FREE Character Toolkit: https://www.sophiachang.com/character

I hate character sheets.

Okay, I hate this writing advice.

Character sheets as step one is dead wrong and I’m going to tell you what Hollywood actors actually do to find the heart of a character fast.

*No character sheets were harmed in the making of this episode.

If your characters feel flat, sound the same, or read like a Tindr dating profile—it's time to build from the inside out.

Best Quotes:

"No one’s going to be moved to tears in the audition room because I wrote down the astrological sign of a character on a character sheet."

"You can list the character's wounds all you want. You can list the character's needs. But until you fully dig into that and understand what it really means, it’s just going to be a Tinder profile. And we know how much we like those."

"I hate this advice not because character sheets are bad. I think that they're very useful, but only if you do it at the right time. You should not be filling out a character sheet as your step one."

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why plotters AND pantsers both get character sheets wrong
• What Hollywood actors do to find a character fast that don’t involve knowing her favorite ice cream flavor
• The character-building approach most writing coaches get backwards
• FREE cheat sheet with two actor-based exercises to try right now

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 Worst Writing Advice on Character

00:25 Why I Hate Character Sheets

01:42 Why Hollywood Actors Do Character So Well

02:58 Lights, Camera, Character!

03:48 When SHOULD You Use Character Sheets?

🎬 Want to try these techniques yourself?Grab the FREE Character Cheat Sheet — both actor-based exercises, complete walkthrough, just 4 pages

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE: https://www.sophiachang.com/character

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Sophia Chang is a Reese's Book Club LitUp fellow, disabled dancer, and extroverted writer. She hosts The Sophia Chang Show podcast where she shares No B.S. publishing stories and advice she wishes she'd known. Subscribe if you don't want to cry alone. Learn more at: www.sophiachang.com

I edit and produce everything myself, no team. Help me keep creating: ☕ BUY ME A BOBA https://ko-fi.com/sophiachang

TOPICS: character development, character sheets, writing advice, writing craft, Hollywood acting techniques, character motivation, Book Finisher Summit, inside-out character building, Asian American author, traditional publishing, writing community