How to Write a Fantasy Novel that Sells: The Character Outline

This is the 9th article in a series on how to write a fantasy novel that sells.

We’ve seen how you can develop basic character ideas and then basic story ideas to get your fantasy novel off the ground.  Now it’s time to figure out how we can make each of those characters from the basic outline more fleshed out, detailed, and real.

I like to create a detailed character outline for my fantasy novels for the simple reason that it allows me to keep track.  I followed this route with The Jongurian Mission and the other two books that followed.  Oftentimes when you’re writing a fantasy novel you’ll find that you have a lot of characters.  This becomes especially true if you’re writing a trilogy. 

Each of those characters will have a certain look, unique mannerisms, and distinct motivations.  I read in an interview with George R.R. Martin that one of the biggest problems he has is keeping the eye color of his characters straight.  I can understand why that would be a problem; who can remember eye color when there are so many more important things to keep track of?  But many of your readers will notice, and perhaps point those errors out to you, if not complain outright.

Basics of Your Fantasy Character Outline

That’s why a character outline is a good idea for your fantasy novel.  Here are a few things that I usually put for each character in my fantasy character outline:

• Basics:  These will be things like name, where they’re from, age, and similar items.  You’ll usually remember these for your main characters, but when it comes to all the secondary characters that might only appear a few times in a book, it’s hard to keep track.
  

• Appearance:  Probably the single biggest reason I go back to my character outline is to see what a character looked like.  I list things like eye color, hair color, general height, usual clothes color and style, distinctive features like scars or facial hair, and anything else that might help me describe them quickly in dialogue or another area of the story.
  

• Motivations:  Each time I outline a character I’ll list down why they’re in the story.  What is it that brought them into my story, and what do they hope to get out of it?  What are their main goals, motivations, fears, and desires?  What do they want, and what do they need?
  

All of those simple points will help get you started, and I know from my own experience that they’ll probably help you once you’re well into your story.

Below is what I did to outline in detail the characters in my fantasy novel:

To Baden

• Bryn Fellows
• A young peasant from the province of Tillatia.  He’s recently been summoned to the capital of Plowdon to learn from his uncle, Halam Fiske.  Headstrong, eager to learn, and un-traveled, Bryn is wide-eyed toward the world, each experience being something new.
• At above-average height, with short-cropped brown hair and a slight build, though well-muscled from countless hours of exertion in the outdoors, Bryn Fellows could, at the same instant, strike an imposing figure, but also one of quiet composure.  He was still quite young, only fourteen summers now, but a lifetime of struggling against both the elements thrown at him by nature and those by men’s demands had given him an outlook and wisdom beyond his years.
• Halam Fiske
• Halam is the uncle of Bryn, and also the younger brother of Trun Fiske.  He left home to fight in the East-West War after the conflict had already seen five years of fighting.  He was stationed at the captured city of Bindao, and fought for five years.  On his return to Adjuria he fought in the Adjurian Civil War, and led a successful charge at the Battle of Baden which proved decisive for the Culdovian cause.  Afterward he was appointed a government position in the provincial capital of Plowdon.
• Taller than Bryn by a hand, Halam was also a bit wider around the waist, no doubt from the amount of time he sat at his desk, papers strewn before him.  His arms were still thick from years in the field with his brother growing up, but he lacked the sun-baked lines which his brother possessed from doing that work still.  His short brown hair, balding on top, with the finely-trimmed beard of the same color covering his face, was just as Bryn remembered, although now going grey around the chin and sides.
• Trun Fiske
• The uncle of Bryn Fellows, who lives on a small Eston farm in the Tillatia province.  He is the older brother of Halam Fiske.  Trun left Eston at the start of the East-West War and fought for ten years along the Baishur River.  On his return to Adjuria unharmed, he then fought in the Adjurian Civil War, suffering a permanent wound to his right leg at the Battle of Baden.  Afterward he went back to the family farm in Eston.
• Whereas Halam had a sizeable girth around his midsection, however, this man was rail-thin, and possessed none of the muscled arms or legs like those of the rider Bryn sat behind.  His skin was well-tanned from countless hours under the sun, and his hands were strong and rough from working the land.  He was clean-shaven, with long, grey sideburns stretching the length of his face.  Large, bushy grey eyebrows jutted from under his round straw hat.  He is nearly bald with grey tufts of hair on his sides.
• Lily – Bryn’s Mother
• Shep – Bryn’s Father
• Rodden Stor
• A provincial trade official based in Plowdon who accompanies Halam and Bryn to Baden
• Rodden was a tall man, taller than Halam by a hand or more when he was standing tall and straight, as he was now, a great change from the initial sight of him stooped over his desk.  His hair was blonde but going to grey and cut very short, so that it stood up strait on top of his head.  His arms and legs were long and wiry and he was also very thin, possessing none of the muscles of Halam, nor the large belly.  He was dressed in a tight-fitting brown linen doublet with long sleeves, and matching leggings. 
• Juniper
• Halam’s horse
• Ash
• Bryn’s horse
• Brick
• Rodden’s horse
• Orin Dale
• Minister from Tillatia who resides in Baden year-round administering to court business.  He is a short man, with a bulging belly and thinning white hair, but with large bushy sideburns.  He is in his mid-sixties, and exhibits a jovial, but absentminded demeanor, although he is quite smart.
• Connor Morn
• Captain of the king’s guards.  He is in charge of security at the royal palace, which has been increased due to the important delegates to the trade conference.
• Tullin Atow
• Advisor to the King who speaks at the opening of the trade conference and introduced each of the delegates to the hall.  He has dark hair showing signs of grey at the temples, and a calm visage.
• Mito Durin
• A noble from Culdovia chosen as an advisor to the king and well-known and trusted at court.  He is rather stern looking, with a wrinkled face and gray hair, and a long scar down his left cheek from the eye to the chin, which causes his mouth to slant downward on that side of his face in a perpetual frown.  Mito saw action in the East-West War and the Civil War.
• Del Hoff
• Captain of the Silent Bard, a fishing boat which trawls the King’s Lake and the King’s River.  He is a short squat man.  He wore a dark blue boot-coverall combination that Bryn had seen in the storefronts leading to the docks with a grey cotton shirt underneath sporting numerous stains.  His face sported a half-week’s worth of stubbly beard of dark grey with patches of white around the chin and ears.  His grey hair was bunched up under a dirty blue cap which was pulled down close to his small brown eyes.  His nose was crooked and looked to have been broken half-a-dozen times, and a pipe smoked from between his thick chapped lips.
• Cren Hoff
• Dell Hoff’s son and the first mate of the Silent Bard. 
• Edgyn’s Crew – All are well-muscled and wear tight-fitting woolen shirts and trousers of light blues and grays.  Most sport either a mustache or a goatee
• Sam
• He had dirty-blonde hair and small scar under his right eye
• Killed in the Jongurian tent
• Flint
• Dilon – Killed on the hillside in Jonguria
• Fess – Died at Wen’s cottage from wounds sustained in Jongurian camp
• Trey
• Jal
• Conn – Killed in the Oval
• Yuan Jibao
• Eastern imperial representative and trade delegate on the island of Nanbo.  Holds an unfavorable view toward Adjuria.
• A large man sat in it, a long pipe clamped tightly between his teeth.  He had dark, oily black hair, a thin black mustache and several long hairs on his chin which dangled down, although there were not nearly enough to qualify it as a beard.  He had the same small facial features as the other Jongurians, but whereas they were small of body, this man was large.  He had massive arms and a belly which stretched out far in front of him.  His shirt was a dark blue, though faded by the sun, and he wore an equally faded grey vest over it.  Both were covered in ash from the pipe he smoked.
• Jurin Millos
• A mysterious Westerner who now resides in Jonguria.  He is a warrior of great skill, utilizing styles from both continents. 
• His hair was brown and long, tied in a topknot and spilling down past his shoulders.  He was clean shaven, but had many small scars spread around his face and another larger one around his throat where it had obviously been slit sometime in the past.  They only added to his mysterious aura.  His eyes were small and brown and piercing. 
• Wen Wubai
• A mysterious old man living in Jonguria.  He exhibits the skills of both a great warrior, but also those of a learned scholar.
• At first Bryn thought the man must be in his late-sixties or early-seventies judging by the whiteness of his hair which hung down past his shoulders, but his face also possessed a smoothness indicative of a much younger man.  A large white mustache grew between his small nose and lips, the ends of which hung down in long strands well past his chin.  He wore dun-colored pants and shirt made of wool with a thicker vest that was darker in color.

In Jonguria

• Zhou Lao
• A rebel mercenary group captain in Jonguria.  He fights against the imperial government in the Pudong province, but has the support of some members of the imperial court, unbeknownst to the Emperor
• It was obvious that Zhao was tall even sitting.  He had broad shoulders and a thick neck, and the body under his close-fitting tunic and shirt were obviously well-muscled.  His black hair was tied in a neat top-knot and allowed to cascade down to the back of his neck.  Leisu knew that what made Grandon jump for a moment, however, was not Zhao’s body, but his face.  A long scar ran from the top of Zhao’s head above the forehead and all the way down his face.  It ran through the left eyebrow, shearing it in two, where it vanished behind a large eye-patch that covered Zhao’s left eye.  The scar resumed its course along his cheek before disappearing off of his face an inch away from his pointed chin.  Zhao had fitted his eye-patch with a large emerald which nearly matched his right eye in both color and shape.  It was rare for Jongurians to have any other eye color than black or brown, and that sight alone was unnerving.  But to now stare at another green eye of sorts on the patch of his missing eye made Zhao both intimidating and fearful to look upon.  Leisu knew that there were few men who were able to even meet his frightful gaze, let alone hold it. 
• Hui
• Man who hunted Adjurians into hills, reports, then tracks them to Waigo
• Hu, Jin – Two men killed by the Adjurians in the hills
• Xu – Man who recruits more Waigo men for Leisu after warehouse battle
• Liu – Leader of the Waigo forces hired by Leisu with Xu’s help

Trade Council in Baden

• Jocko More – Shefflin representative
• Interested in opening up trade to secure markets in Jonguria with which to supply Shefflin steel. 
• Jocko was too young to fight in the East-West war, but took part in the Adjurian Civil War, fighting in the Shefflin wing of the allied armies against the usurpers at Baden.
• Jocko is in his mid-thirties, but is trim and athletic.  He has a light, rather high-pitched voice, and is quick to smile, flashing his bright white teeth.  His apparently weak demeanor belies a fiercely fast fighting style.
• He has jet-black hair, which he oils to a constant sheen, and sports a large mustache, the ends of which he keeps waxed to sharp points.  He favors deep black and purple colors in his clothing, and will tend to wear matching coat and pants. 
• He wears long black boots that reach to his knees, and keeps a dagger concealed in the right one.  He likes to wear a sword of Shefflin steel on his belt, the pommel of which is etched with the Shefflin insignia of an anvil over an orange flame.
• Andor Flin - Oschem representative
• He is interested in finding new buyers for the province’s handicrafts and mineral wealth. 
• Andor did not fight in the East-West war, using his family connection to remain in Adjuria, and neither did he participate in the Civil War.
• Andor is a wealthy nobleman in his mid-sixties.  He has a deep, throaty voice, which he puts to good use when making demands at the dining table.  He has his position on the council due to family connections, and has no real work experience.
• He has white hair on the sides and back of his head, but is bald on top.  He has large, bulging blue eyes, a small mouth enclosed by large jowls, and a big round nose.  He is a very short and fat man.
• Andor likes to wear light tan clothing, accented with shades of green.  Most of his clothes, although tailored, are ill-fitting, as he is constantly gaining or losing weight. 
• Andor likes to carry a large dagger with a gold-inlay hilt on his belt bearing the insignia of Oschem, a dusty plain near a sandy desert.
• Fryst Bahn - Hotham representative
• He wants to open trade to the mineral wealth of Hotham. 
• Fryst fought in the East-West War, taking part in the battles of Bindao.  During the Adjurian Civil War he fought in the Hotham wing of the usurper army, but did not push his troops to fight aggressively as he did not agree with the cause.
• Fryst is a former miner in his early-forties.  He is soft-spoken, but his voice can become forceful when he needs to get his way.  Having worked in the mines of Hotham, Fryst understands the needs of his province and its workers well, and tends to look down on those of higher station with no real-world experience.
• He has long dark brown hair which goes half-way down his back, tied in a ponytail.  He likes to wear rough homespun clothing which is often dirty.  He does not wear the insignia of Hotham, a miner’s pick dangling icicles.
• Fryst carries a small mining pick at his belt.
• Klyne Surin - Allidian representative
• Klyne has a deeply resonant voice from yelling commands on his fishing boat on the Bargoes Lake for many years.  He is now in his late-thirties.  He is to secure new trade agreements for the wood and lake goods of the province.
• Klyne fought at the tail-end of the East-West War, taking part in the ‘Breakout’ campaign on the Isthmus.  He went by sea to Ximen, but was forced back from Waigo.  During the Civil War he fought with the Allidian-wing of the usurper army, and led a successful charge on the first day’s fighting, but was repulsed on the second, suffering a serious injury which resulted in him losing his right arm up past his elbow.
• Klyne has a tall, muscular build, although now that he does not work on fishing boats any longer, he is building a bit of a gut. 
• Klyne still keeps himself in good shape, and under his slight frame is tough muscle.  He favors dark brown clothing accented with white which fits him well. 
• He carries a small hatchet on his belt sheathed in leather, which sports the insignia of Allidia, a large pine tree towering over a lake.
• Dolth Hane – Equinian representative
• Dolth is in his early-thirties, and has a loud echoing voice.  He has worked with horses his whole life, and was chosen to the council because of his knowledge of the provinces livestock.  He wants to open trade to get rid of the excess livestock in the province.
• Dolth missed out on the East-West War, but was eager to join the Adjurian Civil War with the Equinia-wing of the usurper army.  He fought boldly during the three days, his unit seeing much action.
• Dolth is of medium height with short, close-trimmed blonde hair.  He wears snug leather pants and coat dark brown in color.  When on official business he will bear the insignia of Equinia, a horse running across the plains.
• He carries a whip at his belt.
• Iago Cryst – Mercentian representative
• Iago is in his early-fifties and has a deep-voice.  He is a leading instructor in the foremost Mercentian military-training school.  His province wants to sell more weapons to Jonguria, although Iago himself still does not trust them.
• He was one of the first Adjurians to arrive at the Baishur River in Jonguria during the East-West War.  During the Adjurian Civil War he fought in the Mercentian-wing of the allied army, his unit proving pivotal in the second day of fighting.
• He is in very good shape for his age, bulging chords of muscle pressing against his tight clothing.  He wears a studded-leather jerkin, and thick leather breeches.
• He was by far the tallest of the delegates that had been introduced thus far, Bryn realized as he looked at the large man.  He was in his early-fifties, and was in amazing shape for his age.  Not an ounce of fat could be seen from beneath his white cotton shirt and brown studded-leather jerkin; the only protrusions were deep chords of muscles along his arms and legs.  Even his neck was heavily muscled.  Iago’s eyes were deep blue, his nose and mouth prominent.  A large scar ran straight down the length of his left cheek, while another crossed diagonally along his right.  His right eyebrow was split in two by a scar running from below his eye to his forehead.
• Iago wears a long sword sheathed at his belt with an ornate steel and ivory hilt, which bears the Mercentian insignia of a sword and shield.
• Whent Auro – Montino representative
• Whent has a deep voice, although he is very soft-spoken, only raising his voice to calm a situation when others begin to argue.  He is in his late-sixties, the oldest representative to the council.
• Whent did not participate in the East-West War, as was the custom of most Montinos.  He was a leading voice in putting down the Regidian usurpation of the throne, which directly led to the Adjurian Civil War.  He led the Montino-wing of the allied army.
• Whent worked the mines in Montino in his youth, before becoming active in civil affairs in his later years.  He is not interested in trading with Jonguria, or even with the rest of the Adjurian provinces.  No one expected a Montino representative to appear, in fact.
• He is a remarkably slim man for his age, of medium-height, and still possesses a full head of rich grey hair and a beard covering much of his face.  He has small green eyes that often look tired, a small round mouth, and small nose.  His cheekbones jut out prominently.
• Whent wears a thick grey wool coat trimmed with mountain goat hair, and pants of the same.  He keeps a dagger at his belt, bearing the insignia of Montino, an ice-capped mountain, but favors the short bow.
• Millen Fron – Fallownian representative
• Millen is in his early-forties and has a soft voice.  He has spent his life working one of the largest family farms in the province.  He looks forward to new markets in Jonguria for Fallownian grain.
• Millen fought along the Baishur River at the close of the East-West War, seeing little action.  During the Adjurian Civil War he joined the allied army, and fought in the Duldovian-wing, seeing heavy action all three days.
• Millen wears a loose cotton coat and breeches of light grey.  He has short brown hair and a small beard under his mouth, but no sideburns or mustache.  He has a large mouth and nose, and penetrating green eyes.  He does not usually wear the insignia of Fallownia, a wavy field of grain.
• Millen does not carry a weapon.
• Killed on the hillside in Jonguria
• Edgyn Thron – Portinian representative
• He is the captain of a large ship that made trade runs to Jonguria before the war.  He is in his late-fifties and has a deep voice.  He wants to begin shipping the country’s goods once again.
• Edgyn led supply ships to the troops at the seized city of Bindao during the East-West War, and fought in several naval engagements against enemy forces.  During the Adjurian Civil War he remained neutral, but sympathized with the allied-cause.
• Edgyn is quick to smile and laugh.  He has a large mouth framed by a dark goatee, and has a small nose.  His hair is dark, and combed back. 
• Edgyn likes to wear a loose-fitting cotton shirt, usually light brown or white, and simple sailing pants. 
• He wears a cutlass at his belt, although he does not wear the insignia of Portinia, a ship anchored at dock.
• Killed in a sea battle with two Jongurian ships.
• Palen Biln – Ithmian representative
• Palen is in his early-fifties with a deep voice which he uses rarely.  He attended the council only to show that Ithmia stands with Adjuria, although they do no trade with the provinces, supporting themselves through farming and livestock on their own.  He is one of the ranking members of the garrison at Fadurk which guards the Isthmus.
• Palen held the garrison at Fadurk during the East-West War, and led the units of the ‘Breakout’ campaign that stormed over the Isthmus.  He made it to Waigo, was repulsed, and had to go back across the Isthmus on foot.  He still blames himself for that defeat.  He took no part in the Adjurian Civil War.
• Palen is a serious man who rarely smiles.  He has a small mouth, small nose, and a rather gaunt face.  He is clean shaven and has short-cropped blonde hair.  His eyes are a light grey.
• He wears the garrison uniform of Fadurk, dark-brown leather with green trim and the insignia of Ithmia, a single castle tower on yellow sand with water on each side.  He wears a steel breastplate and greaves.
• He carries a longsword at his belt.
• Jossen Fray - Regidian representative
• He is in his early-fifties, and has a deep voice.  He wants to open relations with Jonguria, not for new markets for Regidian goods, but because the two nations have been too long without relations.
• Jossen fought at Bindao during the East-West War, but was called back to Adjuria early by his family to begin taking the process of taking the throne.  He was a leading figure in the cause of the Adjurian Civil War, and led the Mercentian-wing of the usurper army, but suffered a devastating defeat on the second day, sustaining several injuries.
• He and Halam have a disputatious relationship stemming from the Adjurian Civil War.  They met at the Battle of Baden, although the details of this encounter are known only to them.
• Jossen is shorter than average, and has a sneering mouth, which will twist into a cunning smile.  He has small, dark eyes and a small nose.  His hair is jet black and he wears a goatee. 
• Jossen favors black clothing of leather and wool, with orange trimming. 
• He carries a dirk on his belt, possessing an ornate hilt and sheath emblazoned with the insignia of Regidia, three large oak trees.
• Pader Brun - Culdovian representative
• He is in his early-forties, is soft-spoken, but can be commanding in speech.  He favors a renewed trade relationship, but has some reservations about how eager the other provinces are.
• Pader did not fight in the East-West War, but did lead a detachment in the allied-army during the Adjurian Civil War.
• Pader is tall, but has put on weight as he’s gotten older.  He has a square jaw, ruddy cheeks, and a thin mustache which he keeps close-trimmed.  His hair is a dirty-blonde. He has light blue eyes.
• He favors wearing loose wool cotton clothing of a light blue color.
• He does not carry a weapon.
• Willem Pritt – Duldovian representative
• He is in his late-forties, and is more apt to listen than speak.  He thinks trade with Jonguria a good idea, but is also concerned with the clamor of the provinces for it.
• Willem ran supplies to the Baishur River during the East-West War and fought several naval battles.  During the Adjurian Civil War he led the Duldovian-wing of the allied army, and led the successful charges on the third day which ended the Battle of Baden.
• He is of a noble family, although he spent much of his youth fishing on the Duldovian Sea.  He is a serious person, and rarely laughs or smiles.  He carries the weight of his family’s responsibilities on his shoulders.
• Willem is of medium height, with a stocky build.  He has shoulder-length brown hair, and was very handsome when young which has now turned into an elder dignity. 
• He wears a russet-colored leather jerkin, with woolen shirts and pants of light-brown color, and often wears the Duldovian insignia, a wind-chopped sea.
• Willem does not carry a weapon.
• Rowan Waldon - King of Adjuria
• Rowan was made king of Adjuria when he was 12 following his father’s assassination.  He was quickly deposed by the Regidians, and held prisoner for the four years until the Civil War concluded.  At that time he became more of a figurehead of the country, the royal council having the power to make decisions.
• Rowan has bright wavy blonde hair.  He is above-average height, and stands straight and tall.  He possesses a strong, muscular physique.  He has handsome features; a crisp mouth, tight nose, and gentle eyes of blue.  He is clean shaven, and prefers to leather breeches and cotton shirts with a tunic.  He is usually decked-out in light blues and greens, and most of the time he sports the Culdovian seal, a diving eagle with talons ready.
• He has a deep-seated hatred of the Regidians due to their coup and imprisonment of him.  He also looks unfavorably upon those provinces which aided Regidia in the Civil War.  If he wants to once again regain his role as ruler from the council, however, he knows he must treat all provinces fairly.
• Rowan is fond of wearing a simple dagger at his belt with the seal of Culdovia on it.
• While his father hailed from the province of Mercentia, Rowan has always lived in Culdovia, except for his captivity in Regidia, so identifies himself with that province.  His mother also hails from Culdovia, and often advises him in the palace when he is away from court.

From East-West War and Adjurian Civil War

• Grandon Fray
• Regidian noble now called the ‘False King’ who was sent to the island of Desolatia in exile following the Adjurian Civil War
• Traskar Or
• A soldier from Mercentia who has been in the military for most of his life.  He’s now a trainer for new students.
• Tredegar Steel
• A gifted student of Traskar’s, a soldier hailing from the province of Allidia. 
• Kathgar Towers
• A Mercentian soldier with a bad reputation among authority in the provincial military, but one well-respected by his peers.
• Dilon Con
• A noble from Duldovia, whose skill for compromise has done much to unite the provinces of Adjuria.
• Frisser Indil
• A Portinian ship captain who makes many trading voyages to the island of Nanbo.
• Akrin Jurn
• A trade representative from Shefflin, one given great leeway in discussing and implementing trade deals for the provinces’ valuable resources.
• Fessin Rew
• A noble in the court of Regidia.  He attends the royal court in Culdovia, but has machinations which might include treasonous dealings with Jonguria.
• Leisu Tsao
• Imperial military commander stationed at Nanbo who reports directly to Yuan Jibao.  Killed in a battle with Wen Wubai in the Oval.
• Ko Qian
• Leisu’s deputy

Miscellaneous Characters (to be used if needed)

• Hui Bao

• Fei Tian
• Jisselle Moonay
• Kara Telaine
• Xu Li
• Mei Joor
• Liu Tao

• Huang – Emperor of Jonguria
• Hua Gao – Imperial counselor, a eunuch
• Wei Xi – Rebel leader who controls western Pudong
• Yang Hui – Rebel leader who controls Pu’lao
• Li Yaoji – Rebel leader who controls northern Laojing
• Jin Fudao – Zhou’s deputy on trek to the Three Lakes