An Effective Way to Plan Characters: G.O.T.E.

Okay, so you've thought up a handful of great characters to get you started on your story. Actually, you're not really sure what your "great" characters are going to do exactly, but that's okay.

But sometimes writers can be confused with even their own work. Like what their protagonist wants, why the antagonist wants what the protagonist wants, and so on. Most of the times, writers get too frustrated and toss their story into the trash. However, with proper methods and practice, there is a way to master this.

G.O.T.E sheets.

When I attended a writing workshop, I learned how to effectively plan out my characters through G.O.T.E's.

G.O.T.E stands for goals, obstacles, tactics, and expectations. Although they are usually meant for actors and plays, they are excellent with writing as well.

All you have to do to get started on a G.O.T.E is to think about which character you wish to clarify. Characters that are a bit confusing and aren't so clear are what I call, foggy characters. It isn't clear what they want or why, usually it's those characters you want to G.O.T.E out first.

List all their goals, obstacles, tactics, and expectations.

Their goals are what they want. They are what the character is trying to achieve. It should be made as clear as possible what their goals are.

Obstacles. What's getting in their way? For your antagonist, this should be an easy one. But for other characters, it may be more complicated. Maybe one character is trying to unlock a treasure chest but someone else has the key.

Tactics are strategies and methods a character is going to use to overcome their obstacles and achieve their goals. If the character above wishes to unlock his treasure chest, he'll have to think of ways to open it. For instance, he could steal the key from the other character, or he could try to pry the chest open with his hands. Each character must have tactics for a certain obstacle and goal.

What does a character expect in the end? Expectations are what a character expects to happen. For instance, in the Hunger Games, Katniss expected to die, even though she wanted to win. The way the expectations of a character tie in with their goal all depends on what he or she expects. The antagonist of your story may want to take over the world, and he expects to take over the world. But try experimenting. What would happen if he didn't expect to rule the world? How would that affect his tactics?

In the end, all these things are connected to each other. You should have a clear idea of your character now. Tell me your thoughts on this article and don't forget to comment, rate, and review! Did G.O.T.E sheets help you?

- Ashlyn, Aspiring Author of Today