creating a charcater

Creating a Character
Question Sheet

When creating a character, there are many questions that need to be answered
in order to develop a strong well rounded character with anchors.

An anchor is a physical trait that an actor uses to define the character.
An example would be Laura from The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams.
In the story, Laura has a limp, which slows her down when she walks.
Another example could be a nervous person who tries to show confidence,
but can not keep his leg from shaking.

To aid in strengthening a character, answer the following questions about the character:

Physical Qualities

1. Who am I?
2. Who am I named after? Do I like my name?
3. What is my sex? Male or Female?
4. How old am I? What do I think of my age?
5. How does my posture express my age, health, and inner feeling?
6. How is my complexion? What do I think of it?
7. What is my height? What do I think of it?
8. What is my weight? What do I think of it?
9. What is the pitch, volume, tempo, resonance, or quality of my voice? What do I think of it?
10. Is my articulation careless or precise? Is my articulation standard or colloquial? Do I have a dialect?
11.What is my hair color and style? Do I like it?
12. Do I have any deformities? What do I think of them?
13. Do I have any mannerisms? What do I think of them?
14. Do I have any handicaps? What do I think of them?
15. How energetic or vital am I? Do I like it?
16.Do I suffer from any diseases past or present?
17. Are my gestures complete or incomplete, vigorous or weak, compulsive or
     controlled?
18. Do I like my walk?
19. How do I sit?
20. How do I stand?
21. Do I have any objects with me? How do I handle them?
22. Is my basic rhythm jerky or smooth, impulsive or deliberate, heavy or light, broken or
      continuous?
23. What do I like to wear? What do I have to wear? How do I wear my clothes? How do
      I handle them?
24. Do I carry any accessories or hand props? Why?
25. How do each of these physical traits affect my manner of movement and manner of
       speaking?

Social Qualities

1. What time do I wake up each morning? What time do I go to bed?
2. What is my relationship to my environment? Do I like it?
3. What is my educational background? How much discipline was I subjected to? How
    intelligent am I?
4. What was my childhood like? What are my stronger memories?
5. How much money do I have? How much do I want?
6. What is my nationality? What do I think of it?
7. What is my occupation? Do I like it? What other jobs have I had? When and why did I
     choose this one?
8. What are my political attitudes?
9. Am I religious?
10. Whom would I choose to be if I could be anyone else?
11. Did I have any childhood heroes? What did I like about them?
12. Do I like members of the opposite sex? What do I like about them?
13. Who were my parents? What do I like about them? What do I dislike about them?
     What can I still hear them saying to me?
14. Do I like my family? What do I like? What do I dislike about them?
15. How has my mother influenced me? How has my father influenced me?
16. What do I think of my brothers and sisters? Do I have any brothers or sisters?
17. What was my favorite fairy tale? Why?
18. Who are my friends? Who are my enemies? How can I tell if someone is a friend or
     an enemy?
19. What ideas do I like? What ideas do I dislike?
20. What is my favorite animal? Why? If I could be any animal, what animal would I be?

Final Question:
What are my three physical anchors?
1.
2.
3.