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The Characters panel automatically detects characters from your script and lets you add metadata like bios, age, and gender. It’s also a powerful tool for analyzing dialogue distribution.

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Open the Characters Panel

1

Show Project Panel

Press Cmd/Ctrl+J to toggle the Project Panel
2

Select Characters tab

Click the Characters tab (person icon) at the top

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Automatic Character Detection

Inkwell automatically creates character entries when you write dialogue: 
ALICE
Hey, want to grab coffee?

BOB
Sure, sounds good.
Both ALICE and BOB now appear in the Characters panel—no manual setup required.
Characters are detected from ALL CAPS names followed by dialogue. Consistent naming is important: “ALICE” and “Alice” are treated as different characters.

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Character Information

Each character card shows: Dialogue Count:
  • Number of dialogue blocks this character has
  • Percentage of total dialogue in your script
  • Helps identify if characters feel balanced
Metadata (optional):
  • Bio: Character description or backstory
  • Gender: Male, Female, Non-binary, Other, or Unknown
  • Age: Numeric age or age range
  • Aliases: Other names this character uses

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Add Character Metadata

1

Click a character card

Click any character in the Characters panel
2

Edit fields

Fill in Bio, Gender, Age, and Aliases fields
3

Auto-save

Changes save automatically as you type
Example bio: 
Alice Thompson, 32, forensic accountant. 
Meticulous and risk-averse after a childhood 
trauma. Doesn't trust easily but fiercely 
loyal once she does.
Quill AI can see character bios and uses them to provide better, character-appropriate suggestions.

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Sorting Characters

Click the Sort dropdown to organize characters by: Order of Appearance (default):
  • Characters appear in the order they first speak
  • Matches reading experience
Number of Lines:
  • Sorts by dialogue count (most to least)
  • Quickly identifies your protagonist vs. supporting cast
Gender:
  • Groups characters by gender
  • Useful for analyzing cast diversity
Age:
  • Sorts youngest to oldest
  • Helps visualize age distribution

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Analyzing Dialogue Distribution

Use dialogue counts to: Check protagonist screen time:
  • Protagonist should typically have 20-30% of total dialogue
  • If much less, they may not feel like the lead
Balance ensemble casts:
  • In ensemble pieces, spread dialogue more evenly
  • No one character should dominate unless intentional
Identify underdeveloped characters:
  • Very low dialogue count may mean underdeveloped character
  • Consider cutting or combining minor characters
Example analysis: 
ALICE: 156 lines (28%) ← Good protagonist presence
BOB: 89 lines (16%) ← Strong supporting role
CLAIRE: 67 lines (12%) ← Solid secondary character
DETECTIVE: 8 lines (1.4%) ← Functional role, appropriate
WAITER: 2 lines (0.4%) ← Could be cut or combined
If a character has significant story impact but low dialogue, consider if they’re fully developed or if scenes need rewriting.

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Character Aliases

Use aliases for characters who are referred to by multiple names: Example: A character named “ROBERT” might also appear as:
  • BOB
  • MR. THOMPSON
  • DAD
Add these as aliases so Inkwell knows they’re the same person.
1

Click the character

Open the character with the primary name (e.g., ROBERT)
2

Add aliases field

Enter other names separated by commas: BOB, MR. THOMPSON, DAD
3

Save

Auto-saves. Inkwell now knows these are the same character.
Aliases inform Quill AI and are for your reference, but they don’t automatically merge dialogue counts. For accurate counts, use consistent naming in your script.

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Best Practices

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Consistent Character Names

❌ Inconsistent: 
ALICE
Hi there.

Alice
Nice to meet you.

alice thompson
See you later.
✅ Consistent: 
ALICE
Hi there.

ALICE
Nice to meet you.

ALICE
See you later.

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When to Add Bios

Always useful for:
  • Protagonists and major characters
  • Characters with complex motivations
  • Anyone Quill AI will help you write
Less critical for:
  • One-line functional characters (Waiter, Cop #2)
  • Background characters without arcs

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Tracking Character Arcs

Use the bio field to track character development: 
ALICE
Bio: Starts as risk-averse accountant, learns to 
trust her instincts after Bob's betrayal. Arc 
complete when she exposes the conspiracy alone.

Current state: Post-midpoint, starting to take 
risks but still hesitant.

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Common Questions

Make sure the character name is:
  • In ALL CAPS
  • On its own line
  • Followed by dialogue
If formatted correctly and still missing, try closing and reopening the Project Panel.
Characters are automatically detected from your script. To remove one, delete all their dialogue from your script. The character will disappear from the panel.
Differentiate them clearly: ALICE, ALICE (YOUNG), or ALICE THOMPSON vs. ALICE CHEN. Consistent differentiation prevents confusion.
Yes! Quill can see character names, bios, gender, age, aliases, and dialogue count. This helps it suggest dialogue and actions that fit each character.
  • Feature protagonist: 20-30% of total dialogue
  • Ensemble cast: 10-20% each for mains
  • Supporting: 5-15%
  • Minor: < 5%
These are guidelines, not rules. Genre and structure matter.
Character metadata is stored in your .ink file and exports with it. When you export to Fountain or FDX, character names remain, but metadata (bios, etc.) may not transfer to all formats.

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Next Steps

Using Quill AI

Learn how Quill uses character information

Formatting Basics

Master character and dialogue formatting

Project Info

Add logline and development notes

Navigation

Organize scenes with sections