An autobiography is a book that tells the tale of a person's life. A sketch is a brief scenario that simply describes the important features. So, in an autobiographical sketch, you describe one "scene" or incident in your life. These sketches are often used by novelists as a way to introduce their characters to readers. Since people know most about themselves through their relationships with others, a novelist can only tell so much about someone's history by listing their achievements and possessions. A character sketch provides a window into a person's soul by describing one moment in time when they were truly living, breathing human being. The sketch should also include any information necessary for the reader to understand why the character acts the way they do at certain points in the story. For example, if I were writing a story about a woman who had some sort of mental illness, I would want to explain exactly what was wrong with her so that the reader understands why she does things such as scream at traffic lights or try to strangle her best friend. Without this explanation, the sketch would be incomplete. In conclusion, a character sketch is a short description of a person's personality traits, abilities, and history from their perspective. These descriptions are useful in novels where you need to introduce multiple characters quickly without relying on their achievements or physical attributes.