Free template · Writing & Storytelling
Character Profile Template
A character profile template is a structured sheet for recording what drives each character: what they want, what they fear, how they speak, how they relate to others, and how they change. Filled in before drafting, it keeps characters consistent and gives each one a clear arc.
Who it's for: Novelists, screenwriters, game writers and role-players building a cast.
Free, no email needed. Google Sheets: download the .xlsx, then File > Import > Upload.
Preview
These are the real columns with example rows. Click Try it here to type your own rows and download them.
| Name | Role | Wants | Needs | Fear or wound | Flaw | Voice | Key relationships | Arc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nia Park | Protagonist | Headline the festival | Trust other people with her songs | Stolen song credit at 22 | Controls every detail | Fast, precise, swears when nervous | Rival to Tam, mentored by June | Solo act to band leader |
| Tomas 'Tam' Reyes | Foil | Win back his old band | Forgive his brother | Abandoned on tour at 19 | Quits before he can be rejected | Dry jokes, never finishes sentences | Rival to Nia, owes Dev money | Bitter loner to reluctant bandmate |
| June Okoro | Mentor | Retire without regrets | Admit she misses performing | Lost her voice for a year | Gives advice instead of feelings | Warm, old slang, long pauses | Mentor to Nia | Watcher to one last performance |
What goes in each column
| Column | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Full name and any nickname | Tomas 'Tam' Reyes |
| Role | Protagonist, antagonist, mentor, foil, support | Foil |
| Wants | The conscious goal | Win back his old band |
| Needs | What they actually need, often unknown to them | Forgive his brother |
| Fear or wound | What holds them back | Abandoned on tour at 19 |
| Flaw | The habit that causes trouble | Quits before he can be rejected |
| Voice | How they talk, in a few words | Dry jokes, never finishes sentences |
| Key relationships | Who matters to them and how | Rival to Nia, owes Dev money |
| Arc | Where they start and end | Bitter loner to reluctant bandmate |
Why these columns: Wants versus Needs, Fear and Flaw are the parts of a character that generate conflict, which is why most craft books centre on them. Voice and Key relationships are what readers actually notice on the page.
How to use it in 5 steps
- Fill in Wants and Needs first. The gap between them is where your plot pressure comes from.
- Give every main character a Fear or wound that explains their Flaw.
- Write Voice as instructions to yourself, so dialogue sounds different per character.
- Map Key relationships in both directions: how A sees B and how B sees A.
- Check the Arc column against your outline. Each turn in the arc needs a scene.
Spreadsheet, dedicated software, or Notion?
| Option | Best for | Falls short when |
|---|---|---|
| This spreadsheet | Seeing the whole cast side by side | No room for backstory pages or images |
| Character questionnaire (100 questions) | Deep discovery for one character | Slow, and most answers never reach the page |
| Notion version | A page per character with images and a relationship web | Needs Notion |
If the free spreadsheet does everything you need, stick with it. The Notion version is for when you want the pieces connected.
Want it connected? Romantasy Author Bundle
The spreadsheet is one table. The Notion system links it to everything around it:
- Characters linked to chapters, so you see where each one appears
- Worldbuilding, magic and lore in the same workspace (Romantasy Worldbuilding OS)
- Novel planning, drafting and publishing tracker (Novelist OS)
- Room for backstory, images and relationship notes per character
Also a fit: Novelist & Book Writer OS
Instant duplicate link after purchase.
Questions
What should a character profile include?
Goals, needs, fears, flaws, voice, relationships and arc are the essentials. Physical details matter mainly for continuity, so keep them short.
How detailed should secondary characters be?
Enough to be consistent: a want, a voice and their link to the main cast. Save full profiles for characters with arcs.
Can I use this for screenwriting or games?
Yes. The same fields work for any story format.
Should I fill this in before or after the first draft?
Either works. Plotters fill it in first; discovery writers often fill it in after draft one to fix consistency.