For writers
Character profile template
A complete character profile template, built from the same sections InkBorn uses. Copy it, download it, or roll a character and get it filled in for you.
The template
9 sections, from who they are to what they want.
Identity
- Full name (and what people actually call them)
- Date of birth and age
- Nationality and place of birth
- Occupation (what they do and how they feel about it)
Looks
- Appearance (height, build, hair, eyes)
- Distinguishing features (scars, tattoos, a crooked nose)
Life
- Education
- Relationships (partner, children, who they're closest to)
Mind
- Temperament (and how they act under pressure)
- Strengths
- Flaws
- Fears
- Habits and quirks (what someone would notice after a week)
- Secret (what nobody else knows)
Tastes
- Favourite colour
- Sport
- Pastime
- Music
- Favourite food
- Drink of choice
Body
- Health
- Allergies
Skills
- Special skills
Online
- Social media (which platforms, and their handles)
Story
- What they want
- What stands in the way
- Backstory (a paragraph that ties it all together)
How to use it
Fill in the identity section first: age and where someone grew up decide a lot of the rest, from their name to their music. Then work down, and leave anything that doesn't matter to your story blank. A profile is a tool, not a form.
If you'd rather start from something, roll a character on InkBorn. Every section above is filled in to fit, you can lock what you like and re-roll the rest, and the Export button gives you the finished profile as a Word or Markdown file.
Questions
What should a character profile include?
At minimum: name, age, where they're from, what they do, how they look, their temperament, what they want and what they fear. A secret and a contradiction make a profile much more useful once you start writing.
Can InkBorn fill the template in for me?
Yes. Roll or describe a character and every section is filled in to fit their age, country and era. Export the file to Word or Markdown to keep it with your manuscript.
Is the template free?
Yes. Copy it from this page or download it as a Markdown file, which opens in any text editor, Word, Google Docs, Obsidian or Scrivener.