Character Bibles.

I have received a few emails and queries about a character bible. Every time I bring it up in writing circle or critique, I often get the classic “deer in headlights” from new writers. So I am offering the sheet I use and instructions on how to use it. While many writers don’t use a character bible and just keep a few scattered notes here and there, TV and movie writers use them and they help keep the character straight and provide the basis for why the character would or would not act in the situations you place them in.  I find them very helpful but that is me. If using notes works keep on then.

Instructions for using the sheet:

First you need to know where your story is going. Is it a modern fantasy or mystery/thriller or some type of speculative fiction, i.e. fantasy or sci-fi? This really determines the type of people your characters will be.

Decide on the type of characters you want in your story. If you want a tall, willowy blonde or a short, rotund man with dark beady eyes, you as the writer will need to know everything from their age and race to their religious affiliation to whether their parents are divorced and everything in between.

Research your characters. Once you generally know who they are and where they are going, in order to  give them realistic representations in your book, you will need to research their occupation, be it a banker to a sword wielding knight

I cannot stress this enough, a character bible is knowing everything about your characters including their family and relations. You don't have to create a separate bio for the family members but you must be clear on where your character fits into their family and the relationship they have with them.

Using the template you can create a basic summary of your characters, and you need to do one for each one you write about. This summary should include age, weight height, sex, schooling, occupation, where they are originally from and where they currently live.

Once you have this you can keep a fairly detailed character bible that you can continually update for the important character in your stories and how they have grown over the duration of the story or stories.  It also allows you to keep a track of relationships between characters.

Character Bible Sheet-Quick Reference

Real Name:

Age:

Height:

Weight:

Eyes:

Hair:

Occupation:

Other Aliases/Nick Names:

Place of Birth:

Marital Status:

Known Relatives and Relationships:

History:

Appearance:

Abilities/Skills/Talents:

Known Powers:

Weapons:

Limitations:

Character Arc/ Development: