This is my preferred character sketch, the same one I include in my No Nonsense Novel Template. When sketching characters, I like less structure and fewer prescriptive fields concerning the character’s physical appearance and personality. Personally, I find Scrivener’s default sketch sheets superficial. An Alternative Character Sketch TemplateĪs you learn more about character sketches, you’ll probably want to customize your character sketch template and make it your own. I’ve since abandoned Scrivener’s defaults in favor of my own compilation, which follows. This sketch was created using the Character Sketch Template Sheet that comes with Scrivener. Here’s a screenshot of an individual sketch of one of my characters: You can also drag and drop photos into the Editor to accomplish the same task. To insert a photo inline with the text of your sketch, first click where you want the photo, and then go to Edit > Insert > Image from File… Change the Synopsis pane to take an image by using the switcher in the top right of the Synopsis frame (the little orange graphic with double arrows next to it in the screenshot below), then drag your image into the black image area where you can see the phrase “Drag an image file”:
To add a photo to a Character Sketch in Scrivener, open your character’s notecard and find the Notes pane of the Inspector.
#Character sketch free#
There are several excellent resources on the Internet to get free stock photos. Your story will evolve as you write, and so will your characters.įor the images, I’ve picked a few photos I found online. Remember that nothing about your planning or pre-production phase (to borrow a film term) is set in stone. If you can’t find photos for every character, that’s okay. By that point I have a more vivid image of the characters in my head. about twenty-five percent of the way through the first draft), I don’t need to look at the visuals at all. Having a photo in front of me makes writing about them easier, at first, because the photos jog my imagination. I go for visuals out of the gate, as it helps me ground my character in an image. Here’s the cast of characters from an early draft of my first novel: Or, right click on the folder you wish to add a new sketch to in the Binder, then go to Add > New From Template > Name of Your Template. In the Toolbar, click the arrow next to the Add button, go to New From Template, then click on the template you wish to create.
Now that you have your Template Sheets folder set up, you can generate character sketches by creating new files from the Template Sheets you’ve created.
Visualize Your Characters Using Scrivener’s Corkboard If not, you can make a Template Sheets folder by creating a new folder in the Binder, selecting it, and then from the Menu choosing Project > Set Selection as Templates Folder. If you started using one of their document templates, like the novel template that comes with Scrivener or my No Nonsense Novel Template, there should already be a Template Sheets folder in the your project document that looks like this screenshot: Scrivener has Template Sheets that make building out character sketches easy. Most importantly, use character sketches as a tool to discover your characters’ key motivations and goals, because they are the engine that drive your story forward. Their inner and external conflicts will be crucial to your story, so be sure to include those, too. You can type out their whole backstory or just the parts of the timeline that inform your character’s identity. It’s a place where you can freely experiment, where you can tell yourself who your characters are, how they look, and where they come from. Think of a character sketch as the rough draft of your character. They’re developed through character sketches, through the writing process itself, through lots feedback, and through diligent revision.
Creating compelling characters is a process of getting to know them and working to make them come to life.
#Character sketch mac#
(For the Mac version of this tutorial, click here.)
0 kommentar(er)
