The Character Study

You are the author, and the protagonist is you. Check what fits, cross out what doesn't, then write in your own.

Describe your protagonist as if a reader has never met them — what they're capable of, what holds them back, and who they're about to become.

Part One

The Setting

The daily world this character wakes into. Tick the pressures and surroundings that are true right now.

A demanding job or school A busy or crowded household Financial pressure Caretaking someone else Isolation, few people around Constant noise and stimulation A place in transition High expectations from others

In my own words

Part Two

The Orientation

What drives this character. Check what they most want — and what they most fear.

My driving question

Part Three

Optimized For

Who this character is on autopilot — the defaults that get rewarded in their world.

In my own words

Part Four

Allowed To

The permissions this character grants themselves. Tick the ones that already feel true.

In my own words

Part Five

Not Allowed To

The invisible fences. Tick the rules this character lives under — then ask which are real and which are just old code.

Which of these are actually real?

Part Six

The Old & The New

Same character, two versions. On the left, who they've been — honestly, without contempt. On the right, who they're developing toward.

The Old

The New