Character Profile

A character needs more than a name. They need a profile to connect them with a reader.

Character Profile
In order to bond a character with your reader, you will need to mold him with his own personal traits and flaws. No one likes to read about a mundane character who does nothing more than 'being there'.

A good example of several characteristic traits and profile is Harry Potter. Let's break him down:

*Harry is an orphan
This usually ignites a sense of motherly care for this type of character within a reader. Their instincts are to follow him and see how he develops.
*Harry has magical abilities
This element spawns the curiosity factor in a reader, glued to their seat to find out what Harry will use to escape capture.
*Harry wears glasses
This characteristic of not having 20/20 vision brings a more realistic side to him.
*Harry's immediate family members are cruel to him

This brings out emotions in a reader. Whenever a cruel gesture or remark is made towards Harry, the protective reader is glued to the book to find out how Harry will respond.
As you can see, giving your character distinct traits and a well thought of profile will only secure a reader's attention to your story.

The above are only a taste of what is involved in making up a profile. In this article, I'll begin with a few characteristic elements you will need to ponder in order to begin building your character.

Physical Traits:

Hair:
Long Short Wavy Straight Bald Black Blonde Auburn Spikey Oily Slicked back Ponytail

Skin Type:
Fair Dark Skinned Pale Pimples Clear complexion Oily skin Dry flakey skin Large pores wrinkles Laugh lines discolored skin Scars

Family background:
Orphan Divorced Married Single Broken home Siblings Only child Single parent Happy childhood Abusive family

Body Features:
Tall Short Fat Skinny Bony Obese Stoops Limps Amputated body parts Moustache Beard Clean shaven Hairy body Skin Disorder Irregular body shape

In order to get a better understanding of a thorough character profile to use with any genre story you may be writing, I want to ask you to look over some of your favorite books and try to figure out what exactly did that character possess that made you want to follow his/her story. By doing this, you'll begin to evaluate what does and does not make for a memorable book character.