Have you ever watched a show or read a book and gotten super attached to a character? I have. Why do you think the character stuck out to you so much? What's the magic behind how you can cheer for them to be happy, or how you sob when they die? How do writers make you care about your character, and how can you make your readers fall head-over-heels for yours?
The key is to make your character feel like a real person. If you've ever interacted with humans, you know this is a daunting task, because people are really complicated. So, how do we break this process down into some manageable steps? The best way to do this, as with a lot of things I've covered in this book, is to ask questions about your character. To get to know them, inside and out. Once you know them, you can become their friend, their therapist, their counselor.
But what if you don't know the right questions to ask? Luckily, questionnaires can really help you. I got this list originally from SapphireAlena (who has a really good writing/Wattpad guide called Wattpad Confidential, if anyone's interested), and added a few of my own questions. I've even divided them up into different categories according to the sphere of life they cover.
I advise you to be as detailed as possible in your answers (whether they're on paper or in a computer document). The more detailed you are, the more you can get to know the character. I personally like to make idea webs on a page for each set of questions, because that gives me a "leap-pad" to exploring the character in more organic ways.
If you want to get to know your character even further after this exercise, look up "deep questions to ask your friend". Pick a set and answer them from the point of view of your character, and think about how they would respond. Let the words flow onto the page, and even try listening for their unique way of speaking (which will get its own chapter eventually).
And a final word of caution for the questions below - in fanfiction, you should know the answers to these for characters from the source material as well. I discovered writing Alura that I didn't know Light Spinner as well as I'd thought prior to doing this exercise. There's one more very important category, but it's so important that it bears its own chapter. So I'll save that for next time.
PROFILE:
ⶠFull name |
ⶠNicknames/aliases |
ⶠPhysical description (hair, sex eyes, skin color, weight, height, body type, etc) |
ⶠDate of birth/age: |
ⶠWhere do you live |
ⶠCurrent year |
ⶠPresident/monarch now |
ⶠPolitical climate |
ⶠWhat year in school are you? If you are an adult, what was the highest level of education you attained? |
ⶠWhich religion and how devout? Is your religion important to the story? How so? |
ⶠWhat would you like to be when you grow up and why? If grown up, profession? Describe your job. |
ⶠWhat is your master gesture? |
ⶠMost positive physical trait? |
ⶠStatus? Do you have money and/or power? Why or why not? |
BACKSTORY:
ⶠPlace of birth (geographic location as well as actual place: hospital, house, field, car, wagon, forest, etc.) |
ⶠPresident/monarch at time of birth |
ⶠWhat do you remember about the house you grew up in? (Answer in detail. Think about every detail of the character's home. Use sensory language.) |
ⶠWhat do you remember about the neighborhood you grew up in? (Answer in detail. Think about every detail of the character's neighborhood. Use sensory language.) |
ⶠWhat were some of the special occasions in your family? (holidays, reunions, picnics, vacations, etc.) Describe these occasions. |
ⶠName some of the special homemade foods you ate as a child. (At least 3) |
ⶠName and describe some of the games you played as a child. (At least 3) |
ⶠWhat is your favorite childhood memory? (Answer in detail. Use sensory language. If relevant, describe how it affects you today.) |
ⶠWhat is your most embarrassing childhood memory? (Answer in detail. Use sensory language. If relevant, describe how it affects you today.) |
ⶠWhat is your worst childhood memory? (This should be something bad or tragic that has happened, and it should definitely affect your character today. Answer in detail. Use sensory language.) |
ⶠWhat was/is your relationship with your family? (Parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins)? Answer the below questions for each member in detail:
â How often did you fight? |
â What were things you enjoyed doing together? |
â What were things you enjoyed talking about? |
â What influence - positive or negative - did this family member have? |
â How did this family member shape your worldview and values? (List at least 3 ways for each member) |
ⶠWhat do you like best about the school you attend or last attended? (Answer in detail; use sensory language.) Did you attend school? |
HEART/PSYCHOLOGY:
ⶠHow do you feel about your age? |
ⶠAre you an optimist or a pessimist? |
ⶠWhat is your best feature (should be an internal trait)? |
ⶠIf you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? (Can be internal or external) |
ⶠGreatest fear? Why is this your greatest fear? |
ⶠHow do you deal with stress?
ⶠHow do you deal with your emotions?
ⶠPrejudices and why? |
ⶠWhat do you feel the future holds? |
ⶠWhat strong impulse motivates you? (Sex, emotion, hunger, thirst, pain, pleasure, anger, sadness, happiness, etc.) |
ⶠWhat is your secret? (Every character MUST have a secret.) |
ⶠWhat is your leading center (head, heart, stomach)? |
ⶠDo you mask feelings and behaviors? If so, which ones and why? |
ⶠDo you have a sense of humor? Is this sense of humor used in a positive or negative way? |
ⶠHow would you characterize your sense of humor? (imbecilic, slapstick, dry, sardonic, punny, vivacious) |
ⶠWhat's your love language (touch, giving, words of appreciation, acts of service, quality time, food)? |
MIND:
ⶠWhat subjects do you excel in? |
ⶠWhat type of learner are you primarily (you may choose no more than two for each person)? Visual (2D images), verbal (words), 3D, manipulative (touch), physical (a lot of energy), rhythmic/musical, logical (patterns), abstract, spiritual. |
ⶠMyers-Briggs personality type? |
ⶠWhat is your character's intelligence level and type (no more than two per character)? (View types of intelligence here: ) |
PREFERENCES:
ⶠWhat hobbies/interests do you have? (At least 3) |
ⶠWhat is your favorite beverage? |
ⶠCan you read? If so, which genre of book do you prefer and why? |
ⶠWhat do you enjoy doing most in your free time? Describe these activities. |
ⶠWhat kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Describe the style and why you like it. |
ⶠOn what type of instruments or equipment do you listen to music? |
ⶠWhere do you listen to music? |
ⶠWhat do you do for exercise? |
ⶠWhat is your favorite meal? Describe it. |
ⶠWhat are your favorite foods? Describe them. |
ⶠFavorite sport and why? |
ⶠWhat time do you usually wake up and why? |
ⶠWhat time do you go to bed and why? |
ⶠFavorite time of day and why? |
ⶠFavorite season and why? |
ⶠCity or country living? Why? |
ⶠIf you could live anywhere, where would it be and why? |
ⶠDo you like intimate parties or large gatherings? Why? |
ⶠFavorite color and why? |
ⶠFavorite smell? Do you have a memory associated with it, and if so, what? |
ⶠLeast favorite smell? Memory associated with it, and if so, what? |
ⶠFavorite song and why? (Can be in-universe or out-of-universe) |
ⶠHow would you like to spend your next vacation? |
ⶠWhat type of clothing do you most like to wear and why? |
ⶠWhat would you enjoy doing on an evening out? Describe this evening out in detail. |
ⶠFavorite animal and why? |
ⶠIndoor or outdoor person? Why? |
RELATIONSHIPS:
ⶠAny siblings? Names and ages? |
ⶠClosest friend? Describe your relationship with them, especially if it's relevant to the story. |
ⶠAre you married? If so, what is your spouse's name? Describe your relationship with them. Do you get along? How does this person influence your worldview? How does this person make you feel? Do you communicate well? If not, why? |
ⶠDo you have children? If so, ages, genders, names. If relevant, describe the nature of your relationship, and how it affects you in the story. |
ⶠAre your parents living? How would you describe your relationship with each one? |
ⶠAre you in love? If so, with whom? Does that person know? Do others know? |
ⶠAnalyze your relationship with each of the other characters in the story. May overlap with the questions above.
ASSOCIATIONS:
ⶠWhat rhythm/tempo do you associate with [i.e. relate to] and why? |
ⶠWhat sound do you associate with and why? |
ⶠWhat color do you associate with and why? |
ⶠWhat object do you associate with and why? |
ⶠWhat animal do you associate with and why? |
Edit: SapphireAlena had some amazing advice for after you complete this set of questions. To quote: "After you finish the questionnaire, do a writing sprint for 20 minutes. Write in first person a monologue of the character's backstory and current motivation and obstacles to that goal in the character's voice. Keep writing until you can feel the character's speech patterns, word choices, etc. You may never use any of that in your actual story, but you will come away from the exercise knowing your character and ready to write dialogue and [internal] monologues." (Edited for typos.)