A kingdom becomes interesting when someone lives in it. A grand castle is a setting; a tired dragon who looks after its library gives you the beginning of a story. You can invent that sort of character with paper, a pencil and a few playful questions.
This activity is for making your own fictional character. You do not need to be good at drawing, and the finished picture can be a collection of shapes, a spoken description or a name written in the middle of a page.
First five minutes: choose an ordinary job
Start with something your character does every day. Perhaps they mend banners, deliver bread, look after a garden or keep the castle clock running. An ordinary job gives them somewhere to go and something to care about.
Now add one unexpected detail. The gardener might be a giant who grows tiny flowers. The messenger could be a tortoise who always arrives with wonderfully detailed directions. Choose a detail that suggests a story rather than adding a long list of powers.
Next five minutes: draw three useful clues
Give your character three visible details: something they wear, something they carry and something that shows their personality. A patched coat, an enormous key and a shy smile tell us more than a perfect portrait.
Keep the drawing loose. If drawing feels difficult, use three labelled circles or ask someone to draw while you describe. A shared character can have a designer, a name-maker and a storyteller.
Next five minutes: give them a small problem
Choose a problem that can happen in a single afternoon. The clock has stopped before the feast. A delivery has gone to the wrong tower. The library dragon cannot find the book everyone wants to borrow.
Ask what your character would try first. Then make that first attempt go slightly wrong. Perhaps the key fits a different door, or the helpful friend has misunderstood the message. A small complication creates room for the character to make another choice.
Final five minutes: tell the adventure
Use three sentences to begin: “Every day, my character…”; “But today…”; “So they decided…”. Continue with a drawing, a conversation or a short written scene. There is no need to finish the whole story at once.
Let the character solve the problem in a way connected to their ordinary job. A baker may notice a trail of flour, while a gardener spots that a moved flowerpot is hiding something. Their usefulness does not have to depend on being the strongest person in the kingdom.
Make it a family character collection
Put each character on a separate page and ask how they know one another. Who lives next door? Who borrows tools? Who would ask for help rather than offering it? A few connections turn separate drawings into a little community.
Keep names and details fictional, especially if you share the pictures online. Ask permission before posting another person’s work and avoid including children’s identifying information.
For more inspiration, visit Meet the Characters, explore the free Kingdom activities or browse the Kingdom Chronicle. Your next adventure can begin with someone wonderfully ordinary doing something unexpected.
