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Character profile template

Free template

Character Profile Template: Word, PDF, Example

A character profile template is a one page sheet that pins down who a character is before you write them: basics, what they want, what they really need, the wound behind their flaw, how they change, how they talk, and what they hide. Download it for Word, Google Docs or PDF, or fill it in below.

Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial

Download the character profile template

Two pages, US Letter: basics and inner life on page one, then arc, voice, relationships and secrets on page two. The example is one page.

Word (.docx)Printable PDFFilled example PDF

Using Google Docs

  1. Download the Word file and drag it into Google Drive.
  2. Right click it and choose Open with, then Google Docs.
  3. Use File, then Make a copy, for each character so the blank stays clean.

Character profile

Basics
Inside
Arc
Voice
People and secrets

Stuck on a field? The character backstory generator drafts a wound, a want and a secret from a few traits, and the character name generator finds a name that fits.

What does a finished character profile look like?

A filled example for a made up character, Odile Marchetti, the last ferry captain on a lake. Notice how the want, the wound and the secret all pull against each other.

Basics

Name
Odile Marchetti
Age
58
Role in the story
Protagonist
Job or daily life
Runs the last ferry on a lake that is about to get a bridge
One telling detail
Wears her late husband’s captain’s cap two sizes too big and never adjusts it.

Inside

Want (outer goal)
To stop the bridge from being built before the ferry’s final season ends.
Need (inner lesson)
To accept help, and to let the town move on without her permission.
Wound (what hurt them)
Her husband drowned on a night she refused to call for help because she thought she could handle the storm alone.
Flaw (how it shows)
Does everything herself, badly, rather than owe anyone.

Arc

At the start they believe
If she lets go of anything, she will lose everything.
The moment that changes them
She has to radio the bridge engineers for a rescue during a squall, and they come.
At the end they
Steers the ferry across one last time with the engineer at the wheel, and gets off on the far side.

Voice

How they talk
Short sentences, nautical slang, never says thank you, says right then instead.
A line only they would say
Right then. Water doesn’t care whose fault it is.

People and secrets

Relationships
Teo, her nephew, wants her to retire and move in. Hanne, the bridge engineer, is the first person in years to argue back. The regular passengers, who love her and are already buying cars.
Secret
She has already signed the papers selling the ferry. She has not told anyone.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Start with want and need. If they are the same thing, the character has nowhere to grow.

  2. 2

    Fill in the wound and the flaw, then check that the flaw comes from the wound.

  3. 3

    Write a line only they would say, then print the sheet or copy it into your notes.

What should a character profile include?

Only what changes how you write the character in a scene. Favourite colour and star sign rarely do. What they want, what they are afraid of, what they would never admit and how they talk under pressure always do. The template keeps to those fields on purpose.

The basics still matter, but briefly: a name, an age, a role in the story, and one telling detail a reader would remember after a single line of description.

What is the difference between want and need?

The want is the outer goal the character chases on screen: win the case, save the ferry, get the girl. The need is the inner change they have to make, usually something they resist: trust someone, let go, tell the truth.

Strong stories put the two in tension. The character usually gets the want or loses it by finally meeting the need. That turn is the arc.

How do wound and flaw connect?

The wound is something in the past that hurt the character. The flaw is the habit they built to make sure it never happens again. Odile in the example once refused help in a storm and lost her husband. Her flaw is that she still refuses help. A flaw that grows out of a wound feels earned; one picked from a list feels decorative.

How do I use the profile once it is filled in?

Keep it open while you write their scenes. Before each scene, ask what they want in it and how the flaw gets in the way. When a line of dialogue feels generic, check the voice notes. When a reader says the ending feels unearned, check whether the turn on the sheet actually happens on the page.

Questions writers ask

Is there a character profile template in Word, PDF or Google Docs?

Yes. Download the Word file to use in Word, Pages or Google Docs, or the printable PDF to fill in by hand. A filled example PDF shows a finished profile.

What is a character profile?

A short document that records the essentials of a character: who they are, what they want and need, their wound and flaw, their arc, their voice and their secrets.

What is the best character profile format for screenwriters?

One page, grouped into basics, inner life, arc, voice and relationships. Anything you would never use in a scene can be left out.

Can I print this character profile template?

Yes. Choose US Letter or A4 and use Print or save PDF. You can also copy the whole profile as plain text.

How many characters need a full profile?

Usually the protagonist, the antagonist and anyone with an arc. Smaller roles can get a name, a want and one telling detail.

Is my profile saved?

No. It stays in this browser tab and is not sent anywhere. Print it, save it as PDF or copy it before you leave the page.

Further reading

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