How to Design a Romance Character Fast
Romance writers: if you’ve ever stared at a blank page wondering how to design a compelling hero or heroine without overthinking every detail, this post is for you.
Today I’m letting you take a peek inside my process. This is exactly how I craft a character out of thin air.
When it’s time to come up with a fresh book idea, there are a lot of elements that go into it. There are the tropes and plot points, scene ideas I know I want to include, and, if it’s a next book in a series, there are details that also need to be included in the next book for continuity purposes. (What do you mean he had only one eyebrow in book one, but in book two he has both?)
But for a plot to work, character must work. And before character works, you have to have clarity.
At the beginning it can be overwhelming to make decisions about every single part of a character. Sometimes you just need a starting point. A place to jot down those first thoughts about a character and the story idea you’re contemplating. At this stage, an exhaustive list that includes favorite foods, pet peeves, or their biggest regret in life might be too overwhelming. If you are in need of a list of prompts to help jumpstart your book, I’ve got you covered.
That jumping off point is a form I call: the Quickie Sheet.
The Quickie Sheet gives me juuuust enough prompts to start the ball rolling on plot, character, and the elements I know I want in my story. These include the basic character descriptors such as age, eye color, and hair color. I also write out any relevant current details such as living situation (apartment? house? roommate?) and education (did they go to college?) Once the basics are out of the way, I also like to outline important story elements such as what time of the year the story takes place (Christmas? Spring Break?) and a location for my story—on a lake in Ohio, or in a penthouse in Chicago?
The goal is momentum, not perfection. You don’t need a 20-page dossier. You need clarity on who this person is and what emotional direction the story is moving in.
What kind of hero do you want to write? Is he grumpy? A playboy? A billionaire? A bad boy? (If you’re unsure, start with one of my go-to hero archetypes. Your hero may fall into one of my favorite categories.)
What situations are you most excited to write about? A reunion? One night stand? Destination wedding?
Who are you patterning your characters after? A celebrity or model? Or are they made up in your head? You can either start here, with an idea of what your characters look like, or you can end here. After you have filled out your Quickie Sheet, you can take those choices to Pinterest and begin building your world visually.
If your hero still feels flat after this stage, you may need to dig deeper into his internal conflict and deepest desire. (Read: How to Uncover Your Main Character’s Deepest Desire.)
There is no wrong way to build characters, plot, and setting. Just find what works for you. What I know about my method is that elements of my characters emerge as the I write the story. If I try and hammer out every detail before I start writing, I feel bored because there are no surprises, or overwhelmed because I can’t remember the 100 things I decided about them at the start. For this reason, the Quickie Sheet is my first stop.
Think of the Quickie Sheet as Stage One in your character development process. Archetype and vibe first. Emotional wound and transformation next.
You can pick up a download of the Quickie Sheet in my Shop. It includes pages for character #1, character #2 and I have even included a character without a number in case you have to print multiple blank sheets. The download is yours forever, and you can reprint it as often as you like.
If you want a fast, low-cost way to design romance characters without spiraling into overthinking, the Quickie Sheet is your starting point.
Now you’ll never be at a loss for a place to start when designing your characters!
