| name | sanderson-character-engine |
| description | Use when the problem is protagonist design, reader investment, character differentiation, arc type, passivity, or customization of cast roles. Based on Brandon Sanderson's 2025 character lectures. |
Sanderson Character Engine
Use this skill to build characters who generate investment and change the story through choices.
Source Protocol
- Read
references/source-notes.md first.
- Use this for design and diagnosis, not for copying any existing author's character voice.
Operating Loop
- Define the reader's intended relationship to the character.
- Tune the attachment levers: proactivity, capability, relatability, sympathy, fascination.
- Choose the arc type.
- Define the early pressure point and the late proof point.
- Differentiate cast members by job, motive, and friction source.
- Verify that the character design serves the story's promises and scope.
Contract
Character role:
Desired reader response:
Primary levers:
Arc type:
Early inability or refusal:
Pressure source:
Late proof action:
Differentiation notes:
Arc Options
- positive growth
- flat or steadfast
- corruption
- failure
- revelation
- acceptance
Rules
- Do not optimize every character for likability.
- Do not confuse surface quirks with meaningful differentiation.
- If a character is passive, add agency before adding more backstory.
- Match the arc type to the actual story rather than defaulting to a growth arc.
