Project Character Cards |link| — Viva

Whether you are a dungeon master preparing for Saturday’s session, a screenwriter outlining a pilot, or a novelist in the throes of NaNoWriMo, take fifteen minutes to build your first set of Viva cards. You might find that your character—who was just a name on a page—starts talking back. And that’s when you know the project is truly viva .

A physical habit or verbal tic that reveals their inner state. (e.g., “Taps left ring finger when lying.”) Viva Project Character Cards

However, the analog version remains beloved. There is a tactile satisfaction in shuffling index cards, feeling the weight of a character’s secret, and physically laying out an entire ensemble cast on a coffee table. The Viva Project Character Cards system is more than a tool—it’s a philosophy. It argues that characters are not lists of attributes but collections of tensions: between desire and fear, truth and lie, connection and isolation. By breaking your protagonist into a modular deck, you free yourself to play, experiment, and discover surprising depths. Whether you are a dungeon master preparing for

What false belief do they hold about the world or themselves? (e.g., “Authority figures are always corrupt.”) A physical habit or verbal tic that reveals

Grab three index cards right now. On the first, write your character’s name and deepest wish. On the second, their greatest fear. On the third, the one person they cannot forgive. Shuffle them. And start your story. Have you used Viva Project Character Cards in your work? Share your custom card templates and success stories in the comments below.