> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://helpdesk.publiwrite.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
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# How do I manage characters in my book?

# How do I manage characters in my book?
The **Characters** panel lets you keep track of the people in your story directly inside the editor — their details, status, and how they relate to one another. You can open it from the left sidebar of the editor.

## Viewing your characters
The Characters panel lists every character you've added, showing their name and age at a glance. If a character has been marked as deceased, a **DEAD** label appears next to their name.

## Adding a character
To add a new character:
1. Open the **Characters** panel.
2. Click **+ Add**.
3. Enter the character's name.
4. Add a description or short bio.
5. Toggle **Is Dead?** if the character has died.
6. Fill in any of the optional detail fields, such as:
    * Age
    * Race
    * Species
    * Gender
    * Personality traits
    * Origin
    * Role
    * Physical appearance
7. Click **+ Add more fields** if you want to track additional custom details, up to 10 fields in total.
8. Click **Create character**.
You don't need to fill in every field — add as much or as little detail as is useful for your story.
![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/9/9/b/f/99bf185569a3a800/image_y2kaxs.png =800x867)

## Adding relations between characters
Still inside the **Add character** window, you can define how a character relates to others in your story:
1. Click **+ Add relation**.
2. Choose the character and the type of relationship (for example: partner, lover, friend, sister, cousin, colleague, enemy).
3. Repeat for any other relationships.
You can add relations when creating a character or edit them later.

## Viewing the character tree
Click **View tree** at the top of the Characters panel to see a visual map of your cast. The tree shows:
* Each character as a node, with an edit icon to update their details directly from the tree
* Lines connecting related characters, labelled with the relationship type (for example: partner, lover, friend, sister, cousin, colleague, enemy, "who knows")
* The **DEAD** label on any character marked as deceased
The character tree is especially useful for stories with a larger cast, where it can help you spot inconsistencies or gaps in how your characters connect to one another.
![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/9/9/b/f/99bf185569a3a800/image_1x6yzcd.png =800x547)

## Editing or removing a character
Click the **⋮** icon next to a character in the list to edit their details. You can update any field, add or remove relations, or mark them as deceased at any time as your story develops.

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