Book Character Questionnaire

 

Basia interviewing her character Matilda, 2017

When creating a character questionnaire ask variety of

what, where, when, why, who, whom, how, if, do questions.

They can be basic, such as:

1. What’s your name or nickname?
2. How old are you?
3. Where do you live and with whom?
4. Do you have a family and who they are?
5. What do you want to be when you grew up?

Or more specific, for example:

1. What do you like to wear?
2. How do you like to socialize with?
3. What was your first best friend like?
4. What do you do when you are bored?
5. What makes you laugh?
6. What annoys you?
7. What music do you listen to?
8. What season do you enjoy most?
9. Are you a dog or a cat person?
10. Do you consider yourself an active or passive person and explain why?
11. What are their long term goals?
12. What are their short term goals?
13. What scares you?
14. What is the one word you would use to define you?
15. What are you most proud of?
16. What do you find embarrassing?

They can be deeper, let’s say:

1. What do you feel most passionately about?
2. Are you a leader or a follower, explain why and give an example?
3. What trait do you find most admirable in others?
4. Do you want a job that helps people or a job that makes money?
5. If you were to come into money what would you do with it?
6. If you could have lived in another decade which would it have been?

Some questions can require to use imagination, like:

1. Imagine you are doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for you to throw out? What is difficult for you to part with? Why?
2. You are getting ready for a trip. Where are you going? What are you taking with you? Who will you be with?
3. It is Sunday afternoon. What you are doing? Give details.
4. When you think of your kitchen, what smell do you associate with it? Why is that smell so resonant for you?
5. What is in your refrigerator right now? In your bedroom? On your library shelf? On your nightstand? In your garbage can?

Q: What questions would you add to the list?

Check some links for more suggestions.

Gotham Character Questionnaire

https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/character-questionnaire/gotham

Marcel Proust Character Questionnaire

https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/character-questionnaire/proust

Four Methods for Interviewing Characters by Laurie Campell

https://www.autocrit.com/editing/library/four-methods-for-interviewing-characters/

10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Characters by Brenda Janowitz

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/novel-writing-10-questions-you-need-to-ask-your-characters

30 Questions to Ask Your Main Character by Carly Watters

https://carlywatters.com/2014/01/13/30-questions-to-ask-your-main-character/