Character Workshop
Aaron's Tavern
Pour everything you know about this character into the messy box. Tag them, answer a few deep-dive prompts, then let Aaron poke holes or Shine polish it into a snapshot.
Notes, tags, questions: No Story CoresAI tools (Ask Aaron, Shine it up): Uses Story Cores
Character basics
Keep these quick. You can stay messy and still get great output.
Tag bubbles
Click tags that feel true. These feed the messy dump automatically.
Messy character dump
Rant. Bullet. Whisper. Whatever. This is your raw material.
Deep-dive questions
One at a time. Skip any that don't spark.
1. Alright, friend. Slide your character across the bar. What do they go by? A placeholder name is fine.
2. So how old are we talking here? A rough range works too. Nobody is checking IDs.
3. How do they describe themselves, and what pronouns do they use?
4. How do they usually experience attraction or romance, if at all?
5. What fills their days? Job, duty, hustle, burden, title—whatever fits.
6. Where did they learn what they know? School, streets, mentors, military, self-taught?
7. If someone met this character for the first time, what would they notice first? Their eyes, posture, voice, clothes, or vibe?
8. In your story, what is their main role? Protagonist, antagonist, ally, love interest, mentor, or something stranger?
9. Give me the bartender’s-eye view. If they walked in right now, what do they look like from the doorway?
10. What is their physical presence in a room? Tall, short, solid, wiry, average, imposing, easy to miss?
11. What would you remember the next morning? A scar, tattoo, coat, hairstyle, or haunted stare?
12. How do they move through space? Quick, careful, heavy, smooth, stiff, twitchy, slow, controlled?
13. Any physical conditions, disabilities, injuries, or chronic issues that shape how they live and move?
14. What do they usually wear, and how much do they care about their appearance?
15. Is there anything they almost always have on them? A weapon, ring, notebook, phone, locket, or tool?
16. Now we pour a little deeper. What is the old hurt they still carry around, the one that shaped them the most?
17. Under everything, what is the deep fear? Not spiders—the big one like abandonment, powerlessness, being seen, losing control, becoming like someone they hate.
18. On the surface, what do they think they want right now? Promotion, revenge, love, safety, respect, escape, peace, chaos?
19. Underneath that, what do they actually need to grow? To trust, set boundaries, forgive themselves, accept love, take responsibility?
20. When things get hard emotionally, what is their go-to move?
21. What belief shapes how they move through the world? For example, people always leave, if I am useful I am safe, rules exist to be broken.
22. What truly matters most to them? Loyalty, freedom, justice, stability, family, ambition, survival, truth, comfort?
23. What line will they not cross? Is there a line they think they would never cross but might if pushed hard enough?
24. What is their usual emotional temperature? Calm, hot-headed, analytical, intuitive, guarded, open, moody, steady?
25. What little quirks or habits make them feel specific? Fidgets, routines, speech patterns, weird comforts, odd preferences?
26. Where are they oblivious? What do they fail to see clearly about themselves or others?
27. What gives them genuine pleasure? Food, scents, textures, music, hobbies, rituals, small joys?
28. Are there sounds, textures, smells, or situations that overwhelm or distress them?
29. How do they usually behave in close relationships?
30. Who shaped them the most? Family, mentors, exes, rivals, friends, enemies. Who do they fear disappointing?
31. Was there a relationship, romantic or not, that really broke them at some point? What happened, in simple terms?
32. What kind of person do they consistently clash with? Authority figures, rule-breakers, optimists, cynics, loud people, quiet people?
33. What kind of person do they instinctively soften around? Kids, underdogs, shy people, bold people, someone who reminds them of their past?
34. What is one childhood moment that still echoes in them now?
35. What is one event from their teen years that changed their path?
36. If they are an adult, what key moment shaped who they are at the start of the story? If not, pick another big turning point.
37. Can you pinpoint a moment when they first truly learned what fear feels like?
38. Is there a moment when they realized that hope was real for them, even a little? If not, that might be part of their arc.
39. What skills have they picked up over time through training, work, or hard experience?
40. What are they naturally good at, even if they do not value it? Social skills, physical abilities, creative work, problem-solving?
41. In your story’s world, do they have any powers or special abilities? If so, what are they?
42. If they have powers or special abilities, what are the limits, side effects, or costs?
43. How do they practically survive in their world? Job skills, street smarts, combat, magic, caretaking, manipulation, charisma, something else?
44. Before the plot barges in, what does a normal day look like for them, from waking up to going to sleep?
45. What does home look like for them? Messy, minimalist, temporary, cramped, luxurious, shared, lonely?
46. How are they doing financially?
47. What responsibilities sit on their shoulders? Family, work, debts, promises, secrets, obligations, dependents?
48. What annoys them way more than it should? Little behaviors, noises, habits, hypocrisies, rules, or chaos?
49. When someone attacks their dignity or humiliates them, how do they react?
50. How do they handle being wrong or called out? Double down, deflect, apologize, shut down, joke it off?
51. When they feel rejected, what do they do? Pull away, chase harder, pretend not to care, lash out, spiral?
52. How do they usually treat someone who has less power than they do? Servers, subordinates, children, injured people, outcasts?
53. What event or loss would break them completely, or close to it?
54. What is one belief they hold now that you expect to change over the course of the story?
55. What flaw will they have to face to grow? Cowardice, cruelty, selfishness, martyrdom, pride, denial, people-pleasing, something else?
56. What is the gift or light inside them that others can see, even if they cannot yet?
57. If they actually healed and grew, what kind of person could they become?
58. If they refuse to change, what darker version of themselves might they become instead?
59. Give yourself a simple logline for this character: this is a story about a ______ who must ______ or else ______.
60. What is a secret about this character that even they do not know yet?
Tools
AI actions spend Story Cores. Worksheet tools are free.
Aaron's notes
Aaron will leave his feedback here.
Shined character snapshot
Your polished character snapshot will appear here.