1. Real time Character Build
11 March 2025
Alison Rocket Ross
Let’s go through my process of building characters. I’ll start from scratch, see it where it takes us.
I normally wouldn’t start building a character until I have a story, so this is going to be a new exercise for me.
I like to think of age first. Thirty-five is a cool age, leaves open plenty of possibilities. So…
35 year old male. Before we get into what he looks like, let’s name him.
Naming is often a struggle. I can’t say how many times I’ve written scripts with “WOMAN” or “PERSON AT THE HOT DOG STAND” well into late stage drafts.
For this particular exercise, let’s call him Aaron.
35 year old man called Aaron. Great.
I’m finding this tricky without a story or a goal. Let’s try to hydrate this character and see what comes out.
Aaron is…
He needs a job with skills that can be used to go on some sort of adventure. Or a job that bores the hell out of him. Or one that he loves so much he’d do anything to keep.
For this particular character, I’d like him to be average. Have an average job that teaches him things that allow him to be/become extraordinary.
THE DOZENS
12 Possibilities of a career for Aaron.
Landscaper — Understands how plants grow, trained in gardening equipment, works entire neighborhood, no one would think twice about seeing him in someone’s yard.
Manager at Best Buy — has knowledge of tech, knows purchasing patterns, is a good salesman
Dog Walker — has the keys to people’s homes, good with animals, understands the habits of people in the neighborhood
Customer Support — is trained in de-escalation, good troubleshooter, knows all the flaws in the products
Bartender — Great under pressure, charismatic, good mutlitasker, people tell him their secrets
Bouncer — can see signs of aggression, has a good sense of clientele, sensitive to shifts in mood/vibe, probably fairly strong
Nurse — medical training, ability to talk to and comfort people, can act fast and keep thier head in an emergency
Black Jack Dealer — good at reading people, quick hands, gets to see the darker side of people
Bank Teller — access to financials, good with handling money, works in a secure building
Construction Worker — skilled laborer, it’s a physical job so he’d be fairly strong, intimate knowledge of the city and what the structures are made of
Beer Vendor — drives a large vehicle, goes store to store, has knowledge about the specific product and pricing
Food Safety Inspector — knowledge of food safety regulations, intimate knowledge of the inner workings of kitchens, knowledge of chemicals and other harmful substances
Ok, so that’s twelve. I’m currently leanding towards food safety inspector, but I haven’t decided. I’m going to let it cook for the night and we’ll see what we come with tomorrow.
I’ll keep rolling with this same character until we have enough to fill in a proper character sheet. And who knows? Maybe we’ll write a whole feature out of it.
That’s it for now.
Love, Rocket