Go through your book with a notebook beside you. This notebook will be your Character Book. Anyone in our book who says anything (even the one-liners) should be listed. Make a separate page for each. Put the name at the top of each page. Use your prior notes, and put down where each character first appears.

• Step one is to gather required information. Write down any information that generally affects the voice of a person (age, sex), and any specifics you gave that character (talks fast, talks loud, sounds like a cat when you step on its tail). These are aspects required by the book. Do not include anything here that is not in the book. Your purpose is to be consistent.

If the character's age changes significantly (child, teenager, adult, elderly), note the pages where each age first appears. This would include flashbacks. Ignore shorter age changes.

If something happens to a character that would cause the character's voice to change (colds, weakness caused by illness), note the page. Note also if this is a permanent voice change.

• Step two is to add information that is not in the book. As long as you do not contradict the description in your book or add something that is incongruous, you can flesh out the details of a character in any way you want. For example, deciding that a character has a deep voice may be all right, but adding a lisp might not. If you have notes on your characters (including backstory that does not directly appear in the book), now is a good time to read them over. Keep any details you have made up or drawn from non-book sources in a separate column or paragraph.