Preview
For this assignment, we were asked to create an original character (also called an OC). My OC has been a character I’ve thought about for many, many years, so this assignment was relatively easy for me. I also did the extra assignment which was to completed an extended character profile sheet.
Blank Version of Assignment
__________________ (character’s name) is the sort of person who describes himself/herself as ___________________________________________ (descriptive phrase). If called on to use a single adjective to describe himself/herself, he/she’d use ______________________________. Friends, family and co-workers say he’s best known for ________________________________. When people first meet him/her, they notice his/her __________________________________ (physical traits and personality), then they notice that __________________________________ (traits that add or possibly contradict dominant traits). Because of his/her, he/she needs to prove that __________________________________________________________ (emotional need in the story). Also because of the past, he/she fears that ___________________________ (dreaded alternative) and will ________________________________________ (plan of action, goals) to prevent it.
My Filled Version
Walter Holgate is the sort of person who describes himself as nothing really special, as he has low self-esteem. He is the son of peasant farmers in the countryside of East Anglia, so that is a big part of his identity. If called on to use a single adjective to describe himself, he’d use determined. Friends, family and co-workers say he’s best known for his ability to overcome challenges and change. When people first meet him, they notice his slight limp and how he tugs on his left ear, then they notice that he’s actually incredibly confident by the way he acts and walks. Because of his upbringing as a peasant, he/she needs to prove that he is so much more than the peasant life and has to fight to bring his family money to live. Also because of the past, he fears that he may fail in his quest to support his family and will do whatever it takes to prevent it.
Blank Extended Character Profile sheet
Basic Statistics
Name:
Age:
Nationality:
Socioeconomic Level as a child:
Socioeconomic Level as an adult:
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Occupation:
Income:
Talents/Skills:
Salary:
Birth order:
Siblings (describe relationship):
Spouse (describe relationship):
Children (describe relationship):
Grandparents (describe relationship):
Grandchildren (describe relationship):
Significant Others (describe relationship):
Relationship skills:
Physical Characteristics
Height:
Weight:
Race:
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Glasses or contact lenses?
Skin color:
Shape of Face:
Distinguishing features:
How does he/she dress?
Mannerisms:
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.)
Health:
Hobbies:
Favorite Sayings:
Speech patterns:
Disabilities:
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.):
Greatest flaw:
Best quality:
Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes
Educational Background:
Intelligence Level:
Any Mental Illnesses?
Learning Experiences:
Character’s short-term goals in life:
Character’s long-term goals in life:
How does Character see himself/herself?
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?
How self-confident is the character?
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?
What would most embaress this character?
Emotional Characteristics
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Introvert or Extrovert?
How does the character deal with anger?
With sadness?
With conflict?
With change?
With loss?
What does the character want out of life?
What would the character like to change in his/her life?
What motivates this character?
What frightens this character?
What makes this character happy?
Is the character judgmental of others?
Is the character generous or stingy?
Is the character generally polite or rude?
Spiritual Characteristics
What are the character’s spiritual beliefs?
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character’s life?
If so, what role does it play?
Extended Character Profile Sheet Filled
Basic Statistics
Name: Walter Holgate
Age: 21
Nationality: English
Socioeconomic Level as a child: Lower class
Socioeconomic Level as an adult: Working Class
Hometown: East Anglia, England
Current Residence: The Caravel, Pembroke
Occupation: Senior Petty Officer
Income: About 40 shillings per week but it depends if they find anything while exploring.
Talents/Skills: Skilled at his job and farm work. Has the ability to quickly learn new skills
Salary: Again, it really depends on what they find while exploring
Birth order: Walter, Gryffen, and Agnes
Siblings (describe relationship): Gryffen, Walter’s 17 year old brother that Walter loathes. Agnes, Walter’s almost 2 year old sister that Walter adores.
Spouse (describe relationship): None.
Children (describe relationship): None.
Grandparents (describe relationship): None.
Grandchildren (describe relationship): None.
Significant Others (describe relationship): Elizabeth from the brothel who becomes a siren after Walter’s brother tosses her overboard by the captains’ command.
Relationship skills: Communication and maturity.
Physical Characteristics
Height: 6 feet tall
Weight: 175 pounds
Race: White
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Brown
Glasses or contact lenses? Neither
Skin color: Tan
Shape of Face: Square
Distinguishing features: Dimples on both sides and a scar by left ear caused by a farming accident in his childhood
How does he/she dress? Knee length tunic, as most peasants in the time period dressed.
Mannerisms: Indecisive (typically pulling on his left ear that has the scar), Readiness, Evaluation.
Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.)
Health: Healthy except for a slight limp on his left side.
Hobbies: Reading the only book he owns which is The Canterbury Tales, praying the rosary as England was under the rule of Henry VII during the period and extremely Catholic, and fishing.
Favorite Sayings: calling people “bobolyne” which meant “fool” during the period or “lubberwort” which meant “lazy, stupid person”.
Speech patterns: Sometimes repetitive.
Disabilities: None unless you include the slight limp on his left side.
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.): Shabby since that is all he knows.
Greatest flaw: Lack of self-esteem and ability to second guess himself.
Best quality: His fire and determination to do right by his
family.
Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes
Educational Background: None, education was extremely rare for peasants but he was taught to read by a local priest during his childhood
Intelligence Level: low
Any Mental Illnesses? None but he does experience night terrors.
Learning Experiences: Reading from local priest and farm work from his father.
Character’s short-term goals in life: Get promoted at work on the caravel.
Character’s long-term goals in life: Take care of his family and try to get them out of poverty.
How does Character see himself/herself? He sees himself as nothing special.
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? He thinks that others see him as a lowlife because of his socioeconomic status.
How self-confident is the character? He isn’t.
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Ruled by religion.
What would most embarrass this character? Getting caught going against his religion.
Emotional Characteristics
Strengths/Weaknesses: Strengths include his honesty, gratitude, and leadership. His weakness includes being too blunt, lack of self-confidence, inability to take self-accountability sometimes, and night terrors.
Introvert or Extrovert? Extrovert.
How does the character deal with anger? He tends to throw things in anger.
With sadness? He shuts down and keeps to himself.
With conflict? He works hard to solve the conflict.
With change? He’s accepting to change.
With loss? He blames everyone else except himself.
What does the character want out of life? Adventure and success.
What would the character like to change in his/her life? His socioeconomic status.
What motivates this character? He wants to better his family.
What frightens this character? Failure.
What makes this character happy? Succeeding in his goals.
Is the character judgmental of others? No.
Is the character generous or stingy? Generous.
Is the character generally polite or rude? Polite most of the time.
Spiritual Characteristics
What are the character’s spiritual beliefs? Catholic, as that was the religion during the time.
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character’s life? Yes.
If so, what role does it play? He prays every night with his rosary, being religious gave him the ability to learn how to read, it influences a lot of his decisions, etc.
Ink and Crystals 