I've been silly. This story has been about the hero's divided loyalties since the moment I got the idea; I just wasn't seeing the forest for the trees. So that's one problem taken care of.

I don't like character profiles, either--the character you describe in the profile and the character you end up writing might turn out to have very little in common! I only included a list of questions in my Pirates of the Caribbean OC guide because I thought it was the thing to do.

I've found the Enneagram a useful starting point in giving characters distinct personalities. It's character voices and dialogue that trip me up, particularly when there are several different people having a conversation and I'm trying to make sure they don't all sound the same...