Character Questionnaires
October 10th 2010 21:45
One important aspect of creating strong characters are the characters' motivations. Why do they want what they want? What's there in their history that explains why they think what they think, want what they want?
Character motivation needs to be plausible, obvious when you look for the clues, backed up by the things the character says and does. It can't just come out of the blue.
Fill out a character questionnaire to learn more about your characters. It will help you identify what makes your characters tick, what they are afraid of and it will show you which areas you need to develop further.
You'll find a good example for a character questionnaire on the Gotham Writers' Workshop website (I usually don't fill out all of the Gotham Writers' questionnaire, but I use it as a guideline).
The chapter on characters from the BBC How to Write a Novel site is also worth reading (it's also short).
The following is my take on character development. It's what works for me; you may find my method beneficial, but there is no guarantee you will. So think of this as one example which may help you develop your own method.
I have to get to know my characters. I ask them questions (whatever crosses my mind: I interview them; I fill out questionnaires or do one of the tests you find in women's glossies for them). I put them in a difficult every-day situation and see how they handle it. I find out what their biggest wishes and their biggest fears are and what they will do to fulfill them and to avoid them respectively. This is crucial because it will shape their motivation, and their motivation will determine the way they react in the moment of crisis.
Character motivation needs to be plausible, obvious when you look for the clues, backed up by the things the character says and does. It can't just come out of the blue.
Fill out a character questionnaire to learn more about your characters. It will help you identify what makes your characters tick, what they are afraid of and it will show you which areas you need to develop further.
You'll find a good example for a character questionnaire on the Gotham Writers' Workshop website (I usually don't fill out all of the Gotham Writers' questionnaire, but I use it as a guideline).
The chapter on characters from the BBC How to Write a Novel site is also worth reading (it's also short).
The following is my take on character development. It's what works for me; you may find my method beneficial, but there is no guarantee you will. So think of this as one example which may help you develop your own method.
I have to get to know my characters. I ask them questions (whatever crosses my mind: I interview them; I fill out questionnaires or do one of the tests you find in women's glossies for them). I put them in a difficult every-day situation and see how they handle it. I find out what their biggest wishes and their biggest fears are and what they will do to fulfill them and to avoid them respectively. This is crucial because it will shape their motivation, and their motivation will determine the way they react in the moment of crisis.
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