HER ADVICE WORKS!!!! I followed her steps and wrote a story I didn't even know I was capable of writing. Take time to explore your characters and their internal conflict. It changes literally everything.
To be fair, many great stories feature protagonists that have static arcs. They don't change. Instead, the story tests their convictions and tempts them to change. They win by staying true to the true beliefs (not misbeliefs) that they come into the story with.
@@m.j.carlson8246 I agree with what you are saying entirely but I think this type of character only works in Film due to the visuals helping propelling the story forward. As for novels you are kinda stuck with this character and if they are stagnant it can become boring if it is not done well.
Now I know what I'm doing the rest of the day. Muahahahaha! _Lightning flashes as I laugh maniacally. The scene pans to show my characters shivering in the corner._ In all seriousness, this is great! I can't wait to see how my characters take shape/get deeper as I fill out the doc. Thanks Abbie!
My misbelief was that I could never write a good story. Your videos (and more so your passion for helping other to write well) are changing my belief and transforming my relationship with story writing. This came at the perfect time in my life journey. Thanks so much Abbie !!!!
Ohhh, I LOVE that new Relationships and Conflicts section you added to the template!!! It'll make my characters even more complex and I can't wait to put it to use. :D
@@unicorntomboy9736 Surely from a "bigger picture" standpoint, its doable. But... there is this thing called "originality". We learned how to make internal conflict original but external conflict always remains the same. This is why I dont always like movies with conflicted characters because the plot their following is as boring as watching paint dry. This is sort of a syndrome with movies and books nowadays. The more you know character theory the more boring the plot becomes. Predictable.
@@Green-3c34y65vrbu Original plot Ellie. We need originality. More than internal conflict I value authenticity and originality. Or if not possible, rarity.
@@h.k.3704 Yeah I mean explore a thing that happens in real life that you haven't seen explored much if at all in the fiction you consume, at least not THAT WAY. There's a lot of stuff that's not cliché or repetitive of other arcs that can be done. or not THAT similar, enough key differences that even if some ingredients are the same the recipe becomes totally different, a different end result because of what you're combining this time. Think about crazy things that happen in real life that you've never seen explored in fiction. Or simple things in real life even.
I'm so happy with my MC. I've been crafting her trilogy for over ten years now, that I instantly had answers to all these questions. I'm ready to seek lit agents.
Thank you. I was on a roll for about a week and then got stuck. I realized that I had a halfass plot because I didn't take the time to truly develop my own characters. This process of creating these character profiles was like sitting my characters down in front of me and interviewing them. I'm glad I took the time to get to know my characters and now I have a better direction on where to take my plot. I still kinda don't know what I'm doing but now I have a flashlight in the dark.
Hey ! I'm just writing these down so I can complete it later! BASIC INFO 1) Name 2) Role in the story 3) Physical description, how they dress ? What does it tell about them ? 4) Age 5) MBTI 6) Distinctive Skills/Abilities CHARACTER 7) Greatest fear 8) Misbelief (delusion about the world) 9) Backstory to make them believe the lie ? 10) What do they criticize others for 11) Love language (family, friends, partener) 12) How do they respond to emotional pain 13) What do they value in life 14) Emotional attachment to an object that they find important 15) Method of manipulation GOALS 16) How are they unhappy about their life 17) What could bring them happiness (a world they're dreaming about) 18) What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? RELATIONSHIPS AND CONFLICT 19) Relationship in general with other characters 20) Points of conflict in their relationship 21) What do they agree and disagree on 22) What are their secrets 23) When did they meet and how 24) How will their relationship could change
Ever since I discovered your video about "how to write characters that are not like you", I kept coming back to more of your videos when I hit a wall in my writing. I've been going on and off lately but I have some written drafts, character profiles, and the like, but listening to your advice and guidance made me see what my writing needs so that I can move forward bit by bit till I finish the story. Your videos have been the clearest instruction manual to me so far and I love how there is always a structure. Thank you so, so much! ☺️❤️
I've got to say, I just finished reading 100 Days of Sunlight. It was excellent!! I decided to write my first novel this year and I found you and your wonderful advice here on TH-cam. I wanted to read your book and I'm SO GLAD that I did! Thank you for sharing your mind with the world, the world is better because of it 😊
I've been having difficulties choosing between which of two stories I wanted to write. This video made me realize I was leaning more towards story idea #2 I had in my head rather than story idea #1 because the characters were just more compelling. However, the scale of story #2 is much grander and I don't want my hubris to get ahead of me, so I'm opting for the more grounded approach. Wish me luck!
Write the less important, less difficult story to write first. That way you can learn through practice. At least, this is the approach I am choosing to improve my writing and create momentum in my writing.
I really like that you use a mix of you talking to the camera and putting up those beautiful slides that have all your points on them. It makes the video very engaging and makes note taking much easier. Thank you!
(W truelly all my deepst respect and apretiation) LADY I FRECKING LOVE YOU!!! I've just meet your chanel and I alredy feel like you've saved my life!!! i'm a design student and I'm working on a webcomic storry for my progect at uni. I'm brazilian and our main theme is on our indiginous folk folclore stories, my grup partner strated w a plot but I feel there's a lot of things about the chacters that are vage and just over all not good (he used a chacter panel that was like 7 or 8 topics longs? so yea pretty surfacy lavel to say the least ;p) . I feel like you just saved my project SO THANK YOU SO MUTCH!!!!! OBVSLLY I'VE SUBSCRIBED TO YOU!! YOU'RE AMAZING!!
Hi Abbie. This was really helpful. Ive watched your other videos and its amazing how you can cover the same topic time and time again with improvements. I have the old character sheet but this version is even more helpful than the last. I wish I could join your patreon but as a jobless young woman I simply cant and Im glad I could find all these amazing pointers for free. Since watching your videos when I was 18, the way I see movies and read books has changed so much. I always search for internal conflict on everything even people in real life. Ive always wanted to write but everything always fell flat and I was desperately searching for advice on the internet but nothing made any sense until I stumbled on your youtube page. My book planning has gone on a whole other level so thank you.
I watched your other character development and the clothing thing was fun. It made me realize how girly my MC is and thar her sister loved edgy stuff (both totally fit their personality) Editing to say, I didn't know what enneagram fit my MC best, so I took the test as her. OMG taking the test alone as your character is awesome! It gives so much clarity! Thank you. I now have a troubleshooter for characters who refuse to flesh themselves out in my head! Oh, and she's an 8w7. 😃
Dear Abby Thank you for the work you do to share your passion with me. Your videos have changed my life and ability to connect with my family, friends, work, businesses, artists, city, state, country, the world at large and my life. You have given me a stronger conviction for everything in my life through your videos. I have been going through a lot and I've been in a lot of emotional and mental illness but a new joy has appeared in my mind and lit up my heart; I want to teach literature and language arts in schools now. Thank you for sharing. You are highly valued and a gift.
Nice additions! Love language, criticizing others, responding to emotional pain, method of manipulation, etc. All of these should be considered for oneself, too! Enjoyed!
Character's name: Role in story: Physical description: Age: Personality type: Distinctive skills/abilities: --- What is their greatest fear? What is their misbelief about the world? What happened in this character's past to make them believe this lie? What do they most often criticise others for? --- What is their love language? How do they respond to emotional pain? Top three things they value most in life? Is there an object they can't bear to part with and why? Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom. What is their method of manipulation? -Character goals- How is your character dissatisfied with their life? What does your character believe will bring them true happiness or contentment? What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? How does your character know they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of? -Relationships and conflicts- In a few words, describe the MC (main character)'s relationship with this other character. (Feel free to use story examples as reference) What are some points of conflict/weaknesses in their relationship? What do they agree on? What do they disagree on? Do they keep any secrets from each other? If so, what and why? How did they meet and how long have they known each other? How will their relationship change over the course of the story?
I am just starting my writing dreams, and your videos have really been a way I have learned to improve my writing skills. I love your vids, thank you for the help I really needed Abbie!
I was struggling with prepping, wasn't sure what I was doing and was about to give up for the night; then this video popped up. Okay Abbie/Universe! Message recieved!
Aspiring writer here who has 8 chapters already wrote of a novel I want to complete without any structure during my process. I am writer that works best writing on a whim. I did this throughout highschool and college with some success. I need to reel in myself and actually plan so I can keep moving forward instead of writing a chapter and then not touching it for 6 months. I’m so glad I discovered your channel. I’m a new subscriber but I can tell your channel is going to help me so much.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 📚 Introduction to Preptober and Character Creation - Preptober prepares for NaNoWriMo. - Characters drive the story. 01:29 🧬 Fundamentals of Character Creation - Relatable characters have flaws, conflict, and goals. - Active characters make choices. - Both external and internal conflict are crucial. 03:56 🔄 Importance of Character Arcs - Character arcs are vital for memorable stories. - Active characters change and grow. - Rich relationships make characters realistic. 05:50 📝 New Character Profile - Detailed questionnaire for character creation. - Covers basics, personality, skills, fears, misbeliefs. - Deepens character understanding. 09:44 🤝 Exploring Relationships and Conflicts - Questions for character relationships and conflicts. - Identify points of disagreement and secrets. - Changing relationships over the story. 12:36 📄 Accessing the Character Profile - How to use the character profile template. - Additional resources on the channel. - Invite to join Patreon for more content. Made with HARPA AI
This came out just in time. I hope it will help me develop my character's love interest, I totally flaked on developing him. Other than thinking up scenes to fit him in. That's all he has right now. Wish me luck!
Great video as always Abbie. I'm nearly finished with my Manuscript and about to release my debut Novel. It helps to remember character profiles going forward.
Love these adjustments to your existing template! The question about what caused/contributed to their misbelief is great because I have always struggled with how to incorporate their backstory into the actual story. This will help so much! Thanks Abbie :) xx
This is going to help me so much. I had characters who’s personalities and style I already have set but I felt that wasn’t enough in terms of how they would respond and react to things. These questions can definitely help me understand my characters better and not make their responses seem bland or forced. Thank you!!
Hey Abbie! I just wanted to say that I´ve been following you for 4 years and your videos totally changed the way I write and view stories. I also loved your debut novel. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Rock on!
This is the BEST character profile I've seen in a long time! These are all the things I think about when creating my characters, although in a more convoluted and non-linear sort of way. All other character profiles I've seen are either too superficial to actually help keep track of things that matter to my stories, or seem to have too many unnecessary items that are badly codified or badly explained. Your character profile is neat, objective, and self-explanatory! There's just enough to give important characters the depth they need without being overwhelming. Thank you so much for structuring my gnarly thought process! Feel free to organize anything else in my mind at any time. xD
Thank you so much for your insight On character building and asking questions for conflict It has been and I opener to the things that my stories are lacking
This was really great, Abbie! I've been refining my process after my last few books and you definitely hit on a few things I usually insert by the end, but don't always remember to start working on at the very beginning.
I just came across this video. You are very easy and fun to watch. You also have really great tips and advice. I can't wait to dive into your other videos! Thanks for existing! And for making these videos and for sharing these gems with us! Already a huge fan after just one video!
Abbie you are just incredibly beautiful smart hard working and talented. An absolute gem in this world. I thank you for the amazing advice and hope you get really famous you deserve it!
Your videos have been helping me. I've watched all kinds of writing videos for forever; yeah I'm one of those. Well aside from some prompts to work on some outining and prose I'm finally writing something. It's been fun finding out where I am on the discovery vs outliner spectrum. These templates are helping me iron out the stuff my characters are missing. Thanks for all the info :)
I don't think you necessarily need a misbelief in order to have an interesting character or an addicting story. One example I point to is flight of the Eisenstein (military sci fi). The main character of the story is battle captain Nathaniel Garro. The snyopisis of the plot is Horus turns traitor and virus bombs istvaan 3 to order 66 the loyalists in the traitor legions while Nathaniel Garro has to escape to warn the emperor of Horus Lupercal turning against the imperium. But let's zoom in upon the character, he doesn't seem to have a true misbelief although he absolutely changes by the end of the story. He goes from being a staunch believer in the Imperial Truth (there are no gods) to becoming a believer in the emperor's divinity at the end of act 2. But before that point what makes him so lovable is his conflict and the horrors he has to go through to make his journey to terra. In the beginning he doesn't like what his legion has become, he dislikes the idea of the warrior lodges and he's ostracized and shamed because of it, they even call him names like "Straight Arrow Garro" but he doesn't let that change him, he stands by what he believes in and refuses to join. Then there's the lead up to the isvaan 3 virus bombing and the author does an amazing job of building suspense even though you as the reader already knows what's going to happen. Then garro finds out that some of his crew is loading virus bombs as ordinance and has to order his people to stop them, his houscarl gives his life to save Garro. Then he witnesses the virus bombing of the loyalists on the planet. So he trys to make a warp jump but at the last moment a crewmate rats out garro and the traitor legions fire upon the vessel damaging the geller field. As he makes a warp jump Demons start to invade his ship devouring the crew, reaminates his houscarl to torment Garro, then reanimates the dead crew turning them into bloated and rotting plague marines and infects one of his best friends with a horrifying sickness and has to be quarantined and bedridden locked in a decontamination chamber that has no known cure. And then the navigator dies meaning no FTL. So Garro and the crew are stranded in the middle of space with no way home. Last ditch effort garro Jetisons the warp drive into space and detonates it hoping that it will act like a flare in the warp and someone will see it and investigate it. During the weeks stranded Garro comes to believe in the imperial cult in his lowest moment. They're eventually rescued by frendly forces, has to persuade Rogal Dorn that Horus turned traitor and dorn nearly killed him before accepting the truth. You'd think the story ends there but Garro returns to luna, but his beat friend who's been suffering finally gives in and becomes a daemon prince and now Garrow has to put him down in an epic clash on the surface of the moon. Whay makes him lovable is inspite of unimaginable strife and all of the horrors he had to face he never gave up. Despite not having a misbelief he remains one of the most popular characters in warhammer 40k, he even has his own mini on the tabletop. Sorry for this massive wall of text BTW.
For my characters, I enjoy using a combination of tarot cards and my Story Forge card deck. I enjoy the challenge of randomized characters and situations. Once I have a character, I begin to work with them by using my own questions in an interview format and learning about the character and their background that way. This is great in knowing how a character would react in a situation or to a person.
Hi Abbie, I've been following your TH-cam channel for a while. You have really inspired me to continue pursuing my writing goals, and this year will be my very first NaNoWrimo! Thanks for this video- it will definitely help me get to know my characters better. Take care, Lauren Upchurch
I am so glad i saw your channel. This information is helpful, insightful, and amazing. I can't wait to get to add fresh life to my characters and stories.
I had already started to work on a character when I came across your video and I had, without any deeper intention, given him the thing he can't live without. His father left the family when Shiori was 11 and went back to Japan. His father is a grass-eater--meaning an unmanly man and one who is without a sense of purpose or direction. (As you put it, the punching bag in the plot of his own story.) Shiori has very infrequent contact with him and has not seen him since he left 7 years ago. But his father did send him a decorative katana as a present at one point. There's nothing special about it--it's not magical or passed down through their ancient samurai family or anything like that--but it's special to Shiori because it's the one thing he really has of his father. (Shiori is also a grass-eater like his father and part of his attachment to the katana is that it subconsciously represents manliness to him--the manliness he wishes he had.) He likes to go to anime and gaming cons and he always wears it as part of his costume. But I'm inspired now to do more with it. During the story, he is going to have to flee from home, and I'm going to make sure he takes it with him. Later, the men that train him to hunt and kill vampires are going to put an edge on the blade and make it functional and he's going to use it to finish off evil vampires.
This is just coincidence I think. I was reading a novel and thought I will love to see your video of characters profile and come on TH-cam just to find your this video at the top.
Thanks, Abbie! As you were speaking I had things ticking off in my brain. Some I've done naturally while others were lightbulb moments. Creative Blessings!
ive found that RanGen's quick character format has some great attributes, and is a good starting place in general. the generator itself creates what they look like, personal beliefs/status, even their favorite things. But i just ignore the preexisting information and plug in my own stuff on a sheet. i do add in my own sections as my story needs it but i still think the format is a great place to start. but i will def take your stuff into account as well
"If you dont have a character arc, you dont have a story" Goku from DBZ comes to mind For real tho, this video is too damn good. Thank you for all the effort
I just found this website, called 'dangerous writing prompt' which FORCES you to write, and you can't stop for more than 5 seconds. If you do, all your writing gets deleted, and you have to do this for 5 minutes straight. It's *really* scary but also very fun. I was going through a bit of writers block and this helped a lot.
I would say that character having a misbelief is optional. Your character can be driven to achieve something, have a motivation. Character having a misbelief seems more fitting for a villain imo
Just like to say for all the people who can't afford or choose not to purchase Abbie's templates, you can get all of her templates for free as there is a link provided further down in the description box titled "Get My Free Writing Templates" 😊 Have a good day! 🥰
So here's the deal. I didn't like Character Profiles, because I couldn't come up with character fears. I didn't realize that fear and misguided beliefs are often developed, as you said from a bad experience. Now that I understand flaws stem from a root, I no longer hate my father. Just Joking. I mean, I understand Jack-asses, no I mean. I can write fears, and flaws that are grounded in empathy. haha. See why I love you Abbie!! Time to Change the World! for the good of course! Just the jerks. ha. ❤👏💯🌹🌹⭐🔥💥🎨✍🏽 I love my Dad very much.
Girlllll this was so good! I will definitely use this for my characters for this upcoming Nanowrimo!!!! A tad nervous bc this is my first lol I also like to ask this question: What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to your character?
Same here! This year (hopefully) will be my first ever Nanowrimo. As for your question, the “worst thing” is entirely dependent on your character’s profile. If his/her fear, say, is being abandoned by the person they love, then the “worst thing” for them (and only for them) *is* that very reason: abandonment.
@@kaokurosawa3872 Exactly! I like to ask that question because it really adds depth to the characters fear and thus their actions, which are based around avoiding their fear. Also, made the odds be ever in your favor during Nanowrimo!
@@thebookishtwilightzone9030 Oh, I thought you were asking the question, and so I jumped to answer it haha. Apologizes! And yes, it's such a good question to ask yourself while crafting characters. Good luck to you as well!
@@kaokurosawa3872it might be interesting to come up with something that they as a person link to it instead of just the fear. So for example being afraid of abandonment can mean that the worst thing that can happen to them is stuff like losing their phone or moving to another place (ok maybe not worst and maybe not the best examples, but I hope you get it). It'd allow you to do something along the line of the 'thing they won't get rid of no matter what', but with like 'thing they don't want to happen no matter what'. So for example checking where their phone is every 5 minutes, leaving the sound on, getting a panic attack when they (think) they lost it.
my favorite part about making my protagonist mentally unstable is that i can these questions with incredibly said explanations for the basic information and really silly explanations for things that should be emotional and it'll still be perfectly normal and in character. for example: they value feeling loved because is incredibly rare for them despite the fact they are the type of person to try and dedicate their entire life to somebody they care about leading them to constantly get into (platonic) relations that are losing games on purpose becuase they have learned that being lied to is the closest they will probably get to actually being cared for. meanwhile for precious item: A random frog amigurumi they made one time because they like frogs and they will hide in a bathroom stall to hug it when anxious. distinctive ability: strangely good at crocheting without any patterns and used to have his room stuffed to the brim with them because when he was alone it's literally all he would do so now he has like over a 100 tiny little creatures in his room.
I"ve never seen any of your video's before, I have a really grerat idea for a story but Have no clue how to even put anything together, so I'm hoping your channel will help. But that aside, I just wanted to say I love your eye shadow!!!:) It looks awesome!:) Hope you are having a great day. :)
So much sass in this video, I love it! Also, of course you would update the character sheet after I printed out your previous version! :^) (I kid). In all seriousness, this new and improved character profile will help signifigantly as I'm writing a contemporary romance for NaNoWriMo, but am having trouble coming up with a conflict other than helping the love interest grow by learning to be himself.
Osha from the Acolyte is a very passive character, she gets knocked out multiple times so she can wake up somewhere where the plot needed to be. I guess the writers couldn’t think of a good way to get them where they wanted them to be. 🙄
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
HER ADVICE WORKS!!!! I followed her steps and wrote a story I didn't even know I was capable of writing. Take time to explore your characters and their internal conflict. It changes literally everything.
Thank you so much!! This comment brightened my day 💛😁 I'm so happy my videos have been inspiring and helpful to you! **hugs**
@@minecat3707she did mention you can use for side characters if not there should be one on her channel 😭 she has everything there haha
@@minecat3707 There is a different profile for side characters in her Subplots live training :)
@@minecat3707 you could use less description for side characters and use basic info
It's true my book has become way more emotional. My friend even said that she felt like she was watching a movie when reading it😢
To be fair, many great stories feature protagonists that have static arcs. They don't change. Instead, the story tests their convictions and tempts them to change. They win by staying true to the true beliefs (not misbeliefs) that they come into the story with.
Well said! I think it takes a lot of skill to write that kind of character well, but it definitely can be done.
Tteir idiology stays the same but when they overcome the fact that it gets tested they get stronger (not physically) and that's change
@@m.j.carlson8246 i completely agree, learned a lot in the last three months so it's nice to come back to this comment. Thanks for the reply
@@m.j.carlson8246 I agree with what you are saying entirely but I think this type of character only works in Film due to the visuals helping propelling the story forward. As for novels you are kinda stuck with this character and if they are stagnant it can become boring if it is not done well.
My story is to reveal to the reader and the protagonist himself the kind of person he truly is (he ends up killing multiple people to save himself)
Now I know what I'm doing the rest of the day. Muahahahaha! _Lightning flashes as I laugh maniacally. The scene pans to show my characters shivering in the corner._
In all seriousness, this is great! I can't wait to see how my characters take shape/get deeper as I fill out the doc. Thanks Abbie!
I like this XD
You are my favorite kind of writer...chaotic. XD
@@meanncat3050
😂😂
😂😂😂😂
imma sacrifice my final exam for sake of creating my characters after this VERY inspirational video 🤜🤛.
Amen
OMG please dont spoil the precious time. Hope you will make it without....
Smh I had to skip my major test too (thankfully it was a practice)
Doing that is more worthwhile than tolerating school
Just need to take school seriously for one more year and then I’m out of there!
My misbelief was that I could never write a good story. Your videos (and more so your passion for helping other to write well) are changing my belief and transforming my relationship with story writing. This came at the perfect time in my life journey. Thanks so much Abbie !!!!
Ohhh, I LOVE that new Relationships and Conflicts section you added to the template!!! It'll make my characters even more complex and I can't wait to put it to use. :D
aye your here as well LOL
Even before watching Abbie I loved creating characters. After watching Abbie I perfected it. Now I have no idea how to "external conflict" my story.
I would have thought that external conflict was easier compared to internal conflict. Just add an evil villain or global threat and you're done
@@unicorntomboy9736 Surely from a "bigger picture" standpoint, its doable. But... there is this thing called "originality". We learned how to make internal conflict original but external conflict always remains the same. This is why I dont always like movies with conflicted characters because the plot their following is as boring as watching paint dry. This is sort of a syndrome with movies and books nowadays. The more you know character theory the more boring the plot becomes. Predictable.
@@Green-3c34y65vrbu Original plot Ellie. We need originality. More than internal conflict I value authenticity and originality. Or if not possible, rarity.
@@Green-3c34y65vrbu You might change the details but the concept remains. I kinda think we should try to break some rules BUT NOT ALL.
@@h.k.3704 Yeah I mean explore a thing that happens in real life that you haven't seen explored much if at all in the fiction you consume, at least not THAT WAY. There's a lot of stuff that's not cliché or repetitive of other arcs that can be done. or not THAT similar, enough key differences that even if some ingredients are the same the recipe becomes totally different, a different end result because of what you're combining this time. Think about crazy things that happen in real life that you've never seen explored in fiction. Or simple things in real life even.
I'm so happy with my MC. I've been crafting her trilogy for over ten years now, that I instantly had answers to all these questions. I'm ready to seek lit agents.
I have written my first ever chapter and storyboarded my first ever issue for a comic thanks to you.
Finally! I kid you not, I've been waiting for this video all week. Thanks ❤
Thank you. I was on a roll for about a week and then got stuck. I realized that I had a halfass plot because I didn't take the time to truly develop my own characters. This process of creating these character profiles was like sitting my characters down in front of me and interviewing them. I'm glad I took the time to get to know my characters and now I have a better direction on where to take my plot. I still kinda don't know what I'm doing but now I have a flashlight in the dark.
Hey ! I'm just writing these down so I can complete it later!
BASIC INFO
1) Name
2) Role in the story
3) Physical description, how they dress ? What does it tell about them ?
4) Age
5) MBTI
6) Distinctive Skills/Abilities
CHARACTER
7) Greatest fear
8) Misbelief (delusion about the world)
9) Backstory to make them believe the lie ?
10) What do they criticize others for
11) Love language (family, friends, partener)
12) How do they respond to emotional pain
13) What do they value in life
14) Emotional attachment to an object that they find important
15) Method of manipulation
GOALS
16) How are they unhappy about their life
17) What could bring them happiness (a world they're dreaming about)
18) What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality?
RELATIONSHIPS AND CONFLICT
19) Relationship in general with other characters
20) Points of conflict in their relationship
21) What do they agree and disagree on
22) What are their secrets
23) When did they meet and how
24) How will their relationship could change
Nice list
OMG thank you !!
missed a couple, thanks for the start tho!
@@etin97Sure I've skipped some parts, it's because these are actually for characters I draw, not a book I'm writing, it's just for fun ;)
@@indorianshell she charges 5 buskc for this(descriptions of the vid)
Ever since I discovered your video about "how to write characters that are not like you", I kept coming back to more of your videos when I hit a wall in my writing. I've been going on and off lately but I have some written drafts, character profiles, and the like, but listening to your advice and guidance made me see what my writing needs so that I can move forward bit by bit till I finish the story. Your videos have been the clearest instruction manual to me so far and I love how there is always a structure. Thank you so, so much! ☺️❤️
I've got to say, I just finished reading 100 Days of Sunlight. It was excellent!! I decided to write my first novel this year and I found you and your wonderful advice here on TH-cam. I wanted to read your book and I'm SO GLAD that I did!
Thank you for sharing your mind with the world, the world is better because of it 😊
I've been having difficulties choosing between which of two stories I wanted to write. This video made me realize I was leaning more towards story idea #2 I had in my head rather than story idea #1 because the characters were just more compelling. However, the scale of story #2 is much grander and I don't want my hubris to get ahead of me, so I'm opting for the more grounded approach. Wish me luck!
Good luck with both stories!
Good luck! I’m in the same boat with one story being more grander but it’ll be a pain to attempt on my first go
Good luck! I’m in the same boat with one story being more grander but it’ll be a pain to attempt on my first go
Best of luck. You've got this! Beta workshop your manuscript too! Feedback is your friend.
Write the less important, less difficult story to write first. That way you can learn through practice. At least, this is the approach I am choosing to improve my writing and create momentum in my writing.
Thank you for reminding me to work on not only the main character's arc, but the arcs between each of the side characters with the main character!
Great video! Im learning so much from you ahead of nanowrimo! Thank you so much for what you do! ☺☺
Thank you for making this video Abbie! This was literally the perfect timing as I'm just getting started on a new book idea.
I really like that you use a mix of you talking to the camera and putting up those beautiful slides that have all your points on them. It makes the video very engaging and makes note taking much easier. Thank you!
(W truelly all my deepst respect and apretiation) LADY I FRECKING LOVE YOU!!! I've just meet your chanel and I alredy feel like you've saved my life!!! i'm a design student and I'm working on a webcomic storry for my progect at uni. I'm brazilian and our main theme is on our indiginous folk folclore stories, my grup partner strated w a plot but I feel there's a lot of things about the chacters that are vage and just over all not good (he used a chacter panel that was like 7 or 8 topics longs? so yea pretty surfacy lavel to say the least ;p) . I feel like you just saved my project SO THANK YOU SO MUTCH!!!!! OBVSLLY I'VE SUBSCRIBED TO YOU!! YOU'RE AMAZING!!
Hi Abbie. This was really helpful. Ive watched your other videos and its amazing how you can cover the same topic time and time again with improvements. I have the old character sheet but this version is even more helpful than the last. I wish I could join your patreon but as a jobless young woman I simply cant and Im glad I could find all these amazing pointers for free. Since watching your videos when I was 18, the way I see movies and read books has changed so much. I always search for internal conflict on everything even people in real life. Ive always wanted to write but everything always fell flat and I was desperately searching for advice on the internet but nothing made any sense until I stumbled on your youtube page. My book planning has gone on a whole other level so thank you.
I watched your other character development and the clothing thing was fun. It made me realize how girly my MC is and thar her sister loved edgy stuff (both totally fit their personality)
Editing to say, I didn't know what enneagram fit my MC best, so I took the test as her. OMG taking the test alone as your character is awesome! It gives so much clarity! Thank you. I now have a troubleshooter for characters who refuse to flesh themselves out in my head! Oh, and she's an 8w7. 😃
"Your eyes are like the ocean, their beauty pulls me in and distracts me every time I watch your videos."
Her personality is so attractive to me
I love your videos! They're so helpful and you're so cheerful and sweet
Dear Abby
Thank you for the work you do to share your passion with me. Your videos have changed my life and ability to connect with my family, friends, work, businesses, artists, city, state, country, the world at large and my life. You have given me a stronger conviction for everything in my life through your videos. I have been going through a lot and I've been in a lot of emotional and mental illness but a new joy has appeared in my mind and lit up my heart; I want to teach literature and language arts in schools now. Thank you for sharing. You are highly valued and a gift.
I think I could just listen to you speak all day. Thank you so much for all your advice!
Nice additions! Love language, criticizing others, responding to emotional pain, method of manipulation, etc. All of these should be considered for oneself, too! Enjoyed!
Character's name:
Role in story:
Physical description:
Age:
Personality type:
Distinctive skills/abilities:
---
What is their greatest fear?
What is their misbelief about the world?
What happened in this character's past to make them believe this lie?
What do they most often criticise others for?
---
What is their love language?
How do they respond to emotional pain?
Top three things they value most in life?
Is there an object they can't bear to part with and why?
Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom.
What is their method of manipulation?
-Character goals-
How is your character dissatisfied with their life?
What does your character believe will bring them true happiness or contentment?
What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality?
How has their fear kept them from taking this action already?
How does your character know they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of?
-Relationships and conflicts-
In a few words, describe the MC (main character)'s relationship with this other character. (Feel free to use story examples as reference)
What are some points of conflict/weaknesses in their relationship?
What do they agree on? What do they disagree on?
Do they keep any secrets from each other? If so, what and why?
How did they meet and how long have they known each other?
How will their relationship change over the course of the story?
I am just starting my writing dreams, and your videos have really been a way I have learned to improve my writing skills. I love your vids, thank you for the help I really needed Abbie!
I was struggling with prepping, wasn't sure what I was doing and was about to give up for the night; then this video popped up. Okay Abbie/Universe! Message recieved!
Aspiring writer here who has 8 chapters already wrote of a novel I want to complete without any structure during my process. I am writer that works best writing on a whim. I did this throughout highschool and college with some success. I need to reel in myself and actually plan so I can keep moving forward instead of writing a chapter and then not touching it for 6 months. I’m so glad I discovered your channel. I’m a new subscriber but I can tell your channel is going to help me so much.
Good luck!!
Thank you, started working on my villain and this came just in time.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 📚 Introduction to Preptober and Character Creation
- Preptober prepares for NaNoWriMo.
- Characters drive the story.
01:29 🧬 Fundamentals of Character Creation
- Relatable characters have flaws, conflict, and goals.
- Active characters make choices.
- Both external and internal conflict are crucial.
03:56 🔄 Importance of Character Arcs
- Character arcs are vital for memorable stories.
- Active characters change and grow.
- Rich relationships make characters realistic.
05:50 📝 New Character Profile
- Detailed questionnaire for character creation.
- Covers basics, personality, skills, fears, misbeliefs.
- Deepens character understanding.
09:44 🤝 Exploring Relationships and Conflicts
- Questions for character relationships and conflicts.
- Identify points of disagreement and secrets.
- Changing relationships over the story.
12:36 📄 Accessing the Character Profile
- How to use the character profile template.
- Additional resources on the channel.
- Invite to join Patreon for more content.
Made with HARPA AI
This came out just in time. I hope it will help me develop my character's love interest, I totally flaked on developing him. Other than thinking up scenes to fit him in. That's all he has right now. Wish me luck!
You can do it!
I've been listening to this while making a character info sheet for my fire person oc and it just helped it be less clunky and more useful.
Great video as always Abbie. I'm nearly finished with my Manuscript and about to release my debut Novel. It helps to remember character profiles going forward.
Hi Abbie, thanks so much for sharing your videos - I’ve probably learnt more about writing from your channel than anywhere else!
Love these adjustments to your existing template! The question about what caused/contributed to their misbelief is great because I have always struggled with how to incorporate their backstory into the actual story. This will help so much! Thanks Abbie :) xx
This is going to help me so much. I had characters who’s personalities and style I already have set but I felt that wasn’t enough in terms of how they would respond and react to things. These questions can definitely help me understand my characters better and not make their responses seem bland or forced. Thank you!!
Hey Abbie! I just wanted to say that I´ve been following you for 4 years and your videos totally changed the way I write and view stories. I also loved your debut novel. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Rock on!
Thanks Abbie this video was so informative and in depth. Thanks
This is the BEST character profile I've seen in a long time!
These are all the things I think about when creating my characters, although in a more convoluted and non-linear sort of way.
All other character profiles I've seen are either too superficial to actually help keep track of things that matter to my stories, or seem to have too many unnecessary items that are badly codified or badly explained. Your character profile is neat, objective, and self-explanatory! There's just enough to give important characters the depth they need without being overwhelming.
Thank you so much for structuring my gnarly thought process!
Feel free to organize anything else in my mind at any time. xD
Thank you so much for your insight On character building and asking questions for conflict It has been and I opener to the things that my stories are lacking
Thank you for existing
This is AMAZING! I just crafted an awesome character. He's addictive to write for! I love his conflicts! Thanks!!!!
I added 17 of your videos to my playlist. Stop being so good!!! 😊
This was really great, Abbie! I've been refining my process after my last few books and you definitely hit on a few things I usually insert by the end, but don't always remember to start working on at the very beginning.
I just came across this video. You are very easy and fun to watch. You also have really great tips and advice. I can't wait to dive into your other videos! Thanks for existing! And for making these videos and for sharing these gems with us! Already a huge fan after just one video!
Thanks! This is great for getting the character out of my head, and on paper
Okay but the questions are just spot on!!!
Abbie you are just incredibly beautiful smart hard working and talented. An absolute gem in this world. I thank you for the amazing advice and hope you get really famous you deserve it!
Thank you so mush for this video! My former writing was completely terrible, and I almost gave up but this helped me a lot!❤
The spice flows in this one in your thumbnails
Your videos have been helping me. I've watched all kinds of writing videos for forever; yeah I'm one of those. Well aside from some prompts to work on some outining and prose I'm finally writing something. It's been fun finding out where I am on the discovery vs outliner spectrum. These templates are helping me iron out the stuff my characters are missing. Thanks for all the info :)
I don't think you necessarily need a misbelief in order to have an interesting character or an addicting story. One example I point to is flight of the Eisenstein (military sci fi). The main character of the story is battle captain Nathaniel Garro. The snyopisis of the plot is Horus turns traitor and virus bombs istvaan 3 to order 66 the loyalists in the traitor legions while Nathaniel Garro has to escape to warn the emperor of Horus Lupercal turning against the imperium. But let's zoom in upon the character, he doesn't seem to have a true misbelief although he absolutely changes by the end of the story. He goes from being a staunch believer in the Imperial Truth (there are no gods) to becoming a believer in the emperor's divinity at the end of act 2. But before that point what makes him so lovable is his conflict and the horrors he has to go through to make his journey to terra. In the beginning he doesn't like what his legion has become, he dislikes the idea of the warrior lodges and he's ostracized and shamed because of it, they even call him names like "Straight Arrow Garro" but he doesn't let that change him, he stands by what he believes in and refuses to join. Then there's the lead up to the isvaan 3 virus bombing and the author does an amazing job of building suspense even though you as the reader already knows what's going to happen. Then garro finds out that some of his crew is loading virus bombs as ordinance and has to order his people to stop them, his houscarl gives his life to save Garro. Then he witnesses the virus bombing of the loyalists on the planet. So he trys to make a warp jump but at the last moment a crewmate rats out garro and the traitor legions fire upon the vessel damaging the geller field. As he makes a warp jump Demons start to invade his ship devouring the crew, reaminates his houscarl to torment Garro, then reanimates the dead crew turning them into bloated and rotting plague marines and infects one of his best friends with a horrifying sickness and has to be quarantined and bedridden locked in a decontamination chamber that has no known cure. And then the navigator dies meaning no FTL. So Garro and the crew are stranded in the middle of space with no way home. Last ditch effort garro Jetisons the warp drive into space and detonates it hoping that it will act like a flare in the warp and someone will see it and investigate it. During the weeks stranded Garro comes to believe in the imperial cult in his lowest moment. They're eventually rescued by frendly forces, has to persuade Rogal Dorn that Horus turned traitor and dorn nearly killed him before accepting the truth. You'd think the story ends there but Garro returns to luna, but his beat friend who's been suffering finally gives in and becomes a daemon prince and now Garrow has to put him down in an epic clash on the surface of the moon. Whay makes him lovable is inspite of unimaginable strife and all of the horrors he had to face he never gave up. Despite not having a misbelief he remains one of the most popular characters in warhammer 40k, he even has his own mini on the tabletop. Sorry for this massive wall of text BTW.
I spent 3 hours creating my character after I watched this video. It was worth it ;)
For my characters, I enjoy using a combination of tarot cards and my Story Forge card deck. I enjoy the challenge of randomized characters and situations. Once I have a character, I begin to work with them by using my own questions in an interview format and learning about the character and their background that way. This is great in knowing how a character would react in a situation or to a person.
OMG YES WITCHY WRITER im gonna try this great idea!
How exactly do the tarot cards come into this? Please explain 🥹🥹
Hi Abbie, I've been following your TH-cam channel for a while. You have really inspired me to continue pursuing my writing goals, and this year will be my very first NaNoWrimo! Thanks for this video- it will definitely help me get to know my characters better.
Take care,
Lauren Upchurch
You just gave me the words that I have been serching for for years to descibe every single character on Riverdale: passive characters
I so needed this! ❤
I am so glad i saw your channel. This information is helpful, insightful, and amazing. I can't wait to get to add fresh life to my characters and stories.
I like #16! This will be especially helpful in thinking about my villain.
Jup, you're right, now I'm going to have to fill this out for all of my characters for all of my WIPs lol!
I had already started to work on a character when I came across your video and I had, without any deeper intention, given him the thing he can't live without. His father left the family when Shiori was 11 and went back to Japan. His father is a grass-eater--meaning an unmanly man and one who is without a sense of purpose or direction. (As you put it, the punching bag in the plot of his own story.) Shiori has very infrequent contact with him and has not seen him since he left 7 years ago. But his father did send him a decorative katana as a present at one point. There's nothing special about it--it's not magical or passed down through their ancient samurai family or anything like that--but it's special to Shiori because it's the one thing he really has of his father. (Shiori is also a grass-eater like his father and part of his attachment to the katana is that it subconsciously represents manliness to him--the manliness he wishes he had.) He likes to go to anime and gaming cons and he always wears it as part of his costume.
But I'm inspired now to do more with it. During the story, he is going to have to flee from home, and I'm going to make sure he takes it with him. Later, the men that train him to hunt and kill vampires are going to put an edge on the blade and make it functional and he's going to use it to finish off evil vampires.
This is just coincidence I think.
I was reading a novel and thought I will love to see your video of characters profile and come on TH-cam just to find your this video at the top.
This video was so, so helpful. Thank you Abbie for all that you do on this channel!
Very helpful and insightful, thank you!
Thank youuu 😭
Supers useful video! I watched it twice and took many notes. Thank you for the great content, Abby ❤
Thanks for this video Abbie! 💙💙💙
Thanks, Abbie! As you were speaking I had things ticking off in my brain. Some I've done naturally while others were lightbulb moments. Creative Blessings!
ive found that RanGen's quick character format has some great attributes, and is a good starting place in general. the generator itself creates what they look like, personal beliefs/status, even their favorite things. But i just ignore the preexisting information and plug in my own stuff on a sheet. i do add in my own sections as my story needs it but i still think the format is a great place to start. but i will def take your stuff into account as well
"If you dont have a character arc, you dont have a story" Goku from DBZ comes to mind
For real tho, this video is too damn good. Thank you for all the effort
Thank you for you helpful advice :) just brought the template :) xx
Thanks for all the vital info.
The snarky "you should already know this" attitude that oozes from your tone, I could do without.
Going to use this for my rpg character:)
This is genious, Abbie!! Thank you so much!!
I just found this website, called 'dangerous writing prompt' which FORCES you to write, and you can't stop for more than 5 seconds. If you do, all your writing gets deleted, and you have to do this for 5 minutes straight. It's *really* scary but also very fun. I was going through a bit of writers block and this helped a lot.
I don't think passive characters are inherently bad. I think they're just a different type of character
I would say that character having a misbelief is optional. Your character can be driven to achieve something, have a motivation. Character having a misbelief seems more fitting for a villain imo
Gives latitude for development, though. Anti-heroes are still en vogue
Off topic but your eyes are so beautiful Abbie
Love your videos Abbie! You're such an inspiration for us aspiring writers. Please keep up the great work 👍
Just like to say for all the people who can't afford or choose not to purchase Abbie's templates, you can get all of her templates for free as there is a link provided further down in the description box titled "Get My Free Writing Templates" 😊 Have a good day! 🥰
*Sips my coffee* Thanks Abbie! 💚
So here's the deal. I didn't like Character Profiles, because I couldn't come up with character fears. I didn't realize that fear and misguided beliefs are often developed, as you said from a bad experience. Now that I understand flaws stem from a root, I no longer hate my father. Just Joking. I mean, I understand Jack-asses, no I mean. I can write fears, and flaws that are grounded in empathy. haha. See why I love you Abbie!! Time to Change the World! for the good of course! Just the jerks. ha. ❤👏💯🌹🌹⭐🔥💥🎨✍🏽 I love my Dad very much.
Girlllll this was so good! I will definitely use this for my characters for this upcoming Nanowrimo!!!! A tad nervous bc this is my first lol
I also like to ask this question: What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to your character?
Same here! This year (hopefully) will be my first ever Nanowrimo.
As for your question, the “worst thing” is entirely dependent on your character’s profile. If his/her fear, say, is being abandoned by the person they love, then the “worst thing” for them (and only for them) *is* that very reason: abandonment.
@@kaokurosawa3872 Exactly! I like to ask that question because it really adds depth to the characters fear and thus their actions, which are based around avoiding their fear.
Also, made the odds be ever in your favor during Nanowrimo!
@@thebookishtwilightzone9030 Oh, I thought you were asking the question, and so I jumped to answer it haha. Apologizes!
And yes, it's such a good question to ask yourself while crafting characters.
Good luck to you as well!
@@kaokurosawa3872it might be interesting to come up with something that they as a person link to it instead of just the fear. So for example being afraid of abandonment can mean that the worst thing that can happen to them is stuff like losing their phone or moving to another place (ok maybe not worst and maybe not the best examples, but I hope you get it). It'd allow you to do something along the line of the 'thing they won't get rid of no matter what', but with like 'thing they don't want to happen no matter what'. So for example checking where their phone is every 5 minutes, leaving the sound on, getting a panic attack when they (think) they lost it.
my favorite part about making my protagonist mentally unstable is that i can these questions with incredibly said explanations for the basic information and really silly explanations for things that should be emotional and it'll still be perfectly normal and in character.
for example: they value feeling loved because is incredibly rare for them despite the fact they are the type of person to try and dedicate their entire life to somebody they care about leading them to constantly get into (platonic) relations that are losing games on purpose becuase they have learned that being lied to is the closest they will probably get to actually being cared for.
meanwhile for precious item: A random frog amigurumi they made one time because they like frogs and they will hide in a bathroom stall to hug it when anxious.
distinctive ability: strangely good at crocheting without any patterns and used to have his room stuffed to the brim with them because when he was alone it's literally all he would do so now he has like over a 100 tiny little creatures in his room.
Yo thank you so much for this, It's been very helpful already!
I"ve never seen any of your video's before, I have a really grerat idea for a story but Have no clue how to even put anything together, so I'm hoping your channel will help. But that aside, I just wanted to say I love your eye shadow!!!:) It looks awesome!:) Hope you are having a great day. :)
So much sass in this video, I love it!
Also, of course you would update the character sheet after I printed out your previous version! :^)
(I kid).
In all seriousness, this new and improved character profile will help signifigantly as I'm writing a contemporary romance for NaNoWriMo, but am having trouble coming up with a conflict other than helping the love interest grow by learning to be himself.
U LITERALLY LOOK SM LIKE DAPHNE FROM BRIDGERTON also i see ella purnell a little how did i never realize until now
Thanks, Abbie!
This was really helpful! Thank you!
The fact that I had the idea of my OC having a special pocket watch (from his father iirc) at some point- 😳
Just continuing to call me out XD
THANK YOU! Thank you so much!
Thanks abbe I wrote a cartoon story because of your tips and im just 12 and im from india don't mind my english 😅
Osha from the Acolyte is a very passive character, she gets knocked out multiple times so she can wake up somewhere where the plot needed to be. I guess the writers couldn’t think of a good way to get them where they wanted them to be. 🙄
I’m about to rewatch this whole playing the character playlist and pretend I’m answering you. No, I’m not crazy. :)
Great information , as usual! But, found the music distracting.
Love your videos thank you for helping me and everyone 🥰