Playwriting - Part 4C - Character Biographies, The Family Situation

When creating your characters, it is important to know how the other characters perceive them. I used the phrase "external world" in my last post about physical characteristics. This is because physical characteristics are part of how other characters perceive a character.

There are important details that others will use to perceive a character just like people perceive others in real life. The reasons that these are external are that they are the things seen or known by others.

Give details about the character's family. Are the mother and father alive? How old are they? Did they die? When did they die? What is the relationship that the character has or had with his or her parents? Does the character have siblings? What are their ages? What are the relationships like?

What about other relatives? How does the family function? Do people find them "normal"? Dysfunctional? Is there something unusual about the family?

Is the character married or does he or she have any romantic relationships? If there is a relationship, how do the people get along? Does the character have children? What about the relationshp between the children and the character?

Does the character have a sex life? Is there a certain way this is perceived by a partner or partners or others? What about close friends or extended family?

All of these details are things that can help you in your writing. These are most likely even more important than your physical characteristics because you will get a sense of your character. However, some people may not feel that way. Some people get frustrated when there are no physical characteristics for a character given. They find knowing age and looks important even if the actors that end up playing the characters don't match the descriptions.