Creating Complex Characters: My Scrivener Character Template
Character development is one of the most rewarding and intricate parts of writing a novel. When I first started writing, I struggled to keep track of my characters' personalities, backgrounds, and arcs in a structured way. That all changed when I stumbled upon a character template years ago that became the foundation of my character-building process.
I wish I could credit the original creator of this template, but I’ve since modified, formatted, and structured it to better suit my needs. If the original creator happens to come across this, please reach out—I’d love to give credit where it’s due!
In this post, I’m sharing the template I use in Scrivener to develop my characters. I’ve found it invaluable in ensuring my characters are multidimensional and consistent throughout my stories. If you’d like to use it, I’ll be figuring out a way to include a downloadable version soon!
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Character Name:
Also Known As:
Summary: One-paragraph overview of the character’s storyline, motivation, and description.
Role in Story: A one-sentence description of their function in the story, including their archetype if applicable.
Position: The character’s occupation and social standing.
Goal: What does the character want to achieve?
Motivation: What internal need drives them to act?
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Internal Conflicts: A paragraph describing the character’s emotional and moral struggles.
External Conflicts: A paragraph detailing their external challenges (relationships, societal obstacles, physical threats, etc.).
Change: Describe the transformation the character undergoes throughout the story.
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Family & Relationships: Parents, siblings, spouse, children, clan/household.
Personal Details: Gender, orientation, languages, profession, religion, creed.
Birthplace & Residence: Where they were born and where they live now.
Death (if applicable): Cause and time of death if relevant to the story.
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Age & Appearance Age
Hair Type & Style
Eye Color
Hair Color
Eyesight
Facial & Body Hair
Height & Weight
Build
Distinguishing Marks (Scars, Tattoos, Birthmarks, etc.)
Fitness & Health Status
Ethnicity & Complexion
Hygiene & Grooming
Disabilities
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Likes & Loves
Dislikes & Hates
Fears & Revulsions
Delights & Comforts
Favorite Color, Scents, Foods, Music, Activities
Turn-ons & Turn-offs
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I use a 1-5 scale to define the character’s traits between opposing extremes:
Warm ——+—— Cold
Tardy ———— Punctual
Outgoing ———— Shy
Efficient ———— Inefficient
Extravagant ———— Frugal
Collaborative ———— Individualistic
Optimist ———— Pessimist
Quiet ———— Loud
Irascible ———— Calm
Subtle ———— Direct
Callous ———— Caring
Industrious ———— Lazy
Arrogant ———— Humble
Heroic ———— Cowardly
Content ———— Discontent
Candid ———— Tactful
Impulsive ———— Thoughtful
Accommodating ———— Unobliging
Conventional ———— Original
Responsible ———— Irresponsible
Emotional ———— Stoic
Enthusiastic ———— Apathetic
Meticulous ———— Careless
Systematic ———— Disorganized
Reckless ———— Cautious
Jovial ———— Serious
Charismatic ———— Dull
Observant ———— Inattentive
Verbose ———— Succinct
Blunt ———— Tactful
Leader ———— Follower
Confident ———— Diffident
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Physical Description: A detailed description of their appearance, mannerisms, and distinguishing features.
Personality: A summary of their temperament, attitudes, and core personality traits.
Habits & Mannerisms: Unique quirks, habits, and ways of speaking/moving.
Skills, Abilities & Hobbies: Talents, professions, skills, and leisure activities.
MBTI & Enneagram: If you use personality typing, include these here.
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Family: Write about their relationships with their parents, siblings, spouse, children, and extended family.
Society: Describe their social status, profession, and societal position.
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Background: A biography detailing their past, major life events, and how they got to the start of the story.
Synopsis: A brief summary of their journey from their perspective.
Notes: Any additional details or reminders about this character.
Scenes: List major scenes they appear in (if using Scrivener, this can be replaced with tags or metadata).
Final Thoughts
This template has been my go-to tool for character creation, helping me flesh out every detail so my characters feel authentic and multidimensional. For protagonists I'll fill out the entire template, but for secondary characters I usually only fill out a third to a half, only noting what information is relevant to my story. If you’re looking for a way to keep track of your characters, I hope this proves useful!
If you use a similar character template, I’d love to hear about it! How do you approach character development in your writing?
