creative writing template

12 Creative Writing Templates for Planning Your Novel

It’s that time of year when thousands of writers around the world prepare to type faster than a speeding bullet, drink coffee more powerful than a locomotive, and leap tall deadlines in a single bound. Of course, we’re talking about  National Novel Writing Month  (also known as NaNoWriMo), and the challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a 50,000-word story from scratch in just 30 days, from November 1–30. How’s that for productivity?

We’ve met a lot of writers who use Evernote to plan, brainstorm, and sometimes even draft their novels. But as any fiction writer knows, the hardest part of any new work is figuring out what to write about in the first place:  What happens next? What motivates these characters? What’s this story about, anyway?

Only you can answer those questions, but it helps to figure them out early. If you’re going to write a novel in November,  the time to plan is now . With that in mind, we’ve created a dozen Evernote templates to help you collect and structure your thoughts. Many of them include questions or prompts to get you started, but you can feel free to replace those with inventions of your own. Start filling them out today; they’ll keep you anchored while writing your 30-day masterpiece.

Power tip:  To use any of the note templates mentioned in this article, click the “Get it »” link and then click “Save to Evernote.” The template will be added to your Evernote account in the notebook of your choice (we recommend  setting up a new notebook  just for templates). You can then copy, move, rename, and edit the note to suit your needs. 

Templates for plotting and outlining your novel 

Are you the sort of writer who wants a solid plan in place before typing “Chapter 1”/ You’ll need a roadmap that begins with a premise and culminates in an outline. There are a lot of different ways to get there, so we’ve made templates for walking you through several of the most popular plotting methods. You can choose the one that fits your personal style.

1.   Story premise worksheet

Your premise is the foundation on which the entire novel is built. With this step-by-step guide, you’ll think about who your protagonist is, what they want, and the problems or conflicts they must overcome. The end product is a concise, two-sentence explanation of what your story is about.

2.   Three-act plotting template

Remember learning in school that all stories should have a beginning, middle, and end? This classic, logical method of storytelling takes you from your story’s initial setup and inciting incident through rising action, turning points, and resolution.

3.   Story beats template

Adapted from the world of screenwriting, this popular method replaces the concept of acts with a set of milestones that commonly appear in many kinds of stories. Hitting these “beats” gives your story a rhythm while leaving the details open to your imagination.

4.   Snowflake method checklist

Maybe you’d rather work from the top down than from the ground up. Inspired by fractal geometry (really!), Randy Ingermanson’s “snowflake method” grows an entire novel from a single sentence. Each step of the process methodically expands upon the one before, filling in details until you have a complete draft.

5.   Story timeline tracker

Regardless of your novel plotting method, keeping track of time in your novel is important. Did your hero get that threatening letter on Tuesday or Sunday? Does the next scene happen on a sunny morning or in the dead of night? This template will keep your novel’s clock ticking smoothly.

6.   Chapter outline

Once you’re in the writing groove, you may not want to wade through all your plotting notes to remember what comes next. This checklist gives you a scannable view of your plot, chapter by chapter and scene by scene, making it easy to see what you’ve completed and how much lies ahead.

Templates for Building Characters in Your Novel  

Even if you aren’t the plotting and outlining type, the more you know about your characters and the world they inhabit, the better your writing will be. The following templates will help you brainstorm and remember the little details that make a story come to life. 

7.   Character master list

Got a lot of characters? This “quick and dirty” list helps you remember who’s who at a glance. Add names, ages, and notes about your characters. And you can drop in a photo or drawing of each character to help you visualize your story.

8.   Character profile worksheet

If you want to go deeper with your characters, you’ll need a full dossier describing their physical appearance, manner of speaking, behavioral traits, and background. This questionnaire covers everything from their hair color to their biggest secret.

9.   Character biography

Now that you know who’s who, here’s a template for figuring out how they got to the situation in your novel. When it’s time to write a flashback or refer to a past event, you’ll breathe easier (and save yourself some edits) knowing you can look up the dates in this simple timeline.

10.   World-building questionnaire

So far, we’ve been talking about the what and who of your novel, but where and when are just as important. Whether you’re writing about a fantasy world or the town you grew up in, this questionnaire will get you thinking in depth about the setting. Then you can write richer, more realistic scenes that draw the reader into your world.

Pulling it all together: Project trackers

A novel has a lot of moving parts. When you factor in research, articles saved with  Web Clipper , and random jottings about who did what to whom, you’ll probably find you have a  lot  of notes for your writing project. Consider adding a couple more to keep it all straight: a dashboard where you can manage the whole thing and a checklist for bringing your completed opus to the world.

11.   Story dashboard note

For a quick overview of your project, use this “dashboard” to track its status.  Add it to your shortcuts  for easy access, and  insert links to related notes  to save time on searches. If you’re writing in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can paste the file or link into the body of this note and jump into your manuscript with a click.

12.   Self-publishing checklist

Planning to publish that novel when it’s done? Here’s a checklist of all the important steps, from writing a blurb to editing, design, and proofing.  TIP: If you copy this checklist into your dashboard note, you can easily track your novel from first brainstorm to final publication.

Ready, set, write!

If you’re up to the challenge, sign up for free at  nanowrimo.org . Evernote will be posting more tips and strategies to our blog and social media throughout October and November. We invite you to follow along! 

Originally published on October 2, 2017. Updated on October 12, 2022. 

Story Outline Template

Outline the structure of your next novel

Whether you're a seasoned storyteller or just beginning your creative writing journey, this story outline template lets you organize your ideas, develop dynamic plotlines, and visually build captivating character arcs.

In the realm of creative storytelling, crafting a compelling narrative requires careful planning and outlining your story is the perfect way to do it. Easily drag and drop to rearrange the key parts and watch your story come to life. This template is the perfect companion for writers, authors, screenwriters, and storytellers of all kinds.

This template is part of our guide on How to plan a novel .

• Explore ideas
• Organize visually
• Share with your team
• Gather feedback
• Export to PDF

How to use this template

Whether you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, follow this step-by-step guide to learn the modern process of outlining in Milanote, a free tool used by top creatives.

1. Start with an empty template

The Story Outline template contains empty notes for your ideas and scenes, and placeholders for images, video and links. There are many styles of story outlining including Hero's Journey, Save the Cat Beat Sheet but the most widely used are the Three-Act and Five-Act structures.

Create a new board for your outline.

Create a new board

Drag a board out from the toolbar. Give it a name, then double click to open it.

Choose the  Story Outline  template.

Choose a template 

Each new board gives you the options to start with a beautiful template.

2. Map out the key scenes

Start by laying out the major scenes or events you know so far. These might be the key turning points, locations, or plot twists. Don't worry too much about the order or details yet, just get the main parts out of your head. This is a quick flexible way to divide your story into the 5 key centerpieces. The story of Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example of this:

• Act 1: The Setup - The Montagues and Capulets' long-standing feud is established, and Romeo meets Juliet at the Capulet's party.
• Act 2: Rising Action - Romeo and Juliet fall deeply in love and secretly marry. The feud between their families intensifies.
• Act 3: Climax - Mercutio and Tybalt are killed in a street fight, leading to Romeo's banishment and Juliet's forced marriage to Paris.
• Act 4: Falling Action - Friar Laurence devises a plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet. Juliet takes a potion to feign death.
• Act 5: Resolution - Miscommunication leads to Romeo's belief that Juliet is dead. Tragically, they both die, and their deaths reconcile their feuding families.

Add a Column for each key scene.

Drag a column onto your board

Name it, then drag any relevant notes or images into your column

3. Add high-level details

Next, add a sentence or a short paragraph for each scene. There are no rules for how much detail to add, do what works best for you. Think about what's being communicated in this scene, the location, and the characters involved. This will help you consider where characters are introduced and how this scene connects with the next one. Remember that each act in a five-act structure serves a specific purpose in the overall narrative. By strategically adding content to each act, you create a well-paced and engaging story that builds tension, develops characters, and ultimately leads to a satisfying resolution.

Add a note to describe the plot points.

Drag a note card onto your board

Start typing then use the formatting tools in the left-hand toolbar.

4. Get the sequence right

Seeing your story at a high level lets you make connections between themes and concepts you might otherwise miss if you went straight into writing. Re-read your outline so far. Look for scenes that feel out of place. Perhaps your transitions need some tweaking or a character appears without a proper introduction. Highlight areas that need more work and move scenes or plot points around to get the sequence just right. It might make sense to introduce a character later so move points around as you need to.

Drag plot points around to get the sequence right.

Remember to balance your pacing. Pay attention to the pacing of each act. Alternate between moments of action, tension, and introspection to keep the reader engaged.

5. Add imagery or video

While imagery may not make an appearance in your novel, this is a great technique for visualizing a story as you write and it also helps to kickstart new ideas. Experiment by adding images or movie clips that capture the essence of a character or scene. If you've created a moodboard , now's the time to see if you've already got imagery that suitable. Try saving images from  Google Images ,  Pinterest , or Milanote's built-in image library.

Use the built-in image library. 

Use the built-in image library

Search over 500,000 beautiful photos powered by Unsplash then drag images straight onto your board.

Embed Youtube videos or audio in a board. 

Embed Youtube videos or audio tracks in a board

Copy the share link from Youtube, Vimeo, Soundcloud or many other services. Drag a link card onto your board, paste your link and press enter.

You're done!

Now that you've finished a draft outline, you can start writing with the confidence that your story has a strong foundation. If you're starting a new novel, grab the free outline template below or try one of our other writing templates to start planning your next book.

Start your Story Outline

Plan your story outline, plot & scenes

Sign up for free with no time limit

Milanote is where creative professionals organize their most important work.

Free with no time limit

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Table of contents

• Made with Copyfolio
• Portfolio Tips

13 Creative Writing Portfolio Examples & How to Create Yours

Just as you need inspiration for writing, it also helps with putting together your writing portfolio . We’re here to provide you with exactly that, in the form of 13 creative writing portfolio examples.

They’re portfolio websites from different kinds of creative writers: some do poetry, some scriptwriting, some copywriting… One thing is for sure though: you’ll leave with ideas, excitement, and a clear vision of how to make your ideas come to life in your own portfolio.

Read until the end because we'll also show you how you can build yours easily, in 5 simple steps.

13 creative writing portfolio examples & why they’re excellent

1. macy fidel.

Macy used Copyfolio's Premier template and "Cardboard Clip" color palette to create her portfolio

This portfolio is great because...

• It has a crystal-clear tagline: you'll know at first glance what Macy does
• The projects are upfront: you don't need to search and click around to check out Macy's writing skills and style
• The homepage has a great about section with a CTA: you can find out a little more about her and know exactly what to do if you'd like to know more
• The bold background color makes it memorable amongst simple white portfolio websites

2. Esa Haddad

Esa's portfolio was made with Copyfolio's "Wallscape" template

• It beautifully shows how a creative writer can do more than just that. He's also a communications professional, doing technical and academic writing next to his creative and poetic endeavors.
• With a black background and white text , this site stands out. Having such a canvas makes it easy for bolder headlines and images to pop, leading the eyes nicely along the page.
• It has an easy way for you to get in touch. All you need to do is click the LinkedIn icon to visit his profile or navigate to the contact page to find out more.

3. Julia Tula

Julia created her portfolio with Copyfolio's "Artboard" template

• It has an aesthetic and consistent design. Using simple squares for thumbnails, in colors matching the color palette pulls the whole site's design together.
• Julia shows a great variety of creative writing pieces in her projects, including discussions about the theory of creative writing, creative non-fiction short stories, and fiction writing as well.
• It showcases Julia's brilliant writing skills with every word she's written on the site. From the tagline, to her about me section, it's all written beautifully.

4. Larissa Vasquez

Larissa created her site with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Billboard" template .

• It sets the mood for her writing portfolio with a white, beige, and brown color scheme.
• The homepage features a photo of scraps of paper on the top —very fitting for a writer.
• Choosing a photo of herself with similar colors , then creating custom beige and brown project thumbnails really pulled it all together.
• It has a simple layout. On the homepage, Larissa added a short introduction, then dove right into her writing samples . This makes it easy for everyone to read her pieces and see her writing skills shine.

5. Andrea Arcia

Andrea created her portfolio with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Letterpress" template

• Andrea used a constantly changing, but cohesive layout to keep you interested and engaged, even with a lot of text on the page.
• She started out with three projects in a portfolio grid but then went on to use columns to display text, adding images every second block. This is a great way if you want to introduce projects or showcase longer stories or poems without overwhelming your visitors.

6. Hannah Rogers

Hannah created her writer website using Copyfolio, and the “Typewriter” template .

• You'll know who Hannah is and what she does right away. She's a versatile creative writer and editor, currently sailing with Firmenich.
• It's easy to learn about her background too : after finishing her degree in English and Creative Writing, she perfected her skills, now offering copywriting, concept content creation, editing, and more.
• Her fields of expertise are also clear : creative writing, brand storytelling, and editing. Displayed with short descriptions for each, it's the perfect way to introduce them.
• It has great creative writing project displays . In the title, you can see her role (e.g. writer, creative lead, producer) —then you can check each piece published online if you click through.

Overall, the portfolio flows well, it’s clear at every step where you need to look, and she showcases her expertise wonderfully.

7. Shweta Shreyarthi

A brilliant structure and clear layout, if we do say so ourselves. She created it with Copyfolio .

• Shweta decided to use a crips white canvas, simple black text, and black and white photos as the base of her site. But to shake it up a little, she’s using an orange accent color, and a pastel but colorful background photo for a few of her sections.
• She has an amazing creative writing portfolio page , where she outlines what she does: she’s a creative communicator, using her copywriting and content creation skills in her work.
• Her expertise is illustrated with work samples , and supplemented with short explanations. You can explore her work in different categories: social media, executive communications, proposal writing, website copywriting, and more.
• The portfolio has a great variety of projects. In each category, she included 2-4 samples for visitors to check: illustrating them with a picture, writing a very brief description (with the client + category), and adding a clear CTA with a link.

8. Magd Elzahed

Magd made her creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio, using the “Typewriter” template .

• It has a distinctive and consistent branding , with the black-and-white top section and typewriter-like serif fonts.
• Shows Magd's mission upfront. She makes it clear that her aim is “to bring your ideas to life through the power of language.”
• an on-brand picture to illustrate it,
• a clear title with the name of the client,
• a short description of what the project was about,
• and a call-to-action button.
• Makes it easy to find out even more about each project if you're interested. Clicking on the buttons takes you to a page going into more detail on what exactly the project entailed, what her task was, and how the final results turned out.
• It has a lot more information available on additional pages: you can read about her journey, services, references, and more.

9. Charlie Labbett

Charlie's portfolio website was made with Copyfolio's "Typewriter" template

• The dark background makes it different from most creative writing portfolios. It also helps the lighter text and silver graphics to pop and draw your attention to them.
• Has a clear tagline , from which you'll know that Charlie's focus is writing horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories within the realm of creative writing.
• It showcases multiple types of writing projects: extracts from longer-form pieces alongside some poetry work. This shows how versatile his writing skills are.

10. Melissa Wade

This lovely portfolio website was built with Copyfolio, using one of the legacy templates, “Agenda” .

• It showcases the many talents Melissa has. She’s an Amazon best-selling author, content creator, brand ambassador, and more.
• Right at the start, she grabs readers’ attention with a strong headline. How? By talking not about herself per se —but about what she can provide them .
• She also added a nicely designed banner. On it are the things you’d typically write in that tagline: what it is exactly that you do, illustrated with more pictures of her and her book.
• The portfolio site uses pictures with harmonizing colors. The pink in her blouse matches the background of the banner and the colorful wall. It helped her create a professional look and stylish design.

11. Lara Ramirez

Lara built a fun and creative writing portfolio using Copyfolio’s “Journal” template .

• It sticks to one, cohesive color palette. See how she chose just a handful of colors, all matching her site’s palette, and only used them throughout the site? Follow her lead to ensure a great look for your own creative writing portfolio too!
• It features fun and unique design elements. Using simple blobs and flower shapes as the background of photos and mockups gives the portfolio a youthful and fun personality.
• Lara used mockups in her project thumbnails , which is an amazing way to elevate a portfolio and make it look even more professional.

12. Deeya Sonalkar

This creative writing portfolio website was made with Copyfolio’s “Journal’ template , combined with the “Charcoal” color palette.

• It sets the tone for a true creative writer portfolio with a Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
• Deeya builds rapport with a portrait and a short introduction talking about her life-long passion for writing.
• It showcases her various projects , with the thumbnails mostly leading to websites and social media profiles she’s worked on. So visitors can see her words live, in action.
• The website has a consistent design , only using black-and-white images, and simple black text on a white background.

13. Genie Smith

Genie created her portfolio with one of Copyfolio's legacy templates, "Agenda"

• Genie uses images intentionally , to set the mood: hands in black and white, a typewriter, windows, etc.
• It has a deeper purpose other than just showcasing creative writing work . Formerly dealing with mental health issues, Genie turned to writing to help her heal herself —and to help others.
• The layout leads you along the page, keeping you interested . First, you can learn about the big picture of her life and work, then learn more about her, and in the end, check her writing pieces.

How to build your creative writing portfolio based on these examples

Checking out examples and getting ideas is an important first step… But then you’ll have to actually get started. Don’t worry, we’ll help you with the building process: we’ll outline how to create a stunning creative writing portfolio in just 5 easy steps.

1. Choose a platform & create an account

The first and maybe most important choice you’ll have to make is choosing a platform to build your portfolio website. Our recommendation is Copyfolio, a portfolio website builder that was designed for writers. It’s incredibly fast and easy to use, giving you all the help you need to create something powerful.

When you sign up, you can pick your profession (e.g. creative writer) and the goal of your site. Based on these, Copyfolio will generate a starter site for you.

The page and types of sections on them will be determined by your goal, while all the content inside the sections will be based on your profession. And yes, the latter applies to newly added sections too!

This will give you lots of ideas about what to write and where. All you'll have to do is personalize the text here and there and upload your own pictures. This leads us to the second step, to...

2. Personalize the content of your pages

You'll have an almost-complete site on your hands, but you still have to make it yours. So go over your pages and personalize their contents.

The most important part will be the top of your homepage. That's what everyone sees at first —and whether they'll keep checking your portfolio will depend on it too.

If you chose a writing portfolio template with a photo at the top, then try to find a nice picture of yourself to upload there. That'll help build rapport with your visitors.

If you're not comfortable putting yourself out there like that, you can choose a template with no picture, or upload a decorative one like Macy or Julia did above.

3. Add your creative writing samples

Once the basics are done, it’s time to add your projects. Creative writing samples give viewers a chance to see your writing skills in action and as such, they’re an essential part of your portfolio.

(Need a little help with writing yours? Check out our writing sample templates !)

Make sure you choose thumbnail images for them that all go together color- and design-wise, and add 4-6 of them for a good variety.

In Copyfolio , you can add 3 types of projects: case study pages, PDF files, or external links. Whichever you choose, we'll add a thumbnail image for you. When someone clicks on it, the project will open, in the case of PDFs and external links, in a new tab.

4. Set a custom portfolio URL

To put the cherry on top of a professional creative writing portfolio website, you should set a custom URL for it.

If you're not a freelancer, you can simply customize the ending of your URL. In that case, it's going to look something like this: https://copyfol.io/v/dorka —that's the link to our writer's own site, actually.

If you have bigger plans for personal branding, expanding your career, or going freelance, it's best you get a proper domain. You can buy one right in Copyfolio that'll be automatically connected to your site. Or if you've bought one already somewhere else, you can easily connect that too.

+1: Customize your extra settings : SEO, favicon, and more

This 5th step is not essential —that's why we named it a +1. But these little things can add a lot to the overall feel and performance of your portfolio. So if you have the time, we recommend you to go through them and customize each to your brand.

Extra things you could do are:

• Optimizing your SEO settings. You can write custom meta titles and descriptions for each page + upload a preview image that appears when the page is shared online.
• Set a custom favicon. It's the browser icon that appears next to the name of your page and it helps people to recognize your site amongst all the tabs they have open.
• Write a blog. All it takes is adding a blog section and clicking the "Add new blog post button" and your blog is ready to go. It's amazing to showcase your writing skills and share your musings with the world.
• Finetune your design. In Copyfolio, you can switch up the look of your site in one click, using global palettes and presets. Play around with the colors and fonts to see which one matches your brand the most.

Create your creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio!

Sounds pretty easy, right? And even if you have questions along the way, the blog and the in-app prompts and guiding questions will be there to give a helping hand. The Copyfolio Team is also always just an email away.

Give it a try, create your creative writing portfolio for free with Copyfolio today!

Dorka Kardos-Latif

Digital marketer & portfolio expert, the face behind all content on Copyfolio 👋

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The 12 Best Free Evernote Templates for Creative Writers

Planning and plotting your book is crucial, but can be time-consuming and hard to keep track of. These Evernote templates will simplify the process.

Writing a novel becomes easier when you plan everything from your characters and plot to your publishing steps, especially if you’re going it alone.

Evernote has several free templates specifically designed to help creative writers lay out their stories and self-publishing journey. Some you can access straight from the website, but you need the right links for others.

The Best Evernote Templates for Creative Writers

Here are your obvious options when it comes to Evernote’s creative writing templates .

1. Story Dashboard

If you want a simple planner for writing and publishing your novel, Evernote has a template that lets you outline the book, set goals, and track your progress.

It’s a perfect addition to the handy widgets on your Evernote home dashboard , all of which can make you more efficient when organizing your work as an author.

As for the template itself, you can add the novel’s title, genre, word count, and important links, while also setting dates and deadlines for outlining the story, writing the first draft, getting beta reader feedback, and so on.

2. Story Premise

This Evernote form lets you establish the key parts of your novel, including its setting, situation, protagonist, antagonist, inciting event, and conflict.

The point is to be able to summarize all the elements above in two sentences. The template offers the relevant box at the bottom, as well as an example summary.

3. Three-Act Novel Plotting

Sometimes you need to get your storyline on paper to visualize and make sense of it. Evernote can help with its plotting template for classic three-part narratives.

It gives you a structured outline of your book’s beginning, middle, and ending, each part featuring several key elements a good story should have. So, the template lets you plan the book, but also guides you on how to do it well.

4. Character Profile

Characters are essential to any plot, and the better you plan them, the easier you can insert and develop them in your book. This is where Evernote’s character profile template comes in handy.

It prompts you to think about obvious and obscure details about your character, such as their appearance, occupation, religion, greatest fear, and biggest secret. If you have character art, you can even add that to their profile.

Secret Evernote Templates for Creative Writers

Bookmark the following links as they don’t appear on Evernote's website. You still don’t have to spend anything to use these tools for authors, a winning feature when it comes to comparing Evernote’s free and paid plan .

5. Character Biography

Another character-related template available on Evernote involves their backstory. Unlike the profile template, this form focuses on key moments in the character’s life.

You can include their name and role in the novel before setting and dating events they experienced, as well as their age at the time.

6. Character Master List

It’s just as useful to have a full list of your book’s characters, which Evernote has thought of, too.

This template has you establish your main characters, antagonists, and additional cast, including their names, ages, notes, and images.

7. Novel Chapter Outline

The best novel writing plan includes a breakdown of its chapters. Evernote has an outline template just for that.

You can add a summary of your book at the top and then use the form’s simple checklist to lay out the events of each chapter. Even if your plot changes while writing, it’s handy to have a clear overview of minute details to refer to whenever you need.

8. Story Beats

You could also have a plan for your book’s important scenes without putting them into specific chapters yet.

Evernote’s story beats template, based on Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat screenwriting structure, breaks down key plot elements, like the theme stated, the inciting incident, the bad guys closing in, and the finale.

Next to each beat description, add your scene ideas in as much detail as you want. To come up with these, think about what events would best reflect your book’s goals. Free mind map tools are great for putting your thoughts in order.

9. Story Timeline Tracker

If your narrative depends on a timeline, you may want to plan and track what happens when. Then, you’re less likely to make mistakes, for example, when linking up parallel plots.

A template is available on Evernote that lets you sort through events by date, day, and time. Besides organizing your book’s core plot, you could track the timelines of different characters or the story’s background events.

10. World-Building Basics

There are many ways to plan your fictional universe, so see which one helps you visualize it best. If mind maps or world-building apps on Android don’t cut it, try Evernote’s practical template.

It’s basically a questionnaire about your story’s overall setting, namely the place where events unravel, as well as its people and culture.

This is another template you can use for multiple parts of your story, adjusting it as necessary. If, say, the plot involves different countries, some of the form’s questions can help flesh out each culture.

11. Snowflake Novel Writing Method

Randy Ingermanson developed the Snowflake method for designing and writing a novel, which Evernote simplified further with a template taking you through each step.

You start with a short synopsis of your book and expand that with more and more detail, including different characters’ perspectives of the story and a list or spreadsheet of all the scenes.

Choose the right elements for your narrative, and you’ll end up with a meticulous plan that only needs you to put it into words. To build your skill and confidence, keep practicing and learning from the best platforms for online writing courses like MasterClass .

12. Self-Publishing Checklist

A final template on Evernote that might interest you contains a handy checklist of the steps to self-publishing your book—after you’ve finished writing it.

Completing the manuscript is the first item on the list to tick and date. From there, the template prompts you to write the blurb, get the book edited and designed, format it as an ebook, and more.

You could also use the date column to set deadlines for each task and either tick them when done or adjust your schedule as you work.

Templates for Creative Writers Can Make Your Life Easier

Skipping the planning stage of writing a book is not a good idea as it will affect the quality of your story. Fortunately, Evernote has many templates to choose from, depending on your plot and writing style.

What’s even better is that this isn’t the only resource for creative writers around. Keep exploring websites and apps for tools you can use on your computer and smartphone.

• My Storyboards

Creative Writing Worksheet Templates

Customize creative writing templates.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

What is a Creative Writing Worksheet?

If you are someone who enjoys writing, you probably know that it takes more than just creativity to produce an engaging story or a captivating poem. These kills require a lot of practice and a structured approach. This is where creative writing worksheets come in handy. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting, these worksheets can help you express your thoughts and ideas more effectively. These worksheets help kids plan different story formats, with story maps to guide plot or fun shapes to fit a theme or idea.

Why are Creative Writing Templates Important and How are They Best Used?

Creative work is often where children get the most enjoyment out of writing in school and where they can exercise their imaginations. These templates help develop their plot sequence, create personalities for characters, and shape conflict. Moreover the templates give students the opportunity to write about themes and ideas in a format that is different from traditional lined paper, which can stimulate their creativity and make the process more fun and interesting.

Creative writing worksheets, such as story template writing and creative writing outline template, are essential tools for developing writing skills. They offer a structured approach to learning and practicing writing skills by breaking down the writing process into manageable steps and providing prompts and activities. By using these worksheets, students can learn how to organize their thoughts, create an outline, and develop a cohesive and engaging plot. This can help writers build confidence in their abilities and develop a better understanding of how to craft a well-written story or essay.

In addition to providing structure, these worksheets also encourage creativity and self-expression. By presenting your class with prompts that challenge them to think outside the box, these worksheets can help them express themselves in unique and innovative ways. Moreover, they can ignite a passion for writing and storytelling, which can translate to other aspects of their lives.

Besides promoting creativity, these worksheets also reinforce language skills, including vocabulary and grammar. By including prompts that focus on specific vocabulary or grammar concepts, students can learn and practice those concepts in a way that is engaging and memorable.

Types of Creative Writing Worksheets

• Writing Paper: Writing paper is a basic worksheet that provides a blank space for you to write your story or poem. It is an essential tool for any writer, and you can find various types of paper, including lined paper, graph paper, and plain paper.
• Story Planning Template: A story planning template is a worksheet that helps you plan your story. It includes sections for characters, setting, plot, and other important elements. This template is useful for those who want to organize their ideas before starting to write.
• Story Writing Outline: A story writing outline is a worksheet that helps you create a structured outline for your work. It includes sections for the beginning, middle, and end, as well as character development and plot progression.
• Creative Writing Template: This is a worksheet that provides a framework for your writing. It can include sections for different types of writing, such as descriptive writing or poetry, and can be used to structure your process.
• Butterfly Writing Template: A butterfly writing template is a fun and engaging worksheet that helps you explore different perspectives and viewpoints. It includes sections for different viewpoints, such as the perspective of an insect or a flower, and can be used to write stories or poems.
• Creative Writing Planning Sheet: A creative writing planning sheet is a worksheet that helps you plan. It includes sections for brainstorming, outlining, and organizing your ideas.
• Creative Writing Storyboard: A creative writing storyboard is a worksheet that helps you visualize what you want to writer about. It includes sections for different scenes and can be used to plan your story's progression visually.
• Creative Writing Prompts: These prompts are worksheets that provide inspiration. They can include prompts for different types of writing, such as poetry or fiction, and can help you generate new ideas.

Making Creative Writing Worksheets from Scratch

• Determine Your Objective: Start by identifying what you want your students to achieve through the worksheet. Do you want them to practice a specific writing skill or develop their creativity? Knowing your objective will help you create prompts and activities that are focused and effective.
• Choose a Format: Decide on the format that you want your worksheet to take. Different formats work better for different objectives, so choose one that aligns with your goal.
• Create Prompts and Activities: Develop prompts and activities that are tailored to your objective and format. For example, if you want your class to practice descriptive writing, you could provide a prompt that asks them to describe a particular object or scene.
• Incorporate Visual Aids: Consider using visual aids, such as images or illustrations, to help students generate ideas and engage with the material. This can make the worksheet more interesting and accessible.
• Test and Revise: Once you have created your worksheet, test it out with a small group of students to see how effective it is. Take feedback on board and make revisions as needed to ensure that the worksheet meets your objectives and engages students in the writing process.

Tips For Creating Your Own Creative Writing Worksheets

If you want to create your own worksheets, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Determine the Purpose of Your Worksheet: Decide what type of worksheet you want to create and what it should accomplish.
• Choose a Template: Select a template that fits the purpose of your worksheet. There are many templates available online that you can use as a starting point.
• Include Prompts or Examples: To help your class or yourself get started, include prompts or examples that will inspire creativity.
• Make it Visually Appealing: Use images, colors, and fonts to make your worksheet visually appealing.

Making a worksheet from scratch can be fun, but using one of our premade templates will be so much easier! Check out how below.

How to Make Creative Writing Worksheets

Choose one of the premade templates.

We have lots of amazing templates to choose from. Take a look at our colorful example for inspiration!

Click on "Copy Template"

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Poster a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Poster

This is where you will include details, text, images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished with your poster, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Using Creative Writing Worksheets Effectively

Once you have created your worksheets, here are some strategies for using them effectively:

• Incorporate them into your teaching: Use creative writing worksheets as part of your classroom curriculum to help your students improve their writing skills.
• Use them as a warm-up: Use creative writing worksheets as a warm-up activity before beginning a writing project to get your creative juices flowing.
• Share examples: Share examples of completed worksheets to help your class understand how to use them effectively.

Even More Storyboard That Resources and Free Printables

• Poem Templates
• Illustrated Story
• Composition Worksheet
• Setting Map
• Journal Cover Worksheet

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions About Creative Writing Worksheets

In what ways do creative writing worksheets help improve writing skills.

These worksheets, including story planning templates and story outlines, are a versatile tool for improving composition skills. They provide a structured approach, while offering prompts and activities that focus on specific skills such as character development or descriptive writing. In addition to helping students develop creativity, vocabulary, and grammar skills, these worksheets can improve critical thinking skills by asking writers to analyze and interpret literary texts or create their own stories and characters. By providing a framework for them to organize their thoughts and ideas, these templates can be especially helpful for kids who struggle with getting started on a written assignment. Overall, they are a valuable resource for helping students become better writers and more confident communicators.

How can creative writing worksheets be used to teach different writing genres?

These worksheets can be adapted to teach different genres, such as poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. For example, a worksheet could focus on developing descriptive language for poetry writing, or on creating character profiles for fiction writing. By tailoring the prompts and activities to specific genres, children can learn the skills needed to write in those genres.

How can creative writing worksheets be used to encourage creativity?

Examples and worksheets can be used to encourage creativity by providing prompts and activities that inspire writers to think outside the box. For example, a worksheet could ask students to write a story from the perspective of an inanimate object, or to create a new world with its own rules and customs. By encouraging writers to explore their imagination and creativity, our worksheets can help foster a love of the written word and storytelling.

How can teachers help students who want to know how to start creative writing using worksheets?

Teachers can help by providing clear instructions and guidance on how to use the worksheets effectively. This can include demonstrating how to use story planning templates and outlines to organize their thoughts and ideas, as well as providing prompts and activities that inspire creativity and encourage writers to think outside the box. Additionally, teachers can offer feedback and support throughout the process to help students develop their creative ideas, writing skills and build confidence. By providing a supportive and structured learning environment, teachers can help students of all levels improve their abilities and achieve their goals.

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365 Creative Writing Prompts

Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to help inspire you to write every single day! Use them for journaling, story starters, poetry, and more!

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If you want to become a better writer, the best thing you can do is practice writing every single day. Writing prompts are useful because we know sometimes it can be hard to think of what to write about!

To help you brainstorm, we put together this list of 365 creative writing prompts to give you something to write about daily.

Want to Download these prompts?  I am super excited to announce due to popular demand we now have an ad-free printable version of this list of writing prompts available for just $5. The  printable version  includes a PDF as a list AND print-ready prompt cards. {And all the design source files you could ever need to customize any way you would like!}

Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire:

Whether you write short stories, poems, or like to keep a journal – these will stretch your imagination and give you some ideas for topics to write about!

1. Outside the Window : What’s the weather outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the weather like somewhere you wish you could be?

2. The Unrequited love poem: How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?

3. The Vessel: Write about a ship or other vehicle that can take you somewhere different from where you are now.

4. Dancing: Who’s dancing and why are they tapping those toes?

5. Food: What’s for breakfast? Dinner? Lunch? Or maybe you could write a poem about that time you met a friend at a cafe.

6. Eye Contact: Write about two people seeing each other for the first time.

7. The Rocket-ship: Write about a rocket-ship on its way to the moon or a distant galaxy far, far, away.

8. Dream-catcher : Write something inspired by a recent dream you had.

9. Animals: Choose an animal. Write about it!

10. Friendship: Write about being friends with someone.

11. Dragon : Envision a dragon. Do you battle him? Or is the dragon friendly? Use descriptive language.

12. Greeting : Write a story or poem that starts with the word “hello” or another greeting.

13. The Letter: Write a poem or story using words from a famous letter or inspired by a letter someone sent you.

14. The Found Poem : Read a book and circle some words on a page. Use those words to craft a poem. Alternatively, you can cut out words and phrases from magazines.

15. Eavesdropper : Create a poem, short story, or journal entry about a conversation you’ve overheard.

16. Addict: Everyone’s addicted to something in some shape or form. What are things you can’t go without?

17. Dictionary Definition : Open up a dictionary to a random word. Define what that word means to you.

18. Cleaning: Hey, even writers and creative artists have to do housework sometimes. Write about doing laundry, dishes, and other cleaning activities.

19. Great Minds: Write  about someone you admire and you thought to have had a beautiful mind.

20. Missed Connections: If you go to Craigslist, there is a “Missed Connections” section where you can find some interesting storylines to inspire your writing.

21. Foreclosure : Write a poem or short story about someone who has lost or is about to lose their home.

22. Smoke, Fog, and Haze: Write about not being able to see ahead of you.

23. Sugar: Write something so sweet, it makes your teeth hurt.

24. Numbers:  Write a poem or journal entry about numbers that have special meaning to you.

25. Dread: Write about doing something you don’t want to do.

26. Fear: What scares you a little? What do you feel when scared? How do you react?

27. Closed Doors: What’s behind the door? Why is it closed?

28. Shadow: Imagine you are someone’s shadow for a day.

29. Good Vibes: What makes you smile? What makes you happy?

30. Shopping:  Write about your shopping wishlist and how you like to spend money.

31. The Professor: Write about a teacher that has influenced you.

32. Rewrite : Take any poem or short story you enjoy. Rewrite it in your own words.

33. Jewelry: Write about a piece of jewelry. Who does it belong to?

34. Sounds : Sit outside for about an hour. Write down the sounds you hear.

35. War and Peace: Write about a recent conflict that you dealt with in your life.

36. Frame It: Write a poem or some phrases that would make for good wall art in your home.

37. Puzzle: Write about putting together the pieces of puzzles.

38. Fire-starters: Write about building a fire.

39. Coffee & Tea: Surely you drink one or the other or know someone who does- write about it!

40. Car Keys: Write about someone getting their driver’s license for the first time.

41. What You Don’t Know: Write about a secret you’ve kept from someone else or how you feel when you know someone is keeping a secret from you.

42. Warehouse : Write about being inside an old abandoned warehouse.

43. The Sound of Silence: Write about staying quiet when you feel like shouting.

44. Insult: Write about being insulted. How do you feel? Why do you think the other person insulted you?

45. Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you? What might the mirror say?

46. Dirty: Write a poem about getting covered in mud.

47. Light Switch : Write about coming out of the dark and seeing the light.

48. The Stars : Take inspiration from a night sky. Or, write about a time when “the stars aligned” in your horoscope.

49. Joke Poem : What did the wall say to the other wall? Meet you at the corner! Write something inspired by a favorite joke.

50. Just Say No : Write about the power you felt when you told someone no.

51: Sunrise/Sunset : The sun comes up, the sun goes down. It goes round and round. Write something inspiring about the sunrise or sunset.

52. Memory Lane : What does Memory Lane look like? How do you get there?

53. Tear-Jerker : Watch a movie that makes you cry. Write about that scene in the movie.

54. Dear Diary: Write a poem or short story about a diary entry you’ve read or imagined.

55. Holding Hands : The first time you held someone’s hand.

56. Photograph : Write a story or journal entry influenced by a photograph you see online or in a magazine.

57. Alarm Clock: Write about waking up.

58. Darkness: Write a poem or journal entry inspired by what you can’t see.

59. Refreshed: Write a poem about a time you really felt refreshed and renewed. Maybe it was a dip into a pool on a hot summer day, a drink of lemonade, or other situation that helped you relax and start again.

60. Handle With Care : Write about a very fragile or delicate object.

61. Drama: Write about a time when you got stuck in between two parties fighting with each other.

62. Slip Up: Write about making mistakes.

63. Spice: Write about flavors and tastes or a favorite spice of yours.

64. Sing a New Song: Take a popular song off the radio and rewrite it as a poem in your own words.

65. Telephone: Write about a phone call you recently received.

66. Name: Write a poem or short story using your name in some way or form.

67. Dollhouse: Write a poem or short story from the viewpoint of someone living in a doll house.

68. Random Wikipedia Article : Go to Wikipedia and click on Random Article . Write about whatever the page you get.

69. Silly Sports: Write about an extreme or silly sport. If none inspire you, make up the rules for your own game.

70. Recipe : Write about a recipe for something abstract, such as a feeling.

71. Famous Artwork: Choose a famous painting and write about it.

72. Where That Place Used to Be : Think of a place you went to when you were younger but it now no longer there or is something else. Capture your feelings about this in your writing.

73. Last Person You Talked to: Write a quick little poem or story about the last person you spoke with.

74. Caught Red-Handed: Write about being caught doing something embarrassing.

75. Interview: Write a list of questions you have for someone you would like to interview, real or fictional.

76. Missing You: Write about someone you miss dearly.

77. Geography: Pick a state or country you’ve never visited. Write about why you would or would not like to visit that place.

78. Random Song: Turn on the radio, use the shuffle feature on your music collection or your favorite streaming music service. Write something inspired by the first song you hear.

79. Hero: Write a tribute to someone you regard as a hero.

80. Ode to Strangers: Go people watching and write an ode to a stranger you see on the street.

81. Advertisement: Advertisements are everywhere, aren’t they? Write using the slogan or line from an ad.

82. Book Inspired: Think of your favorite book. Now write a poem that sums up the entire story in 10 lines.

83. Magic : Imagine you have a touch of magic, and can make impossible things happen. What would you do?

84. Fanciest Pen: Get out your favorite pen, pencils, or even colored markers and write using them!

85. A Day in the Life: Write about your daily habits and routine.

86. Your Muse: Write about your muse – what do they look like? What does your muse do to inspire you?

87. Convenience Store : Write about an experience you’ve had at a gas station or convenience store.

88. Natural Wonders of the World: Choose one of the natural wonders of the world. Write about it.

89. Status Update: Write a poem using the words from your latest status update or a friend’s status update. If you don’t use sites like Facebook or Twitter, you can often search online for some funny ones to use as inspiration.

90. Green Thumb: Write about growing something.

91. Family Heirloom: Write about an object that’s been passed through the generations in your family.

92. Bug Catcher: Write about insects.

93. Potion: Write about a magic potion. What is it made of? What does it do? What is the antidote?

94. Swinging & Sliding: Write something inspired by a playground or treehouse.

95. Adjectives: Make a list of the first 5 adjectives that pop into your head. Use these 5 words in your story, poem, or journal entry.

96. Fairy Tales: Rewrite a fairy tale. Give it a new ending or make it modern or write as a poem.

97. Whispers: Write about someone who has to whisper a secret to someone else.

98. Smile: Write a poem about the things that make you smile.

99. Seasonal: Write about your favorite season.

100.  Normal: What does normal mean to you? Is it good or bad to be normal?

101. Recycle : Take something you’ve written in the past and rewrite it into a completely different piece.

102. Wardrobe: Write about a fashion model or what’s currently in your closet or drawers.

103. Secret Message : Write something with a secret message hidden in between the words. For example, you could make an acrostic poem using the last letters of the word or use secret code words in the poem.

104. Vacation: Write about a vacation you took.

105. Heat: Write about being overheated and sweltering.

106. Spellbinding: Write a magic spell.

107. Collection : Write about collecting something, such as salt shakers, sea shells, or stamps.

108. Taking Chances: Everyone takes a risk at some point in their life. Write about a time when you took a chance and what the result was.

109. Carnival: Write a poem or story or journal entry inspired by a carnival or street fair.

110. Country Mouse: Write about someone who grew up in the country visiting the city for the first time.

111: Questions: Write about questions you have for the universe. Optional: include an answer key.

112. Rushing: Write about moving quickly and doing things fast.

113. Staircase : Use a photo of a staircase or the stairs in your home or a building you love to inspire you.

114. Neighbors: Make up a story or poem about your next door neighbor.

115. Black and Blue: Write about a time you’ve been physically hurt.

116. All Saints: Choose a saint and create a poem about his or her life.

117. Beach Inspired: What’s not to write about the beach?

118. Shoes: What kind of shoes do you wear? Where do they lead your feet?

119. The Ex: Write a poem to someone who is estranged from you.

120. My Point of View: Write in the first person point of view.

121. Stray Animal: Think of the life of a stray cat or dog and write about that.

122. Stop and Stare : Create a poem or story about something you could watch forever.

123. Your Bed: Describe where you sleep each night.

124. Fireworks : Do they inspire you or do you not like the noise and commotion? Write about it.

125. Frozen: Write about a moment in your life you wish you could freeze and preserve.

126. Alone : Do you like to be alone or do you like having company?

127. Know-it-all: Write about something you are very knowledgeable about, for example a favorite hobby or passion of yours.

128. The Promise: Write about a promise you’ve made to someone. Did you keep that promise?

129. Commotion: Write about being overstimulated by a lot of chaos.

130. Read the News Today : Construct a poem or story using a news headline for your first line.

131. Macro: Write a description of an object close-up.

132. Transportation : Write about taking your favorite (or least-favorite) form of transportation.

133. Gadgets: If you could invent a gadget, what would it do? Are there any gadgets that make your life easier?

134: Bring on the Cheese: Write a tacky love poem that is so cheesy, it belongs on top of a pizza.

135. Ladders: Write a story or poem that uses ladders as a symbol.

136. Bizarre Holiday : There is a bizarre holiday for any date! Look up a holiday for today’s date and create a poem in greeting card fashion or write a short story about the holiday to celebrate.

137. Blog-o-sphere : Visit your favorite blog or your feedreader and craft a story, journal entry, or poem based on the latest blog post you read.

138. Mailbox: Create a poem, short story, or journal entry based on a recent item of mail you’ve received.

139. Sharing : Write about sharing something with someone else.

140. Cactus: Write from the viewpoint of a cactus. What’s it like to live in the desert or have a prickly personality?

141. It’s a Sign : Have you seen any interesting road signs lately?

142. Furniture: Write about a piece of furniture in your home.

143. Failure: Write about a time you failed at something. Did you try again or give up completely?

144. Mystical Creatures: Angels or other mystical creatures – use them as inspiration.

145. Flying: Write about having wings and what you would do.

146. Clear and Transparent: Write a poem about being able to see-through something.

147. Break the Silence : Record yourself speaking, then write down what you spoke and revise into a short story or poem.

148. Beat: Listen to music with a strong rhythm or listen to drum loops. Write something that goes along with the beat you feel and hear.

149. Color Palette: Search online for color palettes and be inspired to write by one you resonate with.

150. Magazine: Randomly flip to a page in a magazine and write using the first few words you see as an opening line.

151. The Grass is Greener : Write about switching the place with someone or going to where it seems the “grass is greener”.

152. Mind & Body: Write something that would motivate others to workout and exercise.

153. Shaping Up : Write something that makes a shape on the page…ie: a circle, a heart, a square, etc.

154. Twenty-One: Write about your 21st birthday.

155. Aromatherapy: Write about scents you just absolutely love.

156. Swish, Buzz, Pop : Create a poem that uses Onomatopoeia .

157. What Time is It? Write about the time of day it is right now. What are people doing? What do you usually do at this time each day?

158. Party Animal: Have you ever gone to a party you didn’t want to leave? Or do you hate parties? Write about it!

159: Miss Manners : Use the words “please” and “thank you” in your writing.

160. Cliche: Choose a common cliche, then write something that says the same thing but without using the catch phrase.

161. Eco-friendly : Write about going green or an environmental concern you have.

162. Missing You: Write about someone you miss.

163. Set it Free: Think of a time when you had to let someone or something go to be free…did they come back?

164: Left Out : Write about a time when you’ve felt left out or you’ve noticed someone else feeling as if they didn’t belong.

165. Suitcase: Write about packing for a trip or unpacking from when you arrive home.

166. Fantasy : Write about fairies, gnomes, elves, or other mythical creatures.

167. Give and Receive : Write about giving and receiving.

168. Baker’s Dozen: Imagine the scents and sights of a bakery and write.

169. Treehouse: Write about your own secret treehouse hideaway.

170.  Risk: Write about taking a gamble on something.

171. Acrostic : Choose a word and write an acrostic poem where every line starts with a letter from the word.

172. Crossword Puzzle: Open up the newspaper or find a crossword puzzle online and choose one of the clues to use as inspiration for your writing.

173. Silver Lining : Write about the good that happens in a bad situation.

174. Gloves: Write about a pair of gloves – what kind of gloves are they? Who wears them and why?

175. All that Glitters: Write about a shiny object.

176. Jealousy: Write with a theme of envy and jealousy.

Want to Download these prompts?  I am super excited to announce due to popular demand we now have an ad-free printable version of this list of writing prompts available for just $5. The  printable version  includes a PDF as a list AND print-ready prompt cards. {And all the design source files you could ever need to customize any way you would like!}

177. How Does Your Garden Grow? Write about a flower that grows in an unusual place.

178. Jury Duty : Write a short story or poem that takes place in a courtroom.

179. Gifts: Write about a gift you have given or received.

180. Running: Write about running away from someone or something.

181. Discovery: Think of something you’ve recently discovered and use it as inspiration.

182. Complain:  Write about your complaints about something.

183. Gratitude: Write a poem or journal entry that is all about things you are thankful for.

184. Chemistry: Choose an element and write a poem or story that uses that word in one of the lines.

185. Applause: Write about giving someone a standing ovation.

186. Old Endings Into New Beginnings:  Take an old poem, story, or journal entry of yours and use the last line and make it the first line of your writing today.

187. Longing: Write  about something you very much want to do.

188. I Am: Write a motivational poem or journal entry about positive traits that make you who you are.

189. Rainbow : What is at the end of a rainbow? Or, take a cue from Kermit the Frog, and ask yourself, why are there so many songs about rainbows?

190. Museum: Take some time to visit a nearby museum with your journal. Write about one of the pieces that speaks to you.

191. Cartoon: Think of your favorite cartoon or comic. Write a poem or story that takes place in that setting.

192. Copycat: Borrow a line from a famous public domain poem to craft your own.

193. From the Roof-tops:  Imagine you could stand on a rooftop and broadcast a message to everyone below – what would you say?

194. Time Travel: If there was a time period you could visit for a day, where would you go? Write about traveling back in time to that day.

195. Changing Places: Imagine living the day as someone else.

196. Neighborhood: Write about your favorite place in your neighborhood to visit and hang out at.

197. Pirates: Write about a pirate ship.

198. Interview : Write based on a recent interview you’ve read or seen on TV or heard on the radio.

199.  Hiding Spaces : Write about places you like to hide things at. What was a favorite hiding spot for you as a child playing hide-and-seek?

200. Extreme Makeover: Imagine how life might be different if you could change your hair color or clothing into something completely opposite from your current style.

201. Empathy: Write about your feelings of empathy or compassion for another person.

202. Opposites: Write a poem or story that ties in together two opposites.

203. Boredom: Write about being bored or make a list of different ways to entertain yourself.

204. Strength : Think of a time when you’ve been physically or emotionally strong and use that as inspiration.

205. Hunger: Write from the perspective of someone with no money to buy food.

206. Greed: Write about someone who always wants more – whether it be money, power, etc. etc.

207. Volcano: Write about an eruption of a volcano.

208. Video Inspiration : Go to Vimeo.com or YouTube.com and watch one of the videos featured on the homepage. Write something based on what you watch.

209. Sneeze: Write about things that make you sneeze.

210. Footsteps on the Moon:  Write about the possibility of life in outer-space.

211: Star-crossed: Write a short modern version of the story of Romeo and Juliet or think of real-life examples of lovers who are not allowed to be together to use as inspiration for your writing.

212. Font-tastic: Choose a unique font and type out a poem, story or journal entry using that font.

213. Schedule: Take a look at your calendar and use the schedule for inspiration in writing.

214. Grandparents: Write about a moment in your grandparent’s life.

215. Collage: Go through a magazine and cut out words that grab your attention. Use these words to construct a poem or as a story starter or inspiration for your journal.

216. Oh so Lonely: Write a poem about what you do when you are alone – do you feel lonely or do you enjoy your own company?

217. Waterfall: Think of a waterfall you’ve seen in person or spend some time browsing photos of waterfalls online. Write about the movement, flow, and energy.

218. First Kiss: Write about your first kiss.

219. So Ironic: Write about an ironic situation you’ve been in throughout your life.

220. Limerick: Write a limerick today.

221. Grocery Shopping: Write about an experience at the grocery store.

222. Fashion : Go through a fashion magazine or browse fashion websites online and write about a style you love.

223. So Close: Write about coming close to reaching a goal.

224. Drinks on Me: Write a poem or short story that takes place at a bar.

225. Online Friends: Write an ode to someone online you’ve met and become friends with.

226. Admiration: Is there someone you admire? Write about those feelings.

227. Trash Day: Write from the perspective of a garbage collector.

228. Mailbox: Open your mailbox and write something inspired by one of the pieces of mail you received.

229. Fresh & Clean: Write about how you feel after you take a shower.

230. Energized: Write about how you feel when you’re either at a high or low energy level for the day.

231. Rhyme & No Reason: Make up a silly rhyming poem using made up words.

232. Tech Support: Use computers or a conversation with tech support you’ve had as inspiration.

233. Hotel: Write from the perspective of someone who works at a hotel or staying at a hotel.

234. Underwater: Write about sea creatures and under water life. What’s under the surface of the ocean? What adventures might be waiting?

235. Breathing: Take a few minutes to do some deep breathing relaxation techniques. Once your mind is clear, just write the first few things that you think of.

236. Liar, Liar: Make up a poem or story of complete lies about yourself or someone else.

237. Obituaries: Look at the recent obituaries online or in the newspaper and imagine the life of someone and write about that person.

238. Pocket: Rummage through your pockets and write about what you keep or find in your pockets.

239. Cinquain: Write a cinquain poem, which consists of 5 lines that do not rhyme.

240. Alphabetical: Write a poem that has every letter of the alphabet in it.

241.  Comedy Club: Write something inspired by a comedian.

242. Cheater: Write about someone who is unfaithful.

243. Sestina: Give a try to writing a sestina poem.

244. Fight: Write about witnessing two people get in an argument with each other.

245. Social Network : Visit your favorite Social Networking website (ie: Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, etc.) and write a about a post you see there.

246. Peaceful: Write about something peaceful and serene.

247. In the Clouds: Go cloud watching for the day and write about what you imagine in the clouds.

248. At the Park: Take some time to sit on a park bench and write about the sights, scenes, and senses and emotions you experience.

249. Sonnet: Write a sonnet today.

250. Should, Would, And Could: Write a poem or story using the words should, would, and could.

251. How to: Write directions on how to do something.

252. Alliteration: Use alliteration in your poem or in a sentence in a story.

253. Poker Face: Write about playing a card game.

254. Timer: Set a timer for 5 minutes and just write. Don’t worry about it making sense or being perfect.

255. Dance: Write about a dancer or a time you remember dancing.

256. Write for a Cause: Write a poem or essay that raises awareness for a cause you support.

257. Magic : Write about a magician or magic trick.

258. Out of the Box: Imagine finding a box. Write about opening it and what’s inside.

259. Under the Influence: What is something has impacted you positively in your life?

260. Forgotten Toy : Write from the perspective a forgotten or lost toy.

261. Rocks and Gems: Write about a rock or gemstone meaning.

262. Remote Control: Imagine you can fast forward and rewind your life with a remote control.

263. Symbolism: Think of objects, animals, etc. that have symbolic meaning to you. Write about it.

264. Light at the End of the Tunnel: Write about a time when you saw hope when it seemed like a hopeless situation.

265. Smoke and Fire : “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Use this saying as inspiration to write!

266. Railroad: Write about a train and its cargo or passengers.

267. Clipboard: Write about words you imagine on an office clipboard.

268. Shipwrecked: Write about being stranded somewhere – an island, a bus stop, etc.

269. Quotable: Use a popular quote from a speaker and use it as inspiration for your writing.

270. Mind   Map it Out: Create a mind map of words, phrases, and ideas that pop into your head or spend some time browsing the many mind maps online. Write a poem, story, or journal entry inspired by the mind map.

271. Patterns : Write about repeating patterns that occur in life.

272. Scrapbook : Write about finding a scrapbook and the memories it contains.

273. Cure: Write about finding a cure for an illness.

274. Email Subject Lines: Read your email today and look for subject lines that may be good starters for writing inspiration.

275. Wishful Thinking: Write about a wish you have.

276. Doodle : Spend some time today doodling for about 5-10 minutes. Write about the thoughts you had while doodling or create something inspired by your finished doodle.

277. Chalkboard: Imagine you are in a classroom. What does it say on the chalkboard?

278. Sticky: Imagine a situation that’s very sticky, maybe even covered in maple syrup, tape or glue. Write about it!

279. Flashlight : Imagine going somewhere very dark with only a flashlight to guide you.

280. A Far Away Place : Envision yourself traveling to a fictional place, what do you experience in your imaginary journey?

281. On the Farm : Write about being in a country or rural setting.

282. Promise to Yourself: Write about a promise you want to make to yourself and keep.

283. Brick Wall : Write a poem that is about a brick wall – whether literal or figurative.

284. Making a Choice: Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice.

285.  Repeat: Write about a time when you’ve had to repeat yourself or a time when it felt like no one was listening.

286. Outcast : Write about someone who is not accepted by their peers. (for example, the Ugly Ducking)

287. Scary Monsters: Write about a scary (or not-so-scary) monster in your closet or under the bed.

288. Sacrifice: Write about something you’ve sacrificed doing to do something else or help another person.

289. Imperfection: Create a poem that highlights the beauty in being flawed.

290. Birthday Poem: Write a poem inspired by birthdays.

291. Title First : Make a list of potential poem or story titles and choose one to write from.

292. Job Interview : Write about going on a job interview.

293. Get Well : Write a poem that will help someone who is sick feel better quick!

294. Lost in the Crowd: Write about feeling lost in the crowd.

295. Apple a Day: Write about a health topic that interests you.

296. Cravings: Write about craving something.

297. Phobia: Research some common phobias, choose one, and write about it.

298. In the Moment: Write about living in the present moment.

299. Concrete : Write about walking down a sidewalk and what you see and experience.

300. Battle: Write about an epic battle, whether real, fictional or figurative.

301. This Old House : Write about an old house that is abandoned or being renovated.

302. Clutter: Is there a cluttered spot in your home? Go through some of that clutter today and write about what you find or the process of organizing.

303. Go Fly a Kite: Write about flying a kite.

304. On the TV: Flip to a random TV channel and write about the first thing that comes on – even if it is an infomercial!

305. Fruit: Write an ode to your favorite fruit.

306. Long Distance Love: Write about a couple that is separated by distance.

307. Glasses: Write about a pair of eyeglasses or someone wearing glasses.

308. Robotic : Write about a robot.

309. Cute as a Button: Write about something you think is just adorable.

310. Movie Conversation: Use a memorable conversation from a favorite movie to inspire your writing.

311. Easy-Peasy : Write  about doing something effortlessly.

312. Idiom: Choose from a list of idioms one that speaks to you and create a poem around that saying or phrase. (Ie: It is raining cats and dogs)

313. Playground: Whether it is the swings or the sandbox or the sliding boards, write about your memories of being on a playground.

314. Romance: Write about romantic things partners can do for each other.

315. Rock Star: Imagine you are a famous rock star. Write about the experience.

316. Come to Life: Imagine ordinary objects have come to life. Write about what they do and say.

317. Airplane: Write about meeting someone on an airplane and a conversation you might have.

318. Health & Beauty: Take some time to peruse your medicine cabinet or the health and beauty aisles at a local store. Write a poem, short story, or journal entry inspired by a product label.

319. Determination: Write about not giving up.

320. Instrumental Inspiration: Listen to some instrumental music and write a poem that matches the mood, beat, and style of the music.

321. Wait Your Turn: Write about having to wait in line.

322. Personality Type : Do you know your personality type? (There are many free quizzes online) – write about what type of personality traits you have.

323. Decade: Choose a favorite decade and write about it. (IE: 1980’s or 1950’s for example)

324. I Believe: Write your personal credo of things you believe in.

325. Lost and Found: Write about a lost object.

326. Say it: Write a poem or story that uses dialogue between two people.

327. The Unsent Letter: Write about a letter that never made it to its recipient.

328. The Windows of the Soul: Write a poem about the story that is told through someone’s eyes.

329. Trial and Error: Write about something you learned the hard way.

330. Escape : Write about where you like to go to escape from it all.

331. What’s Cooking: Write something inspired a favorite food or recipe.

332. Records : Go through your file box and pull out old receipts or records…write something inspired by what you find!

333. Banking: Write about visiting the bank.

334. Sweet Talk: Write about trying to convince someone of something.

335. Serendipity: Write about something that happened by chance in a positive way.

336. Distractions: Write about how it feels when you can’t focus.

337. Corporation: Write about big business.

338. Word of the Day: Go to a dictionary website that has a word of the day and use it in a poem, story or journal entry you write.

339. Pick Me Up:  What do you do when you need a pick me up?

340. Unfinished: Write about a project you started but never completed.

341. Forgiveness: Write about a time when someone forgave you or you forgave someone.

342. Weakness: Write about your greatest weakness.

343. Starting: Write about starting a project.

344. Mechanical: Think of gears, moving parts, machines.

345. Random Act of Kindness : Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone or someone has done for you, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.

346. Underground: Imagine living in a home underground and use that as inspiration for writing.

347. Classic Rock: Pick a classic rock love ballad and rewrite it into a story or poem with a similar theme.

348. Night Owl : Write about staying up late at night.

349. Magnetic : Write about attraction to something or someone.

350. Teamwork: Write about working with a team towards a common goal.

351. Roller-coaster : Write about the ups and downs in life.

352. Motivational Poster: Look at some motivational posters online and write a poem or journal entry inspired by your favorite one.

353. Games: Write about the games people play – figuratively or literally.

354. Turning Point: Write about a point in life where things turned for the better or worse.

355. Spellbound: Write about a witch’s spell.

356. Anniversary: Write about the anniversary of a special date.

357. Gamble:  Be inspired by a casino or lottery ticket.

358. Picnic: Write about going on a picnic.

359. Garage: Write about some random item you might find in a garage.

360. Review: Review your week, month, or year in a journal entry or poem format.

361. Detective: Write about a detective searching for clues or solving a mystery.

362. Camera: Take your camera for a walk and write based on one of the photographs you take.

363. Visiting : Write about visiting a family member or friend.

364. Trust: Write about putting trust in someone.

365. Congratulations : Did you write a poem, short story, or journal entry every day for a whole year? Write about what you’ve learned and celebrate your achievement!

We hope you enjoy these creative writing prompts! And of course, if you write anything using these prompts, we’d love to know about it! Tell us how you’ll use these everyday creative writing prompts in the comments section below!

And of course, if you’d like the printable ad-free version of these prompts to reference again and again or to use in your classroom, you can find them at our Etsy shop !

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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The Best Character Template Ever (100+ Character Traits!)

So you have an awesome story and want to bring it to life with some incredible characters, but organizing all those character ideas in your head can be tough!

I know, I’ve been there. We’ve all been there (trust me, I did a very legit survey of us all).

To help, here is a very thorough list of more than 100 different character traits you can use to understand more about your character than you do about your friends and family. Fill out this template with as many or as few details as you’d like. You can even grab your fillable PDF at the bottom of this article.

Readers will sniff out a half-baked character from a mile away, and you better pray they never find a poorly written character in your book. Luckily, this template will help you avoid both of those pitfalls.

How to Use This Template

Hopefully, this template is, for the most part, straightforward. But there are some options that might give you some pause. For the sake of clarity, I’m going to quickly go over the different sections of the template.

In general, the traits get deeper and deeper into the abyss of your character’s soul the further down the list you go.

Demographics are your basics. This is the sort of information someone could likely glean from a short conversation with your character or what the government might gather from a census.

Physical appearance is what someone would notice about your character if they looked at them. This goes beyond just hair, eye, and skin color, though. Things like your character’s gait or their fashion style can add a lot of depth for your reader.

History allows you to understand a character’s past. More importantly, it allows you to understand how that past affects their actions in your story. Some of this information might never see the light of day, but it allows you to craft dynamic, complex characters.

Psychological traits are those that aren’t readily apparent to an onlooker but are critical to how your character operates in any given situation. This is where you start getting deep with things like flaws , desires, and traits that make people (or non-people) who they are.

Communication is not only important for things like dialogue and writing, but they are easy ways for you to differentiate between your characters .

Strengths, weaknesses, and abilities are very vague terms but are quite important. This is especially true for genres like fantasy or sci-fi, and these traits can be helpful when crafting your main characters, including villains .

Relationships are important for characters, even if it means highlighting how alone they are. Relationships can go a lot further than immediate friends, family, or partners. Try and take some time to think about exactly who is involved in your character’s life.

Character growth is the most important category in this template. Here is where you include things like arcs, archetypes, conflicts, goals, and motivation. You need to pay attention to this section, because these ideas will be the ones that make memorable characters.

So check out the template below and think about how you can use it to build your characters. 

The Best Character Template Ever

Demographics.

• Sex/Gender:
• Occupation:
• Socioeconomic status:
• Other notes:

Physical Appearance

• Skin color:
• Hair color:
• Fitness level:
• Scars/Birthmarks:
• Other distinguishing features:
• Disabilities:
• Fashion style:
• Accessories:
• Cleanliness/Grooming:
• Posture/Gait:
• Coordination (or lack thereof):
• Weaknesses:
• Birth date:
• Place of birth:
• Key family members:
• Notable events/milestones:
• Criminal record:
• Affiliations:
• Skeletons in the closet:

Psychological Traits

• Personality type:
• Personality traits:
• Temperament:
• Introvert/Extrovert:
• Mannerisms:
• Educational background:
• Intelligence:
• Self-esteem:
• Skills/talents:
• Morals/Virtues:
• Phobias/Fears:
• Angered by:
• Pet peeves:
• Obsessed with:
• Bad habits:
• Favorite sayings:
• Accomplishments:

Communication

• Languages known:
• Preferred communication methods:
• Style and pacing of speech:
• Use of gestures:
• Facial expressions:
• Verbal expressions:

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Abilities

• Physical strengths:
• Physical weaknesses:
• Intellectual strengths:
• Intellectual weaknesses:
• Interpersonal strengths:
• Interpersonal weaknesses:
• Physical abilities:
• Magical abilities:
• Physical illnesses/conditions:
• Mental illnesses/conditions:

Relationships

• Partner(s)/Significant other(s):
• Parents/Guardians:
• Grandparents:
• Grandchildren:
• Best friends:
• Colleagues:
• Mentors/Teachers:
• Idols/Role models:
• Non-living things:
• Clubs/Memberships:
• Social media presence:
• Public perception of them:

Character Growth

• Character archetype:
• Character arc:
• Core values:
• Internal conflicts:
• External conflicts:
• Goals: 
• Motivations:
• Epiphanies:
• Significant events/plot points:

Craft Amazing Characters With Dabble

Creating characters your readers will love (or love to hate) has never been easier than with Dabble. By keeping all of your notes about characters and your plot just a click away from your manuscript, you’ll be able to write a story that is bound for the bestseller lists.

You can click here to grab a PDF copy of this template, or you can just copy and paste the categories you want from this article directly into your Character Notes in Dabble.

That’s not all! We also have a handful of other resources that can help you make some awesome characters. Be sure to check out:

• Our complete guide to creating characters
• 101 character goals
• A metric ton of character ideas you can use with this template
• 65 character development questions
• 20 original character interview questions
• A downloadable character profile

The best part? You can add all of these into your character’s folder in Dabble. Your character will be more real than you or I.

Enough dilly-dallying, time for Dabbling. Click here to get started with your totally free, no credit card required trial of Dabble and build your amazing characters today.

Happy writing!

Doug Landsborough can’t get enough of writing. Whether freelancing as an editor, blog writer, or ghostwriter, Doug is a big fan of the power of words. In his spare time, he writes about monsters, angels, and demons under the name D. William Landsborough. When not obsessing about sympathetic villains and wondrous magic, Doug enjoys board games, horror movies, and spending time with his wife, Sarah.

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Learn how to write dark fantasy, the subgenre that invites you to explore nightmarish landscapes, meet darkly complex characters, and ask unsettling questions about morality.

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How to Create the Ultimate Character Profile [+ Template]

Ask any great novelist and they’ll likely tell you that good writing starts with good characters. But sharp character development is also one of the toughest hills to climb, especially if you’ve struggled to think through those tried-and-true questions that keep you up at night:

• Are my characters convincing?
• Do my characters have depth?
• How do I make sure my character  has an arc ?

If you’re having these doubts, you might want to turn to the age-old solution: a character profile. 

What is a character profile?

A character profile is a detailed biography of a persona that covers everything from their age and appearance to their relationships with others. By understanding parts of their life that readers might not discover during the course of the story, an author can better understand that character’s life, personality, motivations, and their function within a story.

In this post, we will show you our three-part process for assembling a character profile.

What makes a good character profile template?

Many character bibles present exercises that ask you, “If your character was a color, what color would they be?” For many writers, this is either overkill or a bit too 'woo-woo' for their tastes, and they prefer to create a profile that deals in verifiable facts: height, age, and profession.

Our suggestion lies somewhere between those two approaches, where you build a holistic picture of your character in the context of your story. Our character profile worksheet is in three parts. If you treat a person like an apple, they’re going to have three layers of depth: the “skin,” the “flesh,” and the “core.” (Otherwise known as their physical appearance, backstory, and psychology.) That’s how this character profile template is structured — and if you have a particular area that you’d like to hone, you can skip to it below. Otherwise, this character bible will start with the eagle eye’s view of your character.

The Three-Part Character Profile Template:

• The Outer Layer, or Physical Appearance
• The Flesh, or Backstory
• The Core, or Psychology

How to create a character profile

As another reminder, we strongly recommend our character profile template in a PDF format and fill it out as you go along! Download it below for free right here. 

FREE RESOURCE

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

1. Construct the character's outer appearance

To be able to identify a criminal, detectives build a painstakingly thorough file of said criminal’s physical characteristics.

That’s the goal of this section, which covers the “skin” of your character: everything from their outer appearance to the way that they speak. Think of it as a kind of offender profile — one that can help you spot your character in the middle of a crowded Times Square.

The Basics 📖

• Place of birth
• Current location
• Nationality

Physical Appearance 👀

What's their:

Do they have any distinguishing features (tattoos, scars, birthmarks)?

What's their preferred outfit?

Do they wear glasses? 👓

What accessories are ALWAYS associated with them (cane, pipe, necklace, etc.)? 🌂

What's their usual level of grooming?

• Smart, very put together
• Untidy but clean

Do they have any distinguishing “tics” and mannerisms?

What's their health like? Do they suffer from chronic illnesses? 🏥

Describe their handwriting (sloppy, neat, careful, unintelligible). ✍

How do they walk? 👣

• Confident, powerful strides
• Lazy stroll
• Fast, walks at a clip
• Distracted, eyes on the ground

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Speech and Communication 💬

How do they talk (rapid, slow, measured, drawl, etc.)?

What's the style of their speech (elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.)?

Do they have an accent?

• Stiff, military
• Casual and relaxed
• ‘Turtle,’ tired

Do they gesture?

• Only when agitated or eager
• Doesn’t gesture
• Compulsive “hand-talker”
• Controlled, only to make a point
• Other? If so, explain:

How much eye contact do they like to make (direct, shifty, etc.)?

What's their preferred curse word?

What's their catchphrase?

Any speech impediments?

What are any distinguishing speech “tics”?

What's their laugh like? What do they tend to find funny?

Describe their smile?

How emotive are they? Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? How easily can others read them?

They have a resting _____ face.

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2. Build out the character's backstory

Characters don’t exist in a vacuum — they’re a product of their environment.

This section in the character template dives a bit deeper into your character and covers their “flesh”: the people, circumstances, and formative influences that filled them out and made them who they are today. It’s the springboard to your character’s biography.

What's the name of their hometown? 🏡

What type of childhood did they have (sheltered, neglected, etc.)?

Describe their education. 🍏

Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school?

• Gay / Straight Alliance

At graduation, they were named Most Likely To ___________ in the yearbook. 🎓

Jobs (if applicable)? What would their résumé look like? 💼

What was their dream job as a child? Why?

Who were their role models growing up? Describe them. 👨‍👦

What's their greatest regret?

What were their hobbies growing up? ⛳

Favorite place to be as a child?

What's their earliest memory?

What's their saddest memory?

What's their happiest memory?

What's their clearest memory?

What are their skeletons in the closet? 💀

If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why? ⏳

Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood.

What are three adjectives to describe them as a child?

What advice would they give to their younger self?

List their criminal record. ⚖

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• Age (if living)
• Briefly describe their relationship with your character
• What are their names and ages?
• Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your character

Children 👶(if applicable)

Extended family 👴

• Grandparents
• Uncles and aunts

What's their family's economic status? 💰

How often do they see their family in a year?

External Relationships 💜 

Who are their closest friends? Describe them.

Who are their other significant friends? 👋

Enemies? Describe them. 😡

How are they perceived by:

• strangers in the street?
• acquaintances at a work function?
• colleagues in the office?
• authority figures?
• friends in their friend circles?
• the opposite sex?
• extended family?

What social media platforms are they on?

• X (formerly known as Twitter)
• Other? If so, explain.

How would they use their social media platforms?

How would they fill out an online dating profile for themselves? ✨

What’s their role in a group dynamic? 💡

Who do they depend on for:

• practical advice?
• emotional support?
• moral support?

How quickly do they respond to emails? 📨

What do they want from a relationship?

Who would be their ideal partner? 💖

Who is their significant other? Describe them. 💕

How many people would attend their funeral?

Part 3. Understand the character's goals and motivations

We’ve come now to the “core”: who your character is deep down.

This section in the character profile worksheet covers the “heart” of your character. If a backstory shapes a dynamic character , this will define them. More importantly, it will help inform the two most important points leading up to your novel: the character’s story goal and story motivation .

Psychology 💭 

What do they do on rainy days?

• Street-smart or book-smart
• An optimist or pessimist
• Introverted or Extroverted

What is their favorite sound? 🔊

Favorite place in the world? 🌎

What secrets do they keep? What are they most afraid of people finding out? 🔒

What do they want the most? 🔍

What's their biggest flaw?

What's their biggest strength?

What's their biggest fear?

What is their biggest accomplishment? 📈

What is their idea of perfect happiness?

What's their favorite quote? 👌

Do they want to be remembered? What for? ⌚

How do they approach:

What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their burning home? 🔥

What (or who) bores them? 💤

What makes them angry? 💢

What do they look for in a person?

How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to compromise their morals?

List the last 10 books they read. 📚

Which fictional world would they most wish to visit?

If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with the extra time?

What are their pet peeves? ⚠

If they won the lottery, what would they do?

Describe the character’s bucket list at the ages of 15, 20, 30, and 40.

List the 10 songs that would occupy their All-Time Most Played playlist on Spotify. 🎵

What is the best compliment that someone ever paid them?

In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once? 🚪

What would they want their tombstone to say?

The Present and Future 🔮 

What is their story goal? (answer in a single paragraph)

Story motivation (answer in a single paragraph)

In other words: what does your character want in the story?  And why do they want it?

Every other answer in the character profile template builds up to this. It's critical information to know because it’ll make up the unshakable foundation — and raison d'être — for your story. Whenever you feel like your story is straying off course, go straight back to your character’s story goal and motivation, and you'll find the beating heart of your book.

24 responses

Rachel Mendell says:

02/06/2018 – 12:23

excellent! so much info - thank you.

↪️ Reedsy replied:

07/06/2018 – 04:37

Our pleasure, Rachel. Glad that it helped!

Diane says:

07/06/2018 – 08:50

Wow! I tried to find such kind of list many times. Thank you so much! Creating character is always difficult for me. I imagine tutoriage character but it was not full. With this list Finally I will finish it.

22/01/2019 – 15:37

Nice I was gonna make one myself but this is great since normally I obsess to the point of procrastination.

Gwendolyn Clark says:

13/05/2019 – 00:09

I was never sent a copy to download

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

13/05/2019 – 08:20

Hi Gwendolyn, could you drop us an email at [email protected] and we'll sort you out with a link :)

Sabrina Douglas says:

08/06/2019 – 16:40

I have not received the PDF yet.

10/06/2019 – 13:48

With Gmail, our emails often can be found in the Promotions folder. if it's not there, send us an email at [email protected] and we'll sort you out :)

Tactical Weasel says:

08/06/2019 – 23:18

I was never sent a copy to download either.

Ibidun says:

02/07/2019 – 01:47

This is a developed list of questions for sure. Thank you!

susannelorraineharford says:

21/08/2019 – 08:01

Thanks! Great help in this articke. X peace, susanne

james bolin says:

22/08/2019 – 21:05

This my be a crazy question, but I am writing a science fiction book, and I already made character profiles for my ow use. But, that being said, would it make sense to also include a section in the book that includes all the main characters profiles. It would serve as a reference in case someone wants to know the characters hair color, birth date, and other details. any advice would help thanks

23/08/2019 – 09:04

It would be a somewhat unusual move — but it's not for me to say if it's wrong. Often, you see books provide family trees and brief histories of the 'world' of the story... but that tends to be so that readers can check up on facts that are highly relevant to relationships and plot of the book. In almost all cases, readers won't really need to know things like hair color or date of birth. So, I'd think hard before putting a character stat sheet in your book.

↪️ Nyla replied:

02/09/2019 – 16:12

I don't see why not! Some books did it (sort of); Wings of Fire, Tailchaser's Song, Warriors... I don't think including one would be a bad move. Definitely not something that would kill your story. Keep in mind that I'm a beginner when it comes to books, so I may not know any better. I'm just saying that in my opinion, I don't think it's a bad move.

Satyajay Mandal says:

25/08/2019 – 04:31

You can tweet me to get more updates on the story I'm directing

02/09/2019 – 16:13

What do you mean by "education"? Like what school they went to?

17/09/2019 – 09:02

Yup. Are they a college grad? What did they study? Did they leave school at 18 and take up an apprenticeship — that sort of thing.

27/09/2019 – 14:03

Will i ever get the document to download!

07/10/2019 – 15:48

Hi Sky, if you're still having trouble downloading the template, could you drop us a message at [email protected]? Thanks! Martin

20/10/2019 – 03:56

I will update you about all the details

Max Sangers says:

23/03/2020 – 20:16

I like it, just pls refrain from bad language :)

26/03/2020 – 04:49

No need to refrain from using bad language, if it is assigned to the villains instead of the heroes/heroines

26/03/2020 – 05:02

No need to refrain from using bad language if it is assigned to the villains instead of the heroes/heroines

28/03/2020 – 05:01

This is @*#$ing AWESOME!!!

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