Character Sheets - Before or After?

Guess what I've been doing lately?  (as of March, when I wrote this post)

Filling out character sheets.  Scouring the internet for reference pictures.  Writing out backstory.  Am I writing a new book?  Planning out a new series?  No.

Perhaps I should explain.

I'm still editing my Betrayal and Bravery trilogy.  Character sheets is just a part of this process.  And before you ask, no, I didn't do this before I started drafting.  (All my plotter friends just froze in horror.)

I just finished six drafts of book one, two drafts of book two, and one fat 114K beast of a draft for book three.  That right there is living proof that you don't need to fill out character sheets and stuff before you write.

But you do need them.  I need character sheets.  Even after all that drafting and editing, after spending years in the storyworld, I still need something I can go to and make sure I wrote down someone's eye color correctly.

When I first started writing this trilogy, back in 2015, I literally went with the following:

A three paragraph synopsis.

6 pages of character journaling (a page per character)

A hazy idea of what each character looked like

And then I dove in.  And finished the draft with minimal fuss.

But now I'm finally going back and nailing down exactly what each character looks like.

Pros to Making Character Sheets After Drafting

I haven't wasted time doing all this prep work only to find I didn't like the story.  I used to spend lots of time crafting the characters - getting their generic appearances, personalities, and so on.  And then I would start creating the plot and find I wasn't real excited about actually writing the story.  Or I would begin drafting...only to loose interest after three chapters.

I haven't wasted time on characters that didn't make the cut.  Now that all 3 books are finished, I know who is needed, what their personality is, what kind of arc they have (or need to have), and usually a general idea about their appearance.  I don't even need to brainstorm much to fill out the character sheet!

I used that eager-to-start rush on actually writing.  Not filling out questions and answers.  By the time I finish filling out all those charts, I'm ready to move onto something else.  But now I can pour that energy into drafting.

We all know that during drafting, things often change.  Characters decide they want to act different than at first, maybe we realize they look different, maybe their arc changes.  And this is all fine, since nothing is set in stone with that pre-written character chart that's been filled out.

Cons to Making Character Sheets After Drafting

Drafts are more likely to be all over the place and need serious editing because these things haven't been settled.  Like, honestly, I have no idea what color Martin's eyes are or how old he is.  I think he's around 30...  It's not important for the plot so moving on.

Some people find appearances important.  They need to know what their characters look like, how they view the world, what their backstory is.  And I respect that.  I usually know at least the hair color and general age and height (not pinpoint exact) for my MCs - though those are suspect to change if the plot requires it.

You're likely to forget things.  What are their parents names?  Where were they born?  What are their fave foods?  I'M NOT WRITING THIS DOWN OKAY??

(Okay, so sometimes I do.  I have a document I keep during drafts to quick add those things in so I don't forget them.  Then I forget to look at the document.)

What if You're a Beginning Writer? What Should You Do?

Personally, I think beginner writers should start with character charts.  They are really helpful, at least at the beginning stages of writing.  Every writer at least needs to know a little about their characters - what they want, and what their arc will/should be.

I guess because I've been writing so long, I can get all that info I need out of a page's worth of character journaling, or else keep it in the back of my mind while I draft.  But when you're first starting to write, definitely look up and use character charts or sheets (or whatever you'd like to call them).

But if you're having problems writing, if the sheets are boring you, why not throw them over your shoulder and try winging it a little bit?  You don't have to go in completely blind.  As stated above, I usually just do a little bit of character journaling.  Get a reference picture, write a page of two in each character's POV, and then jump in.  You might just enjoy some discovery writing.