Characters
Build detailed character profiles. Track physical descriptions, backstories, relationships, and character arcs across your books.
Why Track Characters?
Character profiles help you maintain consistency across your story. When writing a series, you need to remember:
- What color are their eyes?
- What is their birthday?
- Who are their family members?
- What happened to them in book two?
A character database prevents embarrassing mistakes and speeds up writing when you need to reference details.
Creating a Character
- Go to Project Studio → Characters
- Click + New Character
- Enter the character's name
- Select which book(s) they appear in
- Fill in profile details
- Click Create
Tip
You can also create characters from the book detail page. Click the Characters tab, then + Add Character. The character will automatically link to that book.
Character Profile Fields
Fill in as much or as little as you need. Not every field is required.
Basic Information
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Character's full name (required) |
| Nickname | What others call them |
| Role | Protagonist, Antagonist, Supporting, Minor |
| Age | Current age in the story |
| Birthday | Date of birth |
| Photo | Reference image or AI-generated portrait |
Physical Description
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Height | How tall they are |
| Build | Body type (slim, athletic, heavy, etc.) |
| Hair | Color, length, style |
| Eyes | Color and notable features |
| Distinguishing Features | Scars, tattoos, birthmarks, mannerisms |
Background
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Occupation | What they do for work |
| Backstory | History before the story begins |
| Goals | What they want to achieve |
| Motivations | Why they want it |
| Flaws | Weaknesses and negative traits |
| Strengths | Positive traits and abilities |
Goal, Motivation, Conflict
The GMC framework is a popular character development method:
- Goal — What does your character want?
- Motivation — Why do they want it?
- Conflict — What stands in their way?
StorytellerOS includes dedicated fields for GMC to help you build compelling characters with clear story arcs.
Note
Strong GMC drives your plot forward. If your character wants something, has a reason to pursue it, and faces obstacles, you have natural story tension.
Character Relationships
Track how characters relate to each other:
- Family relationships (parent, sibling, spouse)
- Professional relationships (boss, coworker, mentor)
- Romantic relationships (love interest, ex, crush)
- Conflict relationships (rival, enemy, nemesis)
When you add a relationship, you can describe it from both perspectives. "John is Sarah's brother" automatically creates "Sarah is John's sister."
Linking Characters to Books
Characters can appear in:
- A single book — One-off characters
- Multiple books — Recurring characters
- An entire series — Main cast that spans all books
When you link a character to a series, they automatically appear in the character list for every book in that series.
Character Arc Tracking
For major characters, track how they change throughout your story:
- Starting State — Who they are at the beginning
- Inciting Change — What pushes them to grow
- Struggle — How they resist or embrace change
- Ending State — Who they become by the end
This is especially useful for series where characters evolve across multiple books.
Using Characters While Writing
When you are writing in the editor, you can:
- Open the character panel to see details
- Search for characters by name
- View relationship diagrams
- Check physical descriptions for consistency
Quick Reference
The character side panel stays open while you write, so you can glance at eye color, age, or backstory without leaving your manuscript.
Best Practices
- Create characters as they appear — Add them when you introduce them in your draft, even with minimal info.
- Add photos for visualization — A reference image helps you picture the character consistently.
- Note changes — If a character's appearance changes (haircut, injury), note when and why.
- Use the notes field — Store random details that do not fit other fields but might matter later.
- Review before new books — Before writing a sequel, read through your character profiles.