How to Write a Character’s Origins?

Your Character is born in a Location.
This Location will define her Early Life.
This Early years will make the Character’s Progression more Immersive.

How do you depict them?

Summary – 5 steps to your Character’s Origins

Define the Theme your Character is translating.
Depict her Early Years.
Define how her Beliefs will lead her to her Goal.
Display how they affects her Behavior and how she builds Relationships.
Display how her Origins prepare her to face Crisis.

Your Character is an Individual.
Though, the more you draw your character, the more memorable she becomes.

Characters may be seen as Ideals.
You want to make them feel real, for other Characters, for the Public & for yourself.

Where was she Born?

Location
Where is this place located?
How far form Civilization is it?
How far from other Settlements is it?
In which type of Environment is it situated?
Is it situates in the Mountains?
Is it situates by the Mountains?
Is it situates in the Seas?
Is it situates in the Forests?

Resources
What were the Main resources of this location?
Which Resources are Unique to this location?
Are these resources still available?
Were they pillaged?
Were they exploited conscientiously?
How were they used?
How were they stocked?
If they are exhausted from this location today, Can they be found somewhere else?

Landmarks
Which Landmarks characterize this Location?
Which Symbols define this Location?
Did the Character appropriate these Symbols?
Does she wear/bear them?
Are these Landmark popular?
Even beyond the Location’s borders?
Which kind of Landmark is it?
How often did the Character went there?
What for?
Did she find a form of comfort therein?
Was she forced to frequent this Landmark?
Was she curious?
Did she have unanswered questions about this location?
Are they still unanswered?

Constrains
How was the Atmosphere of this Location?
How was the Climate?
What were the Meteorological Constrains?
What were the Food & Water Constrains?
What were the Geographical Constrains?
How did the Character endured these conditions?
What was the harshest for her?
What was the most difficult for her on a daily basis?
What did she lack the most of?
What did she wanted the most?
How did it affect her growth?

How was she Raised?

Education
What were the most important Lesson she learned?
How did she learn it?
What did she study?
How did it serve her?
How does it serve her?
Who instructed her?
How was she taught?
How was she trained?
How many hours a day did she study?
How many hours a day did she train?

Needs
How did her Education corelate with her Needs?
Could she work early?
How did she work?
Could she support herself?
Since when?
Who helped her?
Was this person a Relative?
Was she part of the same Species?
How was she helped?
How did she ensure her Satisfaction?
Did they enjoy each other?
Are they still together?
Were they separated?

Crisis
How were they Separated?
How Brutal was it?
How Violent was it?
Did the Character experience other trauma?
Which form of trauma?
How were they Hierarchized?

Milestones
How did the Character’s change?
- From her Infant state?
- From her Child state?
- From her Teen state?
What were the most important moment of her development?
How did they define her?
Does she bear souvenirs of these moments?

What’s her Objective?

The Evolution of your Character is conditioned by the Individuals she meets.

Evolution
Where does she wish to Go?
Why?
What is her Objective?
How did this Objective came to be?
Is it the Result of a Crisis?
How does it support her Growth?
When does the Character regress?
Why does she regress?
How is she in the Early Stages of the story?
How is she after each Crisis?
How is she in the Late Stages?
How is she in the Epilogue?

Relationship
Which kind of Relationship does she develop?
How does she develop them?
Which people does he meet?
With which people does she spend most of the time?
How Calm is she?
How Friendly is she?
What causes a strong reaction in her?
What’s the Origin of this reaction?

Series
How do you develop this Character in the Long run?
How do you create Relatability?
How do you create Likability?
What are her main Habits?
How does she start the day?
Does she have a favorite beverage?
How many times a day does she eat?
Does she nap?
How different are her Days from each other?
How often does she Travel?
Where?
What is she looking for in each of these locations?
How can you turn her Story into a Saga?

Where does she Start?

Location
Where does the Story begin?
Where does the Character need to begin the Story?
How do these answer corelate?
Why would the Character be there?
Which other Characters are present?
How do they behave towards one another?
What is their relationship with this Location?

Resources
What is Necessary for the Story to begin?
What does this Location offer?
What are this Location’s Quirks?
What are its Peculiarities?
Should we stay here?
Should we return here?
Who frequents this Location?
On a daily basis?
Why do they return?

Landmarks
What is the 1st place we should aim for?
Why do we need to get to this place?
What is prevalent in the Beginning of the Story?
How does it orient our Itinerary?
When do we arrive to this 1st Location?
What make this Location particular?
How Peculiar is it?
How popular is it?
Who Gathers therein?
What do people look for in this Location?
Why is it a Landmark?

Constrains
What will be the Harshest moments of the Story?
Why will they happen?
How will they happen?
What will cause Trouble to the Characters in the Beginning?
What will hinder them?

What does she Possess?

Her Ability to gather Resources will define her potential to manage Constrains.

Directions
Is the Storyline clear for the Character?
Does she know where she needs to go?
How can you help her?
Which Directions can you give her?
How can you make the path clearer?
How can you answer her Questions on the Story’s advancement?
Can you answer to these Questions?
Is the Story Progression clear for you?

Resources
What does she start with?
How can she use these Resources?
How can she capitalize on them?
How can she make them grow?
How does she Cope with these Resources?
How much does she Share?
How much does she Keep?
How much does she Need?
What does she like to Eat?
What’s her favorite dish?
When does she need to Rest?

People
How does she Communicate?
How does she speak?
How is her Pace?
Does she speak loudly?
Does she speak often?
What are her signature Words & Phrases?
How often does she repeat them?
In which situations?
Who did she learn them from?
Does she attract people easily?
How is her posture?
How is her Appearance?
What should she change?

Constrains
What will be the Character’s Daily issues?
How can she prevent them?
What can she do to reduce their impact?
How does she behave with Strangers?
Does she Plan often?
Does she Take Initiatives?
Is she Leading?
How does she behave during an Arbitrage?
How does she Improvise?
How does she Fight?
Does she need others help?
How does she cope with Handicap?
How does she cope with Survival?

What does she Need?

Location
Where will she Stay?
Does she need to share this Location with other people?
Where does she Work?
Why is this place appropriate to exercise her Profession?
Does she need to change of Location?
Does she need a more Comfortable Place?
Does she need a Safer Place?
Does she need to find a Place to Stay for Someone else?
Where should she Stay?
What does she need to Protect?

Resources
Where can she find the Information she needs?
What kind of Information is necessary?
What kind of Information is useless?
How can these Information help her take decisions?
Is she Honest?
Is she Parsimonious?

People
Which kind of People does the Character need?
How will her team be built?
How long will it take to build it?
How difficult will it be?
What is Crucial to her?
What is Unacceptable for her?
Who does she need to Protect?
Does she need to be Protected?
Is she Open?
Is she Flexible?

Constrains
How can the Character prevent Crisis?
How can the Character anticipate Crisis?
What does the Character do when confronted to a Crisis?
How does she face Enemies?
How does she Improvise?
How does she Fight?
Does she need others help?
How does she cope with Handicaps?
How does she assist the Protagonist?
How does she synergize her skill with the Protagonist’s?