How to Use a Simple Character Template to Breathe Life into Your Supernatural Cast

Create Kickass Three-Dimensional Characters

You’re writing a novel with a length approaching two hundred p.ages. Your hero, Pierce, is a vampire slayer trying to save his town from an army of vampires aiming to rule the world. But as you work through the story, you realize you don’t care about Pierce.

You send your first 150 pages to trusted friends and beta readers. Their feedback shocks you, they don’t care either. The story lacks interest and drive. What went wrong?

You reread your manuscript and see that Pierce feels flat. He’s drier than a drought in summer. He is not motivated or has feelings. He seems indifferent.

Pierce has a cool name, but that’s it.

He’s a basic guy in Phoenix. He plays with his car. He has a girlfriend named Chelsea. He hikes a lot. He works full-time at Walmart while she goes to college.

That’s their life. They have no dreams, and we don’t understand why they are together. We don’t know anything about Pierce’s family, either. If they matter, why not mention them?

Pierce is a guy taking up space in your story. Outside of his car, job, and hikes with Chelsea, there’s nothing else. When deadly vampires appear, he has no desire to fight them. He wants others to leave him alone. Let’s spark some motivation and see what happens.

Fired-Up Pierce

Pierce is a young, athletic guy. He works out three times a week he works at Walmart but hates his job. He dreams of owning a car shop like his dad, Joe, did.

He remembers sitting in his dad’s garage, getting his hands dirty under the hood of many cars. His dad would smile and say, “Kiddo, one day this can all be yours.”

Life was good for Pierce and Joe until one day, men in dark suits entered the garage. Pierce recalled their beady, red eyes. One had a clawed hand with rotting flesh.

Their long, glistening teeth showed a sinister smile. Young Pierce sensed something was wrong. His father begged them not to harm him in front of his son.

But one man twisted Joe’s neck. Pierce heard the bones crumble and saw blood spewing from his father’s lips. Joe collapsed; his pale blue eyes fixed on the sky without focus.

That moment haunted nine-year-old Pierce. Now, he was without a father, and his mother had died after his birth.

This powerful scene sets the stage for Pierce’s goals and fears. He fears losing anyone he loves. As he grows older, he struggles with relationships. Chelsea wants to talk about marriage, but Pierce is not ready. One day, he wakes up to find Chelsea gone. She leaves a note, saying she wants a family and has moved on. Furious, Pierce sets out to find her, only to discover she’s part of an evil cult. Determined to rescue her, he faces many dangers.

What’s Different?

The second version of Pierce is more developed and three-dimensional.

You see how his childhood shaped his reluctance to commit to relationships. This adds momentum to the story and keeps your readers on the edge of their seats. They will wonder:

What will happen to Chelsea?

Will they reunite?

Will Pierce realize he truly loves her?

The questions build as the plot and Pierce’s character develop.

So, what transforms Pierce from an average guy into a character readers care about? A solid character template. If you are writing a long story, you need to develop your characters. Without this, neither you nor your readers will care about them. A good character template can help.

What is a character template, and how do I use one?

The character template is a full biography. It offers key details about your character. The more detailed it is, the better your character will come to life. A character template consists of questions you should ask about your character.

Some writers interview their characters, while others answer the questions themselves. Either way is fine. The goal is to know how your character thinks. Think about their job, relationships, traits, and mental background.

By the end, you’ll have a character that is completely developed.

Refer to your character template during the story. It helps keep things consistent. For example, if you describe Pierce as having deep ocean blue eyes and wavy blonde hair on page three, don't later say he has brown hair on page twenty-five. A solid template ensures you keep everything aligned, so you know your character as well as your child.

Can you write a story without a template?

Yes, but you may end up with inconsistencies. If you call a character timid on page five, but they are outspoken on page fifteen, it's confusing. A good character template keeps you organized from the start. It eliminates the extra unnecessary edits that can be avoided.

My Process

Use Gemini or another service to generate character names.

I often use Gemini to generate five to ten names that fit my character and story. For example:

10 Vampire Slayer Character Names Provided by Gemini

In the past, I’ve used other name generators, but Gemini provides some unique options. While I know Vault doesn't promote AI, it can be useful for research.

Use Canva to create a character image

I love Canva for creating images for my Substack. I also use it to visualize my character. When I do this, I can imagine how they feel and what they might say. Canva requires a subscription, which costs $15 a month, but it’s worth it. I use its Dream Lab feature to generate an image of a male vampire slayer. Then I add this picture to my template to keep my character in mind.

Ask the questions in the template

Next, I ask the questions in my template. I look at my character and write down the answers they give me. Right now, I’m using Novel Crafter, which is great for writers. If you use this service or a similar one, you can take your character’s answers. Then, you can add them to your character sketch outline.

Customized Template

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