Most stories describe a character’s transformation from one state to another, and over time, storytellers have developed plot formulas to help them understand how characters change and how this change can be related to an audience.

In general these formulas guide the character through the following steps…

Antagonists are a simple way to introduce conflict into a story, and the quickest way to create an antagonist who will fit in with the protagonist’s plot, is to consider their relationship.

This worksheet offers a very simple formula to help you decide how your character will meet your audience. Imagine you, your character, and your reader are attending a party together. How would you introduce your character? What would you want the reader to know, and how could you communicate this information for best effect?

If you’re writing a long story or a novel, a character log is a simple solution to help you track details about your characters that you might find difficult to remember and keep consistent. You’ll also find it indispensable when you come to edit!