Novelists
Keeping a cast of twenty straight across a draft, and spotting the character who quietly stopped mattering in act two.
In development
Characters. Lines. Meaning.
A character relationship chart maker for casts too big to hold in your head. Free, no sign-up, and everything you draw stays yours.
01What a character
What a character
relationship chart is
A character relationship chart is a diagram of the people in a story and the connections between them. Each character is a node. Each connection is a line, labelled with what that connection is: rivals, siblings, ex-partners, the one who knows the secret.
It answers questions a character list can't. Who is isolated? Which two characters have never shared a scene, and should they? Is your antagonist connected to anyone besides the protagonist? A list tells you who exists. A chart tells you how the story holds together.
It goes by other names depending on who's drawing it — relationship map, character web, ship chart, character connection diagram. They're the same thing.
02Who ends up
Who ends up
drawing one
Fanfic & OC
Placing original characters into an existing cast, or showing readers how a large AU fits together.
TTRPG groups
Tracking NPC factions, debts, and grudges across a campaign, where the web changes every session.
03How to build one
How to build one
that's actually useful
Start with who causes things
Not everyone belongs on the chart. Begin with the handful whose choices move the plot. Background characters can be added later, or left off entirely.
Draw only the lines that carry weight
If every character is linked to every other character, the chart tells you nothing. A line should mean something happened, or something will.
Label each line with a verb
"Friends" is static. "Covered for her" or "wants his job" points somewhere. Verbs make it obvious which relationships still have tension left in them.
Look for the shape
Step back. Clusters that never touch mean two stories running in parallel. A character with one thin line is a character you can cut. That's the payoff.
04What we're
What we're
building
characterchart is a browser tool for making these charts without fighting the software. It isn't open yet — this page is here first so you can see where it's going.
No account to start
Open the page and start placing characters. Sign in later only if you want to save across devices.
Your chart is yours
Use what you make commercially. No non-commercial licence attached to your own work.
Export that works
Download as an image you can drop into a doc, a wiki, or a post.
05
Questions
Do I need an account?
No. You'll be able to build and export a chart without signing up. An account is only for keeping your work across devices.
Can I use my charts commercially?
Yes. Charts you make are yours, including for published work, client projects, and monetised content. There's no non-commercial restriction on your own output.
Is this the same as a genogram or a sociogram?
They're related. A genogram is a family tree with medical and relational notation, used clinically. A sociogram maps social ties in a real group, usually in research or classrooms. A character relationship chart borrows the same node-and-line idea and applies it to fiction, with no fixed notation to learn.
When does it launch?
No date announced yet. Updates go out on @characterchart.