Character Quadrants 📜 🖊️ 🎭

Characters are the building blocks of stories. Make one in five minutes!

What will I need?

1. A piece of paper

2. A writing tool, like a pen or pencil

3. A character you want to develop. It could be one you invent, someone you observe in your life (cute barista?) or someone from a favorite book or movie.

Steps:

1. Fold your paper in half, then fold it in half again, or simply draw a giant “+” on it, so it's divided into four quadrants.

2. In the first quadrant, write your character's name and some basic facts about them. Think about their profession, how they look, and their family situation.

3. In the second quadrant, explore the circumstances of their birth. Where were they born? Who was there? Was there something unusual about the day?

4. For the third quadrant, describe the circumstances of their death. How do they die? Who's by their side?

5. In the fourth quadrant, think about your character’s desires. What are a few things they want more than anything else in the world?

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Want to keep going?

1. Expand on each quadrant, possibly giving each a full page of its own.

2. Write a short story based on the details you've created about your character.

3. Discuss your character with a friend and hear their insights. Sometimes, an outside perspective can add depth.

Help! I'm stuck!

1. If you're having trouble imagining a character, think about your favorite book or movie and try to change one aspect of a character in it to make it your own.

2. Consider drawing or finding an image that represents your character. Sometimes a visual can help prompt more details.

3. It's okay if some of the quadrants feel incomplete. Come back to them after a while, and you might have fresh ideas.

What's the science?

Narrative writing can reduce depression and anxiety over time. Stephenson, K., & Rosen, D. H. (2015).

Standing on the shoulders of giants:

Big thanks to writer and educator Scott Hoshida for this one!

“Character is plot, plot is character.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald