I’m not a fan of character questionnaires because they often don’t actually help you develop your character. You might know a lot about them, but do you understand them? Do you really know who they are?
I’ve put together a list of 30 questions you should ask your characters – and I mean actually ask – to help you understand them, rather than just knowing things about them that won’t help you write their story. I want you to interview your character so that you can write their responses in their voice.
30 Questions You Should Ask Your Characters
- What would need to happen for you to consider yourself at rock bottom?
- What would need to happen for you to consider yourself perfectly happy?
- What five things do you value the most?
- How do you react when your friends and loved ones flout these values?
- What is the personal quality you are most ashamed of?
- What is the one thing you would never do no matter what?
- What is the one thing that you would do even if you knew it wasn’t a good idea?
- What are you good at?
- What are you bad at?
- Do you like who you are?
- What do you like about yourself?
- What do you wish you could change about yourself?
- What’s the worst physical pain you have ever felt?
- What’s the worst emotional pain you’ve ever felt?
- Who do you think is above you?
- Who do you think is beneath you?
- What have been the biggest struggles in your life?
- What have been your greatest achievements?
- What do you think makes a person evil?
- What do you think makes a person good?
- Are you open-minded or narrow-minded?
- How is your bedroom decorated? Did you decorate it that way? If you could decorate it differently, how would it look?
- Describe your ideal Saturday.
- Are you biased or prejudiced against anything or anyone? Even secretly or shamefully?
- Are you a leader or a follower?
- How do you deal with conflict? In what situations would you deal with conflict differently?
- To what extent do you care what others think of you?
- If you had the opportunity to bring in one change in political policy, what would it be?
- Do you have any memories that make you wince?
- What would you make a scene in public about?