine. Everybody has routine for writing, whether it's a hundred words, a thousand or more but when it comes to answering the same questions over and over and over again the details fail to come and the mind goes blank. What to do then? What would work for you?
Before beginning my third draft of my novel I wanted to delve further into my character's minds and see what made them tick. It's unusual to start profiling at such a stage I hear you protest but this is what redrafting is all about. Playing around with your characters until you are completely satisfied that they are who they are in your mind. And to make sure that they stand out as three dimensional chatacters at the end.
I started off drafting just going along with my characters, letting them lead me into their world and who they were and what their worlds were like. Since doing these character profiles I have found myself even more immersed in them and more ideas have come and tattooed themselves inside my notebook.
It is something that has opened my eyes to the possibilities that lie beyond the smallprint and it is something I am considering to do more in the near future.
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