what are some questions to ask when establishing a character

How does your character's history affect your character?

How does a character's perception of themselves affect the way they treat the people around them?

What 5 questions do you ask yourself when establishing a character?

Bodies, Blind Spots, and Quirks: 5 Key Questions to Ask When Developing CharactersWhat is my character's historical context? ... What relationships are most key in my character's life? ... What are my character's blind spots? ... How does the inner life come through the body? ... How is my character truly unique?

What are questions for characterization?

6 Characterization QuestionsHow does your protagonist plan for the New Year? ... How does your protagonist deal with stress? ... What quote is framed and hanging on their office wall? ... What does their office space, their home, or their car look like? ... What kind of car do they drive?More items...

When thinking about character What are 3 questions you must ask yourself?

There are three questions you want to ask every character that you create:Character Development Question 1: What do you most want? ... Character Development Question 2: What do you most fear? ... Character Development Question 3: What will cause the reader to remember you after your story is long over?More items...•

What are the 5 ways to develop a character?

Taking steps to build your character is no simple task....Here are five ways to build your character:Be Humble. ... Live out your principles and values. ... Be intentional. ... Practice self discipline. ... Be accountable.

How do you develop a character?

8 Tips for Character DevelopmentEstablish a character's motivations and goals. ... Choose a voice. ... Do a slow reveal. ... Create conflict. ... Give important characters a backstory. ... Describe a character's personality in familiar terms. ... Paint a physical picture of your characters. ... Develop secondary characters.

How can I identify my character?

7 Ways To Get To Know Your CharactersTAKE A TEST. No studying required! ... PLAY A GAME. As you're trying to figure out how your character moves through life, bring them with you every day. ... UPDATE THEIR PROFILE. It's the digital age, baby! ... LOOK TO THE STARS. ... BUILD A HOME. ... WRITE IT OUT. ... TALK THE TALK.

What should I know before writing a character?

CHARCACTER CHECKLIST:How old is your character?What does your character look like?Are they tall, short, fat, shinny, big nose, big ears, long eyelashes, acne, etc.Is your character happy with the way they look?What kind of clothes do they like to wear?Does your character dream?More items...•

What is an example of character development?

Character Development Examples: Summing Up Those conflicts force the protagonist to grow and change in certain ways, adopting new outlooks on life or making difficult moral decisions. It is through loss, hope, sacrifice, change, and a commitment to one's own beliefs that each character rises to their challenge.

What is important to know about a character?

You have to know how they think, how they feel, what motivates them, what terrifies them. You have to know their history, their friends, their influences. You have to know how they behave, how they want to behave, how they describe themselves. You have to know them intimately.

How do you build a strong character?

23 Tips for Building a Strong CharacterKnow yourself. ... Surround yourself with inspirational people. ... Never stop learning from others. ... Avoid toxic people. ... Be open to new experiences. ... Take care of yourself. ... Be open to the opinion of others. ... Learn to deal with your past mistakes.More items...

What makes a good main character?

They are kind, good, and moral. They look out for their fellow characters in times of danger. A likable character sticks up for the little guy and adds a human quality to their supporting cast, even when that cast isn't remotely human. When a character feels like a guide, it makes the reader feel safe.

What makes a good fictional character?

Justify the character's reason for existence by establishing the character's story goal and motivation. Make sure the character has both strengths and flaws. Give the character an external and internal conflict. Decide whether the character is static or dynamic.

What are examples of characterization?

Direct Versus Indirect Characterization Examples of direct characterization would be: ◾“Bill was short and fat, and his bald spot was widening with every passing year.” ◾“'Jane is a cruel person,' she said. '”

What is a question you can ask in order to identify a theme?

Some questions that will encourage thinking about theme are: “What did the author want us to think about?” “What idea stays with you?” “What will you remember about the story a year from now?” Of course, for many texts, there are often multiple themes and more than one way to express them.

What are some characteristic traits?

Values and Beliefs as Character Traitsgenerosity.integrity.loyalty.devoted.loving.kindness.sincerity.self-control.More items...

What are plot questions?

So, without further ado here are 5 essential questions to plot out your story.What is your character's situation at the start of the story? ... What is the inciting incident? ... What obstacles does your character encounter? ... What happens to make the situation worse? ... What is the final resolution?

Why is it important to interview your characters?

I know a lot of writers are pantsers, and while I would definitely recommend out lining to improve your overall writing efficiency and limit moments of writer’s block.

What does it mean to know about your characters?

The short answer is that the more you know about your characters the better off you will be. You will have a clear path of how the characters will act and react throughout the novel. With that being said, I’m assuming most of you want to the deepest understanding of your character possible in the shortest possible time.

When is a character development interview over?

The thing to remember is that your character development interview is over when you feel like you have a full understanding of your character’s needs and desires.

What is a character worksheet?

A character worksheet is a tool that an author uses as a template to help them develop their characters. Think of the Character Worksheet as an exercise that forces you, the author, to ask all the questions that about your character that help to bring them to life as fully developed and well-rounded characters.

Why do writers need a character questionnaire?

A character questionnaire forces you to get well-enough acquainted with your characters to know how they’d react to everything you plan on throwing at them in the story.

165 Character Development Questions

Welcome to Authority Pub’s comprehensive list of questions for character development. Get yourself a mug or glass of something good, and answer these for each of the characters your story depends on.

WHERE TO BEGIN

Over the years, I’ve figured out that writing an outline isn’t impossible. It’s just that, for me, it can’t be the very first step. Rather, I need to know a lot more about the characters who populate my story before I can think about the structure of the story.

CHARACTER DEMOGRAPHICS AND FAMILY

1. What is your name? 2. How old are you? 3. Where were you born? 4. What did your father and mother do for a living? 5. Were you well off? Middle class? Impoverished? 6. Do you have siblings? If so, what are their names and ages? 7. Where do you fall in the birth order? The oldest, youngest? 8. Which one of you is your mother’s favorite? 9.

CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION

11. When you were a child, what was one thing you could always be sure of? 12. What was something you were never sure of? 13. Where did you grow up? Is this a place you’d go back to now? Or avoid? 14. Do you still have friends there? Or family? 15. How did you do in school? 16. What was your favorite subject? 17. What was your greatest talent? 18.

CURRENT HOUSEHOLD AND RELATIONSHIPS

27. What is your life like at the moment? 28. Are you married, single, or in a relationship? 29. What is that person’s name and occupation? 30. How are things going with him or her? 31. Where do you live now? 32. What are your physical surroundings like? Are they comfortable, safe, or dangerous? 33.

OCCUPATION

43. What do you do for a living? Are you self-employed, or do you work for someone else? 44. How long have you done this job? 45. Is this what you always planned to do, or did you fall into it? 46. How do you feel about it? 47. Would you rather be doing something else? If so, what would it be? 48.

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY

51. What is your religious belief currently? 52. Do you still practice the religion of your youth, or have you left it behind? 53. If you left it behind, what caused you to do so? 54. Do you think you have the answers, or are you still searching? 55. If you are searching, where or how are you looking?

LOVE LIFE

65. What is your sexual orientation? Are you comfortable with it? 66. If you are not comfortable with it, why not? 67. What do you do about those negative feelings? 68. Do you have love in your life right now? 69. Is there someone you once loved but no longer do? 70. If so, what happened to make that love go away? 71.

How to get to know your characters?

If you’re having trouble becoming an expert on your characters, there are a few things you can do to get to know them better. Try writing out some background in the form of a short story or a biography/life history. Complete a questionnaire from their perspective, or just answer some key questions about their past.

When examining your characters’ actions and decisions, it can be all too easy to justify them?

When examining your characters’ actions and decisions, it can be all too easy to justify them using your own authorial motivations, rather than the actual motivations of the characters . It’s important to distinguish between the two.

Why is it important to get your characters motivations right?

When it comes down to it, your characters’ motivations are the central driving force behind your story. That’s why it’s so important to get them right!

What happens if you can't explain why your antagonist wants what they want?

If you can’t explain why your antagonist wants what they want – if you can’t give them interesting and believable motivations – they’ll simply become a plot device rather than a fully fleshed-out character.

Why do antagonists come into play?

Unrealistic motivations tend to come into play most often with antagonistic characters. Sure, antagonists are required to create conflict in stories, but there need to be reasons for their antagonistic actions.

What are the motivations of a character?

Your characters’ motivations can provide important insight into: 1 Their values, morals and beliefs. 2 Their hopes, dreams and fears. 3 Their strengths and weaknesses. 4 Events in their past that have influenced who they are today.

What happens if you don't establish your characters' motivations?

Put simply, if you don’t establish your characters’ motivations, you run the risk of writing characters who fall flat. Characters who readers just can’t understand or connect with; characters who exist only to further the story; characters who are inconsistent, or who perpetuate lazy tropes and stereotypes.

What is the ability for the candidate to introduce himself / herself?

The ability for the candidate to introduce himself / herself is expected, and will put the candidate’s response will give you insight as to what the candidate views as their strong or desirable characteristics as an employee.

How can you tell whether a person will fit in with your company culture as a long-term, quality employee?

To understand a candidate’s fit within your organization, the key is to leverage the job interview while maintaining a natural rhythm. This eases the interviewer and interviewee in and out of the conversation, while hitting 6 important characteristics you want to know before making an offer.

What does listening to the actual scenario in which the candidate needed to perform this task help you understand?

Additionally, listening to the actual scenario in which the candidate needed to perform this task will help you understand how observant the candidate is of others and their communication style when needing to dive deeper into a subject for someone less knowledgeable. Listen for any tones of condescension or exasperation at having to provide the explanation.

Why is it important to set up an interview the right way?

Setting up your interview the right way will help you maintain the rhythm that keeps the job candidate at ease, while providing you deeper insights as to their true character and long-term fit for your company.

Do interview questions have a wrong answer?

Most interview questions don’t have a wrong or a right answer , but this one is an exception. If this is answered with resentment, blame, deflecting responsibility, or any other negative response, it should raise red flags. Even when circumstances are less than desirable, the ability to appreciate the positives and understand limitations without negativity show integrity.

How does your character's history affect your character?

Your character’s history may influence the way they act and the things they say while they’re onstage. Were they in prison for a short time — or a couple of decades? Did they get straight A’s in school? Did they travel the world at one point? Knowing the history of your character helps you figure out what kind of perspective they have on the situations in which they find themselves.

How does a character's perception of themselves affect the way they treat the people around them?

A character’s perception of themselves greatly influences the way they treat the people around them. If a character is insecure, they may lash out or bully other people. If they’re confident and cocky, they might snub their nose at others. If they feel at ease in their own skin, they may be warm and welcoming to the people around them. Ask yourself how your character views themselves, and you may be better able to answer how they feel about other people.