Complete Character Profile Template for Writers (Free + Editable Worksheet)

If you’ve ever caught a detail change halfway through revisions—an eye color, a hometown, a “wait, when did that happen?” moment—you already know why character profiles exist.

They’re not about being organized for the sake of it.

They’re about protecting the story you’re trying to tell.

This is the character profile template I use inside my own Work in Progress Notebook. It’s the system I rely on to keep my characters emotionally consistent, logically grounded, and recognizably themselves from first draft to final edit.

Character Profile Template (Free Worksheet)

You can copy and paste this template into any document, or download the editable versions by adding your email below.

Character Name & Books/Series

• Character Name:
• Nicknames:
• Books Included:
• Role:

Physical Appearance

• Hair Color:
• Eye Color:
• Height:
• Weight:
• Skin ColorType:
• Birthmarks:
• Posture/Shape:
• Dominant Hand: Left | Right
• Fashion/Style:
• Health:
• Other Identifying:

Character Inspiration:

Is there an inspiration for this character? Drop an image in here:

Basic Details (Demographics +)

• Age:
• Birthdate:
• Gender:
• Birthplace:
• Race/Nationality:
• Marital Status:
• Education:
• Titles or Degrees:
• Current Residence:
• Own/Rent/other?
• Language(s):
• Financial Status:
• Allergies:
• Dislikes/likes (food, etc):

Family & Social Ties

Significant Relationships (important to the Character’s Journey) – add details and which book(s) this part of the story moves forward.

• Mother:
• Father:
• Sibling(s):
• Sibling(s):
• Children:
• Other Key Family relationships:
• Friends:

Goals, Motivations & Conflict (GMC)

• What events have affected your character and how?
• Introvert or Extrovert?
• How does that impact their actions?
• Positive Traits
• Negative Traits
• Goals at the start of the novel (What do they want?)
• What do they need?
• Internal Conflicts:
• External Conflicts:
• What is one fear that affects them in this story?
• What is something they are known for?
• Other Notes:

Inner World

• Core belief:
• Emotional wound:
• Shame trigger:
• Moral boundary:
• Default coping pattern:
• What they’re afraid to admit:

Character Change Arc

• Who they are at the start:
• What they resist becoming:
• What forces change:
• Who they become:
• What it costs them:

Excerpts / Mentions in Book(s)

Copy and paste description paragraphs or significant moments you want to remember here. The way you phrase something matters more later than you realize.

Book:
Page #:
Excerpt:

Why I Built This Character Profile Template

This template exists because I got tired of re-reading my own books like a confused beta reader. I’ve published 3 novels, all part of the same series, and every time, I ended up with random details I forgot.

Was her mom alive in chapter three?
Didn’t he hate coffee?
Why is she suddenly fearless about something that terrified her two chapters ago?

None of that happens because writers are careless. It happens because writing is mentally expensive. You’re tracking plot, pacing, voice, tension, dialogue, theme—and somewhere in there, your brain quietly drops a few details on the floor.

Over time, those dropped details turn into continuity problems. And worse, emotional ones.

This profile is what I use now to keep myself honest about who my characters are—especially when I’m tired, rushing, or deep into revision mode. Hope it helps you, too.

Send this right to your inbox below…and you’ll get some bonus questions, too!

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Looking to go deeper with understanding your character? Discover the types of character arcs and how to build one for your characters (including your antagonists.)