Tim Snyder

Exhibit: Character Traits Chart

Benchmark: Personal Management
Skills: P106 se charts! gra"hs! or gra"hic organi#ers to demonstrate organi#ational skills
$n May %010! $ got the bright idea to start &riting a story' $ "osted e(ery cha"ter o) it on the art
comm*nity de(iant+,T and amassed exactly one )an' $n all honesty! the story &as terrible' $t s*))ered
)rom boring and *nrealistic characters! generic sit*ations! and a b*nch o) on-the-)ly re(isions that didn.t
make any sense' /e(ertheless! $ had a so)t s"ot )or the general conce"t o) the story: 0irl likes boy! boy
doesn.t like girl! )*nny st*)) ha""ens' +bo*t a year ago! $ decided to d*st o)) the old conce"t and t*rn it
into something m*ch better'
1ee"ing track o) the ne& characters and "lot threads &as no easy task' $ created 2and still
*"date to this day3 a b*nch o) doc*ments and (is*al g*ides to hel" me remember e(erything' 4ne
doc*ment that has "ro(en (ery *se)*l is a chart o) the characters. (ario*s traits! s*ch as eye color! hair
color! and the character5s )a(orite hobby' $) $.m ha(ing tro*ble (is*ali#ing the characters in a scene! $
look back at the chart to re)resh my memory on their a""earances' $t also makes it easier to kee" track
o) their interests! as sometimes they tend to get 6*mbled *" in my head' +nother handy doc*ment is my
relationshi" chart' $t.s a lot easier to kee" track o) the (ario*s gro*"s o) )riends and ho& they.re tied
together this &ay' This is es"ecially im"ortant in a story &ith romantic elements! as $ don.t &ant to
con)*se &ho has a cr*sh on &hom' The last ma6or chart $ created &as a list o) the characters. school
sched*les' $t lists the classes o) the main character7narrator! 0ary! and anybody else &ho is in that class
&ith him' This "re(ents me )rom getting con)*sed abo*t &ho is s*""osed to be &here and &hen'
Charts and gra"hs are a big "art o) "ro6ect "lanning' 8hen $ become a "rogrammer! $ might
ha(e to de(elo" some (is*al g*ides to hel" ex"lain a "ro"osition or o"inion' Charts &ill also hel" me
kee" track o) my "rogress &hen act*ally &orking on a "rogram' 9or exam"le! $ might need to make a
list o) &hich )eat*res are com"leted! &hich ones are broken! and &hich ones ha(en.t e(en been started
on' $.ll need to *se charts and gra"hs in my "ersonal li)e )or similar reasons' They co*ld hel" me kee"
track o) im"ortant in)ormation like "ass&ords and )inances' + single! organi#ed s"readsheet is m*ch
more con(enient than a b*nch o) tiny notes scattered e(ery&here'