When two people meet in real life there are many things they wish to establish about each other. Some of these things are very basic - their name, age, occupation. Others are more involved - their likes and dislikes, their family background. A writer needs to establish many of these same things when creating characters for a piece of fiction.
The more well-developed a character is the more successful the piece of fiction is likely to be.
Asking characters questions about themselves is a good way for a writer to determine how well they know their characters. If the writer doesn't know the answer then that is an area they need to work on - after all if the creator of the character doesn't know the answer then who does?
Interviewing a character
The following questions are a great spring-board into the mysterious world of a fictional character.
- Did you grow up living in the same house as your parents? Do you have siblings? Are your parents still alive? What's the best advice your parents ever gave you? What's the worst? How well did you know your grandparents? Aunts and uncles? Did you have a favourite?
- What's your greatest triumph? What's your biggest mistake? Do you have any secrets? Are there secrets you share with just one other person? Was there ever a secret you had that someone exposed? How did you feel when that happened?
- How did you find out the facts of life? Who told you? Was it someone in the schoolyard, your parents, a sibling or cousin? How did you feel when you found out?
- Describe someone who is the complete opposite of you. Do you know anyone like that? Are your parents or siblings like you? Or opposite? Or in between?
- Do you have a TV? What's the best thing about TV? What's the worst? List five things you'd do if you didn't have one. How often do you listen to the radio?
- Who was your favourite teacher when you were 8? When you were 15?
- What is your favourite vegetable? Why? What is your favourite fruit? Why? Describe your favourite place to eat.
- What's your favourite time of day? Your favourite time of year? Your favourite piece of music? Your favourite smell? Your favourite sound?
- What's your favourite piece of clothing? Why? What was your favourite on your first day of high school?
- What thing do you like doing the most? Describe it in detail.
- List ten things you would want to have if you were the last person on earth? List ten things you would need. List ten things you wouldn't.
- In your view what is humanity's greatest invention? It's greatest achievement? List five reasons for each as to why they are the greatest and why they are the worst.
- Do you like your own company? Do you like you?
One final point to make - remember to write in the voice of the character. A teenager living in a modern city will have a different voice to a ninety-year-old war veteran.
Doing exercises such as these can help a writer forge a great relationship with their characters.
For more writing exercises go to Free Writing.
