When creating a work of fiction, the writer needs to decide who the characters are, where they come from, what motivates them to do something, and why they are in the story. Knowing all these things about a character before even writing the story will help develop a story that readers will identify with. The better the reader can connect with the characters, the more enjoyable the reading experience will be for him or her. Just because the writer knows all about the character, however, does not mean that every single detail is provided to the reader in the story. There needs to be some room for the reader to determine some facts about the character, thus building a more solid connection between the reader and the story. Writer's Disclaimer: The following information is gleaned from an article I wrote on Character Sketches for eHow. It is my original content. I also teach an online course in Character Sketch Development and use some of this content in that course.

Physical Description

Does the character any unique identifying marks, tattoos, scars, etc.? Don't forget the details like color of nail polish, hair style, type of clothing and accessories the character wears. And the bling! What kind of jewelry is the character wearing?

Voice

Does the character speak in a whiny, nasal, high or low pitched voice? Is there an accent? Does your character talk like someone who is educated or someone who likely did not finish the third grade? Voice tells the reader a lot about the character, so be sure to pay a lot of attention to this part of the sketch.

Occupation

What does the character do for a living? Is he or she old enough to have a job? What kind of job? Is he or she happy with the job? If your character is a child, what does he or she pretend to be during play? My six-year-old granddaughter thinks she is a cat, in fact the other day she told me she was part cat, part human, and part duck. The character does not have to have a job, but is there something the character does that sets him or her apart? Or does the character disappear in a crowd? All important things to consider.

Philosophy of Life

Does the character think about life? Does he or she go to church? Vote? What party? How far did he or she go in school? What does he or she think about the current state of affairs? (This should coincide with the time frame in which the story is set.) Knowing this will help the writer decide what actions the character will take in the story as situations come up.

Social Interaction

Is the character a loner or a party animal? Do others like her or him? Why or why not? Think of both work and personal relationships here. Is your character well loved at work, but a tyrant at home? How does the character feel about others, about him or herself?

Main Influences

What motivates the character to do things or to not do things? Who does he or she trust with secrets or sensitive information? Who does the character look up to for inspiration, support, or advice? Why? The writer will also need to know something about the people who influence the character in order to make the interactions between them believable.

Where is Home?

Not just the country, state, county, city, but also the neighborhood, the street, what kind of house? Does the character pay rent? Have a mortgage? Live with his/her parents, spouse, children, roommates, or live alone? Are there pets?

Personality Quirks

Finally, determine what kind of person the character is. Is he kind, mean, or grumpy? Does she like herself? Is he confident, is she driven or laid back? Is the character someone who readers can identify with on any level - including hating him or her? Is the character real?

Using the Character Sketch

Once the character sketch is written, the writer needs to sit back and think about the character, get to know him or her intimately so when the character is brought into the story, it is someone well known to the writer. A good writer will hold back some information about the character to build tension, to add an element of surprise later, or to give the reader something to think about.