Hola and good day, dear writers! When you get past the basics and into the intense, it's always good to get a little boost for your original characters to fully become the blossoming beauties that are destined to be. This is a guide for those who have had a character (Or set of characters, of course) for a while and feel the need to add more depth.

-Though it may not be apparent, several characters of mine are characters who I've had for a long time. Many of them are recycled and made new again every few years, and most are new versions of characters I've had since the fourth grade. It was easy to get the basic 'Name, age, gender' stuff down, but when it came to the 'Motivations, personality, fears' it got a bit harder. I wanted everything to make sense, and so to help other writers who are in the same situation as I was (And still am in) I've created this guide!

-The first thing I am going to stress, and really one of the only things, is CONSISTENCY. Repeat after me: "If a character is right-handed, blue-eyed, and dark-haired on page three, they'd better be the same darn way on page seventy six." I know that your story might be a tad different (A swordsman might switch hands because of an injury, a rocker might add color contacts, or a teenaged girl might dye her hair) but the basic rule stays the same. Consistency is vital to the flow of a story, whether it be with plot, setting, or characterization.  

-When I design a character, I use 'levels' of depth. A small character with only a minor role will probably only require the first two (Or possibly three) levels of depth. Not every character needs to be deep in your stories, only the mains. This is to prevent unnecessary clogging and to save time for both you and the reader. Too much backstory from too many people can be confusing, and bogs down the main plot.

==Level One, the basics==

-With every profile comes the generic, but the generic is needed. The name, the age, height, weight... We need to have this written down to keep the image current in our minds. When I first start books, and even half-way through on accident, I'll change hair-colors, names of parents, or even what hand they use without even noticing. It may seem simple and unneeded, but right now, do the below sheet:

Full name: This is the name that your character currently uses, or most commonly uses.
Other names: Birth names they have forsaken, nicknames, pet names, serial numbers...
Age/DOB: Age can be hard, so if your character is part of a multi-year and long spanning project, then just do date of birth.
Physical/Mental Gender: Extremely important. If they have boy parts, but are a girl in their head, then this adds to a characters personality and whatnot.
Race/Species: Good to remember for fantasy/sci-fi.
Parentage: Names of birth parents, as well as adoptive ones.
Prosperity: Are they rich? Poor? Do they work?

-Okay, now that wasn't hard, was it? No, and doing a full character profile in this style is easy as cake and helps you get to know your 'people.' So we have the basics out of the way and stored conveniently close by for consistency. Look at your basics and think hard about them, because they're going to help in the upcoming levels.

==Level Two, Into the Mirror.==

-We all need to formulate a picture of someone in our minds to write about them, even if you are writing from their perspective and never describe said narrators appearance. Appearance in a story is like appearance in the real world, and it can say many things about someone. A tall, broad man is a more imposing warrior than a short, thin woman. Someone with glasses is often seen as more intelligent, or someone with acne is perceived as younger than someone with wrinkles. How a character looks helps you write about them as much as it helps the reader read about them. When you describe a character, it helps a person get a feel for them. If they're average height with a bit more muscle, have shaggy blond hair, and light gray eyes it gives the reader a sense of feeling towards this character. Note that I didn't say love or hate towards this character, only a feeling. I, for one, have a soft spot for gray eyes on men, so I would feel a bit more inclined to like this character. Someone else might detest gray eyes on men, but don't let this stop you from giving your characters discernible features. Liking or disliking a character is all part of reading a book, and it gives a character partial-flaws (More about those to come.)

-So, look into the mirror. Imagine your character staring back at you. What do they look like?

Height: Obvious. It's good for consistency.
Weight:See above notation.
Build: There are many types of builds. Are they muscular, or thin? Frail, or healthy? There can be many different combinations. See Third Level for further notes.
Skin-tone: Tan? Pale? Average? Fur?
Eyes: What shape are they? Are they wide-set, or close? Slanted or rounded? What color are they? Do they have flecks of dark green, or a ring of light gray around the iris? Are the whites even white? Do they have pupils?
Hair: Does it have a bad tendency to stick up, or is it always neat? Is it long and luxuriant, or short and spiky? What color is it? How thick is it? Does it frizz?
Nose: Snub-nosed, romantic, manly, girly?
Mouth: Wide, small, pillowy lips, white teeth? Remember, a mouth can say a lot about someone (Oh haa bad pun.)
Ears: The shape of an ear, as well as its placement, is important to remember. Does your character have pointed ears on the sides of their head, or cat ears on the top of their skull?
Scars/other markings: Scars, tattoos, beauty marks, stretch marks, anything that makes a body unique to that certain character. Note the area of the mark, the size, the shape, and significance (If any.)
Glasses/piercings: Do they have wire-frames or coke-bottles, and are they all holed up or completely intact?
Preferred Hand: Take note of this. It’s annoying when you’re reading about a righty, and all of a sudden he’s signing papers with his left.
Other/Notes: Wings? Three tails? An extra smidgen about the hair that you forgot? This is the place where you put everything that doesn't fit in the above categories.

-Good, good! You're still with me and you're coming right along. So all of this should look familiar, right? You've most likely done all of this before, but it's okay if you haven't. Remember you're old friend consistency. The more you write it down here, the more likely you're going to write it down the same way the next three-billion times you do.

==Level Three, Physical and Mental==

-So, getting into deeper territory. This level and the levels beyond aren't for minor characters that only appear for a few chapters. These are for major characters. This will help flesh them out even more and add more depth, while helping you keep your thoughts collected. So, remember your consistency as I introduce yet another concept. While familiar to many, it's easy to forget: Motivation and drive. While your character might not be particularly motivated or driven, you have to remember that something made them that way. Physical characteristics as well as mental ones affect the characters, those around them, and the people reading them.

-Side note. We all know Mary Sue's. We've all seen them in various forms, we've all loved or hated them, and we've all tried to avoid making our characters them (Well, those of us that are sane.) Mary Sue's are the bane of any writers existence, and the only use I can see for one is in a parody. Mary Sue's are when a person only fills out the first two levels of this sheet and then uses that character as a main. No motivation, no realism. It's an unrealistic and annoying alternative to thinking things through and getting a deep result. And yes, there are characters who people have had for years that are still underdeveloped. Motivation is the key. When filling out the third level, ask yourself 'What does this make someone? Why are they this way?' Keep Paul Gauguin’s famous painting in mind “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?”

Level of physical fitness: Remember when you put down your characters build? Remember, just because someone is heavier set doesn’t mean they aren’t in shape. I’m a cool 5’3 and weigh about 170 pounds, but I’m 78% muscle, a member of the powerlifting team, and can run an 8:30 miles. I’m in shape, but I’m thicker built. A good friend of mine is 5’7, 110 pounds, and can’t run for longer than two minutes. You can be fit AND fat, and so can your characters. Endurance should also be put here.
Physical age: Do they look 54, as well as being 54? Or has a life of smoking and drinking pre-aged them to 40 when they’re sitting at 25? Or are they an Immortal whose about 9,000 years old and look 7?
Tone of voice: Baritone? Tenor? Alto? Do they have a harsh voice because of constant yelling, or did a stab-wound to the throat render their voice nearly useless?
Smoker/drinker: Remember, both of these should have some form of effect on characters. And if it doesn’t, bring it up in the story. Have one ask why years of bad habits haven’t claimed your characters teeth? It adds backstory.
Physical disabilities: Do they need a cane to get around? Do they suffer from muscle spasms or asthma? Do they get frequent, debilitating leg cramps?
Traits gained from mother: Do they have her fair hair, or her passiveness?

Traits gained from father: Do they have their fathers stern temper, or his gentle eyes?
Traits gained from surroundings: As children, people can learn to think a certain way from those around them. If your character gained a hatred for music because one of his fathers close friends was always blaring it, put it here.
Dominant parent: Which parent does this character take after?
Masking ability: Can they hide what they’re thinking? Or can they be read like a book?
Empathy/Reader: This one can be confusing. Empathy means that someone feels what someone else does, and helps them try and get through a situation. A reader watches and doesn’t do anything, whether out of spite or out of laziness. If this character was watching two kids fight it out, would they simply be a spectator, or would they step forward and tell them to knock it off?
Education: Do they have a bachelors degree or did they drop out of high-school? If this doesn’t apply in your story, then just get as close as you can. Also, how did they do in school?
Moral/Logical: Logics and morals often work against one another. When faced with a decision, people scroll through the outcomes and what feels right. Your characters should, too. Think of it in this basic way: 'Your character is faced with a fight against someone they've hated. The likelihood of them winning is maybe 40%. Logics say they run and come back to fight another day, but morality tells them that they should take out their anger and do what’s right.
Religion: Do they have one? Attend church? Hate on the local God? This is part of a characters depth, and it helps a reader put the characters puzzle together.
+Subcategory- Views on...: For questions that are asked the same, and answered similarly, but are different in topic. If your story involves different things, then feel free to add your own.
-Love: Is it something meaningless in their eyes, or do they crave it?
-Work: Do they abhor hard work, or do they enjoy it? Do they like doing meaningless paper work, or do they like to work the plough?
-Emotions: Do they hate themselves for not being able to contain their emotions, or do they see emotions as something that are needed
-Racism: Are they the victim of it, and hate it? Or do they have these feelings towards a certain group of people?
-Hate: Is hate something they try to avoid? What about reserving it for that one, special person?
-Money: Hate it? Love it? Need it? Don’t even know what it is?
-Individualism vs. Conformity: Do they love the one person that stands out in a crowd? Are they that person? Or do the like it when everyone is the same?
-Beauty: What’s beautiful to them? A thin, young man with a cheeky smile? Or a thick-waisted woman with a vivacious personality and a warm voice? Do they like Monet more than Kinkade?
-Comfort: What comforts them? A long nap beside the fire or a jog out in the countryside? Something that a writer can miss in characterization is what a character does in their spare time. Someone who jumps rope and does gymnastics is going to be more physically fit than someone reads books all the time.
Hobbies: See above. What does this character like to do in their spare time?
Phobias: What makes them seize up in terror? Think about what caused this for them, and how it affects their performance in the book.
Philias: The opposite of a phobia! What do they love, what do they obsess over? What do they need?
Likes: What do they enjoy? Warm days, naps? What keeps them happy?
Dislikes: What do they not enjoy? Heatwaves, waking up early? What makes them irritated?
Preferences in a companion: Whether romantic or not, what do they want from a loved one?
Personality: What makes them... them?
Other/Notes: Just like before, if there’s anything that you’re not sure where to put, put it here.

==Level Four, Outside and Beyond.==

-Your character has to eat something, right? What about a home? Does he/she have a home? Or a job? All the things that don’t fit into a physical or a mental description go here.

Line of work: Doesn’t have one? Or hates their current one?
+Subcategory- Dwelling: Another subcategory....
-Describe their current one: Or if there is none, then where do they retire to? An inn? A hotel? Their lovers basement?
-Describe their childhood one: Was it a happy home by the ocean, with a white picket fence? Or did they reside in a trailer park where people came and went without two words?
-Describe their least favorite dwelling:Where did they hate? Why did they hate it? Too hot? Bad memories?
-Describe their favorite dwelling: Why did they like to live? Why? Was it because their wife loved them there and they can still hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the hallway?
Allergies: Shellfish? Cats? Or nothing?
Talents: Can they sing, or can they stack cups really fast? Do they shred on guitar or are they just really good at keeping their balance?
Preferred method of transportation: Horse? Foot? Brothers car?
Hygiene habits:
+Subcategory- Companions: yes, there’s more!
-Preferred company: Or do they want no company?
-Preferred friends: We all have friends we like more than others, and so should do your characters.
-Reasons for being around others: Is a high school girl surrounded by friends because she’ll get lonely without them, or does an anti-social mercenary merely have companions so they won’t be overwhelmed by their enemies numbers?
Others/Notes: Same as before.

==Level Five, The Backstory==

-This category is slightly more empty of questions, but should be filled with answers. Where were they born? How were they born? How were they raised? Tramautic childhood or no? Backstory is the single most important thing with character development. Why is a character motivated to do anything? Because of what happened to them in the past. Doesn’t matter if it happened three minutes ago or three years ago, but if it happened, it happened. If your character was beaten as a child, then it adds to the storyline and depth. Add a backstory of them trying to recover from their abuses, or add a personality quirk where they love children and try to protect them from harm.

-Side note: Dead parents. Easy way out. Don’t have someone’s family get murdered just so you can have that character wander around with guns and knives and just go on rampages. It’s not fun to read, and it’s an annoying cliche. If you actually have a decent, plotty reason to kill someone close to the character, then by all means DO IT.



==Level Six, the WTF category==

-This isn’t more questions followed by colons. I use section five as a place to write down everything that I’ve missed about a character in a very specific way: In a short story. It doesn’t have to delve deep into their psychology, it should just help you get comfortable with a certain character. If you’re comfortable with a character, you’re going to write him/her in a more convincing way. Short stories are a good way to practice for the long books ahead, and a great way to develop characters.

-We all know fanfiction, right? Write a little fanfiction for one of your own stories! It can be anything. A Christmas story, a dinner party, or even just two of them sitting down in a bar somewhere. It doesn’t even have to mean anything or take place on any feasible place on your timeline. Filling out a list of likes and dislikes isn't a way to form a personality, you need to see these characteristics in action. So just pick some random characters and go nuts!

-Or, if you’ve ever done any of those little myspace/facebook surveys, fill one out... as your character! You don’t have to post it anywhere, just answer the questions as if you were the character. It’s an easy and fun way to get to know the person on your paper!