Character profiles?

[marsbareater12]

Not sure whether you guys use this for poetry, but I figure that a 5000 line epic poem needs the same kind of planning as a novel, right?

So what do you do for your character profiles? I used to do a really detailed one, but since trying out the Snowflake Method (and altering it slightly) I've come up with something that works for me.

After figuring out a summary of the plot, I ask each character these questions

What does he want?
What’s stopping him?
Role in the story?
What does he want (abstract)?
What does he want (concrete)?
What is stopping him from all this?

Then I do a couple more things with the plot, before writing a one page outline of the plot through each characters eyes. So my MMC's one is much different to my antagonists love interests one...if you get my drift.

What do you do?

[morgan]

"the same kind of planning as a novel"

*laughs hysterically*

I'm a Wrimo, so my idea of planning for a novel is.... not. Or at least very little. There always seems to be these big gaps between original idea and the end that I have no idea how to fill :)

But I love these questions. I think they really do a good job of covering the most basic stuff you actually should know to start writing. Description and backstory can all come later.