Question to the Writers [Continued]: Knowing Your Main Characters -- How Much is Too Much?

Okay, so I got some really interesting answers from you guys in my last post when I asked about knowing your characters, be it origfic or fanfic. In that post, I mentioned the character analysist sheet from The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1942. Here it is, in its entirety. How do you feel about this? Too much? Too . . . inconsequential? Again, this isn't for every character in your story, rather, just the main characters [maybe secondary, depending on how integral to the plot they are--Ie. Xander and Wilow for BtVS, or Ron and Hermione in HP].

Physiology

• 1. Sex


• 2. Age


• 3. Height and weight


• 4. Color of hair, eyes, skin


• 5. Posture


• 6. Appearance (over or under-weight, clean, untidy)


• 7. Defects (abnormalities, birthmarks, diseases)


• 8. Heredity

Sociology

• 1. Class: lower, middle, upper


• 2. Occupation: job, hours, income, working conditions, attitude toward organization, suitability


• 3. Home life: parents living or dead, separated or divorced; parents’ habits, mental development and vices, character’s marital status


• 4. Religion


• 5. Race, nationality


• 6. Place in community


• 7. Political affiliations


• 8. Amusements, hobbies

Psychology

• 1. Sex life, moral standards


• 2. Persona premise, ambition


• 3. Frustrations, chief disappointments


• 4. Temperament (easygoing, pessimistic, optimistic)


• 5. Attitude toward life: resigned, militant, defeatist


• 6. Complexes: obsessions, inhibitions, superstitions, phobias


• 7. Extrovert, introvert, (or both)


• 8. Abilities (talents, languages spoken)


• 9. Imagination, judgment, taste, poise


• 10. I.Q.

Oh, and I've no ulterior motive in asking these, I'm just generally interested in how my friends write. If I've friended you, and you're a writer of any sort, then it's probably because I like what you write. Probably a lot. So . . . this is just me, trying to get to know you a bit more, in my own weird way. ♥