Character Development List
PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:03 am
This is a random list I made myself to help with my character developement. To develope the personalities of some of my characters or to determine what weaknesses/strengths they have. I don't know if it will help anyone else, but I thought I'd throw it out. If you think more should be added to it, or you disagree with some of the ideas on the list, give a comment. This is obviously a psychological list, so it is very subjective. Anyways, hope it helps someone. (also, if this kind of thread is not allowed, feel free to close it)
Note: Also, please take in mind that I didn't list these things in order of importance. I merely listed them as they came to my mind.
Emotional Needs and Desires of all Sentient (human) Characters
1: To receive love
2: To be accepted/appreciated
3: To be respected/recognized
4: To love something (to worship something)
5: To be useful/productive; have a sense of significance; to have a purpose for their lives.
6: To be understood by someone or to be able to know someone intimately (best friend or romance wise)
7: To be needed
8: The need for excitement; to have competition or a challenge; exploration
9: The need for peace and quiet; personal solitude
10: The need for stability
11: The desire to do what is right; to have a clean conscience.
12: Mental/emotional addictions
13: To be acknowledged
14: The need for companionship
Note: All characters must have one of these emotional needs neglected or not completely satisfied to their liking (because no one is perfectly taken care of or perfect themselves). Also characters may value one need so much that they unconsciously neglect one of the others and realize later on their desire for that emotional need as well (or they may never realize it). All characters seek to fulfill their desires whether they’re aware of them or not. Their desires may also come into conflict with one another and force them to choose which need is more important to them at the moment.
How Characters Cope With Having Their Needs and/or Desires Denied
1: Anger/frustration, projection (unloading on someone; blaming them)
2: Self denial, repression (burying your feelings)
3: Depression (crying, etc), emotional withdrawal (holding back emotions from others)
4: Distraction
5: Venting/expressing
6: Regression (going back to a less improved state emotionally/mentally)
Note 1: There are ways of combining one or more of these coping methods that may lead to various results in a characters actions and/or emotional/mental states.
Note 2: There are three general categories for how people cope initially with things: Aggressive, Passive, and Passive/Aggressive.
Physical Needs and Desires of Characters
Note: Physical needs or desires will often override a person’s emotional needs or desires and thus must be considered when determining how a character will act. Very often, however, these physical needs or desires may be an extension of the characters emotional needs or desires.
1: The desire to live, fear of death, self preservation
2: The “immediate” needs: a: air
b: sleep
c: water
d: food
3: Sexual desire
4: The desire for physical comfort, to feel clean, to be relieved of something (pain, waste, etc)
5: The desire to move or exercise
6: The desire to make noise or speak (many times out of fear or excitement, etc)
7: Addictions (physical)
8: The need for shelter or coverings (clothes)
Note: All vices are a corruption of any of the needs and/or purest desires, or the creation of wants that override one’s needs and the needs of others. As such, reference how these desires or needs get corrupted, or how wants get created, in your back story if not in the story itself. This will help you create a better picture about how the character will act. Examples: Greed is the want to have more than what you need, to want more just for the sake of having more. Lust is the corruption of sexual desires. Blood lust is a corruption of one’s desire for excitement. Addictions are created through irresponsibility. The list goes on.
Note: Also, please take in mind that I didn't list these things in order of importance. I merely listed them as they came to my mind.
Emotional Needs and Desires of all Sentient (human) Characters
1: To receive love
2: To be accepted/appreciated
3: To be respected/recognized
4: To love something (to worship something)
5: To be useful/productive; have a sense of significance; to have a purpose for their lives.
6: To be understood by someone or to be able to know someone intimately (best friend or romance wise)
7: To be needed
8: The need for excitement; to have competition or a challenge; exploration
9: The need for peace and quiet; personal solitude
10: The need for stability
11: The desire to do what is right; to have a clean conscience.
12: Mental/emotional addictions
13: To be acknowledged
14: The need for companionship
Note: All characters must have one of these emotional needs neglected or not completely satisfied to their liking (because no one is perfectly taken care of or perfect themselves). Also characters may value one need so much that they unconsciously neglect one of the others and realize later on their desire for that emotional need as well (or they may never realize it). All characters seek to fulfill their desires whether they’re aware of them or not. Their desires may also come into conflict with one another and force them to choose which need is more important to them at the moment.
How Characters Cope With Having Their Needs and/or Desires Denied
1: Anger/frustration, projection (unloading on someone; blaming them)
2: Self denial, repression (burying your feelings)
3: Depression (crying, etc), emotional withdrawal (holding back emotions from others)
4: Distraction
5: Venting/expressing
6: Regression (going back to a less improved state emotionally/mentally)
Note 1: There are ways of combining one or more of these coping methods that may lead to various results in a characters actions and/or emotional/mental states.
Note 2: There are three general categories for how people cope initially with things: Aggressive, Passive, and Passive/Aggressive.
Physical Needs and Desires of Characters
Note: Physical needs or desires will often override a person’s emotional needs or desires and thus must be considered when determining how a character will act. Very often, however, these physical needs or desires may be an extension of the characters emotional needs or desires.
1: The desire to live, fear of death, self preservation
2: The “immediate” needs: a: air
b: sleep
c: water
d: food
3: Sexual desire
4: The desire for physical comfort, to feel clean, to be relieved of something (pain, waste, etc)
5: The desire to move or exercise
6: The desire to make noise or speak (many times out of fear or excitement, etc)
7: Addictions (physical)
8: The need for shelter or coverings (clothes)
Note: All vices are a corruption of any of the needs and/or purest desires, or the creation of wants that override one’s needs and the needs of others. As such, reference how these desires or needs get corrupted, or how wants get created, in your back story if not in the story itself. This will help you create a better picture about how the character will act. Examples: Greed is the want to have more than what you need, to want more just for the sake of having more. Lust is the corruption of sexual desires. Blood lust is a corruption of one’s desire for excitement. Addictions are created through irresponsibility. The list goes on.