Posing the question here and thinking about my POV on this subject and wanted to open the subject. If you use one what stuff is on it? Do you have a file you can link us to of a good character sheet and if you don't use them, what do you do? 
Character Sheets, for writing or just for gaming?
- Thread starter Pamster
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I do understand the temptation to do that, but I think that using a game's character sheet can trap your mind in a state of limited creativity and frayed realism. You may start thinking of how things would work according to the game and therefore have symptoms like not having your character act believably. This can lead to Aragorn syndrome (I just killed a hundred guys all attacking me at once without breaking a sweat!) or, worse, downright derivativeness. Unless you're doing a work-for-hire for Wizards of the Coast, I'd avoid it.
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I have an interview sheet I've started using (only done five so far, they're kind of long).
Example here. Stat sheets can get boring, but this type can actually help you get into the brain of the character.
Example here. Stat sheets can get boring, but this type can actually help you get into the brain of the character.
This is going to drive me nuts if I don't say something, so I apologize in advance for being such a pedant. It's "than," not "then."
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There's only so much dishwashing and vacuuming a girl can do at one time. Gotta space these things out.
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BURN THOSE!!!!!!
I couldn't write about my characters after I filled that thing out. They do not help at all. Come on, when you meet someone at a bar, do you take a survey sheet and ask them what their most memorable childhood dream is? (yes, the one I filled out had that question. The only thing left for them to ask me was what shoe size my character was, which would only prove itself useful is I were writing a really stereotypical guy-centric story with urban legends.)
All in all, not something I'd recommend. I jot down some stuff about my characters, but I can keep track of them relatively well in my mind because I have a good memory and because I love most of them to specks of dust.
I couldn't write about my characters after I filled that thing out. They do not help at all. Come on, when you meet someone at a bar, do you take a survey sheet and ask them what their most memorable childhood dream is? (yes, the one I filled out had that question. The only thing left for them to ask me was what shoe size my character was, which would only prove itself useful is I were writing a really stereotypical guy-centric story with urban legends.)
All in all, not something I'd recommend. I jot down some stuff about my characters, but I can keep track of them relatively well in my mind because I have a good memory and because I love most of them to specks of dust.
I'm not sure what gaming means, but are you talking about those character profile sheets where you come up with information such as physical characteristics, habits, educational background, and things like how does the character deal with anger, how does s/he dress, etc?
Yes I use those. I like doing that kind of thing. It helps me to keep my people consistent.
Yes I use those. I like doing that kind of thing. It helps me to keep my people consistent.
I don't use character sheets for writing or gaming (I don't do the whole role playing thing--I assume that's what you mean by 'gaming'.) I have made less than one page of written character notes for ALL my writing. It has the little details I kept forgetting for some of my series characters (some supporting characters' last names, my hero's height, another POV character's exact hair color (it's BLACK not dark brown!)).
I've always found those character sheets to be full of useless information and not have a space for the stuff I really need to know (of course, what I really need to know is completely different from one character to the next). They probably don't work for me because I develop my characters backwards, starting with their attitudes and behaviors and then working back to the causes behind them. Basically, by the time I could fill out a character sheet, I don't have any need for it, because my character development is done.
I've always found those character sheets to be full of useless information and not have a space for the stuff I really need to know (of course, what I really need to know is completely different from one character to the next). They probably don't work for me because I develop my characters backwards, starting with their attitudes and behaviors and then working back to the causes behind them. Basically, by the time I could fill out a character sheet, I don't have any need for it, because my character development is done.
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For me, character sheets have one use: keeping details straight.
"Crap, I think I gave him a favorite team somewhere in the past 59,328 words. Balls."
"Crap, I think I gave him a favorite team somewhere in the past 59,328 words. Balls."
MDSchafer
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I don't do sheets to learn about my characters, do it to keep details correct. It helps during the editing process if you have written down somewhere that a character has green eyes or blue.
I just go through an exhaustive "interview" process, like they're applying for a job
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
"Well... I, uhhhhmmm."
"Oh nevermind, you're dead by the third chapter. Next!"
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I started out writing as a role player (I still RP), but my character sheets aren't very in-depth. I do use them for both RP characters and non-RP characters, often because the characters I use in role playing end up in my stories.
I don't write some huge equivalent of an encyclopedia entry on them, though. It's just the basic details I start with, mostly so I have something I can pull up and look at to keep from changing the characters eyes or switching their weapon with someone else's, for example.
Here's a sample sheet, the basic format I use for all profiles:
Sample Character Sheet [Usually I have the character's name and the title of the WIP here.]
Name:
Race: I write fantasy, so this does come up often.
Age: Just an approximation, makes it easier to keep their personality consistent.
Height: So I know who's looking up or down at other characters.
Build: I don't do weight cause that's silly, I just mention whether they're fit or fat.
Hair: For consistency in edits.
Eyes: Same as above.
Sometimes there will be a miscellaneous category here, like scales/wings/whatever.
Background: Just a quick reference with all the basics and maybe a few interesting details about their culture and personal history that would be hard to find otherwise.
If the character is a warrior or whatever, I'll also list their primary weapons and general combat style. Makes it easier to visualize the battles. Also any interesting items they may own or picked up during the story.
Now, I don't actually need this sheet to do any writing. It's more of a holdover, something I do because that's how I did it when I started. I usually have a good memory for this sort of thing, and I don't actually use sheets for every single character. I guess you could call it a hobby, it's just something I like doing.
~DragonHeart~
I don't write some huge equivalent of an encyclopedia entry on them, though. It's just the basic details I start with, mostly so I have something I can pull up and look at to keep from changing the characters eyes or switching their weapon with someone else's, for example.
Here's a sample sheet, the basic format I use for all profiles:
Sample Character Sheet [Usually I have the character's name and the title of the WIP here.]
Name:
Race: I write fantasy, so this does come up often.
Age: Just an approximation, makes it easier to keep their personality consistent.
Height: So I know who's looking up or down at other characters.
Build: I don't do weight cause that's silly, I just mention whether they're fit or fat.
Hair: For consistency in edits.
Eyes: Same as above.
Sometimes there will be a miscellaneous category here, like scales/wings/whatever.
Background: Just a quick reference with all the basics and maybe a few interesting details about their culture and personal history that would be hard to find otherwise.
If the character is a warrior or whatever, I'll also list their primary weapons and general combat style. Makes it easier to visualize the battles. Also any interesting items they may own or picked up during the story.
Now, I don't actually need this sheet to do any writing. It's more of a holdover, something I do because that's how I did it when I started. I usually have a good memory for this sort of thing, and I don't actually use sheets for every single character. I guess you could call it a hobby, it's just something I like doing.
~DragonHeart~
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Me too, actually, now I think about it. Well sorta. I've found that these thingies never help me get to know a character, but they may help jump-start me halfway through a novel if I feel like I'm losing a character. I usually phrase them as an interview, not necessarily a job interview--more like a Parade feature. Or something.
I don't bother with interview/statistics type stuff. I just can't understand how it's useful to know minutia like "character's favorite ice cream flavor" when half the time, hair and eye color aren't even relevant.
I don't know what gaming is and I don't plan my characters. I just write. They come to me as they are.
I'm "other posting below": No I don't use them for anything other than in games 
...and often not for games either, when I'm being narrative-y.
I tried using character sheets once. Froze me dead. They focus on all the wrong aspects of the character, IMO
I have tried some sorts of story-relevant character interviews. Those were interesting. Not sure about useful.
But sometimes just writing down who my characters are, in a few paragraphs, helps me a lot. Tells me where they're coming from.
...and often not for games either, when I'm being narrative-y.
I tried using character sheets once. Froze me dead. They focus on all the wrong aspects of the character, IMO
I have tried some sorts of story-relevant character interviews. Those were interesting. Not sure about useful.
But sometimes just writing down who my characters are, in a few paragraphs, helps me a lot. Tells me where they're coming from.
I look at it like a rap sheet. What would a cop need to know to find this guy? The rest comes out in the story.
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