Character Interviews

Jack Nog · Aug 10, 2007

In an effort to flesh out my characters, I've decided to take someone's advice here (I forgot who, and it might be several of you) and perform interviews on some of the characters in my novel(s).

My question is what types of questions you guys came up with to ask them. I can come up with some random items, but I'm not very good at interviews myself (as interviewer or interviewee...) and I'd like some advice.

Hell, I'm about to send them through those personality tests at the back of women's magazines that my wife has stacked up or some of those IQ tests they have on the 'Net.

Thanks!

CaroGirl · Aug 10, 2007

I haven't done anything like this, so I'm curious to see responses. Just make sure you're not wasting time and procrastinating by interviewing your characters instead of WRITING!!

Sophia · Aug 10, 2007

For me, the character question that gives me the best response to work with, is

"What is the worst thing I can do to you?"

The answer might come to you immediately, or you could let your character talk around it a bit until you hit on the exact thing. Then you make it happen, and watch them react.

Azraelsbane · Aug 10, 2007

Someone comes in and destroys the thing you love most. How would you react?

Someone comes in and destroys the person you love most. How would you react?

I think the answer to those two questions could tell you a lot about a person.

Jack Nog · Aug 10, 2007

CaroGirl said:
Just make sure you're not wasting time and procrastinating by interviewing your characters instead of WRITING!!

Can't argue with that. I agree and this is mostly for part of a revision I'm about to start. When I write, I WRITE. nothing except my environment stops me so I make sure I'm good and undisturbed when I do write.

Good stuff however, keep 'em coming, I would love to see what anyone else has to say.

HourglassMemory · Aug 10, 2007

Do it sort of like James Lipton does with actors.

Favourite word.
Least favourite sound.

Watch an interview of him on Youtube with any actor and you'll see what I'm talking about.
And you should put stuff like 'Looks at the audience with a smile'

Or perhaps get them interviewd by Oprah.

And obviously write it down. Type it for the heck of it.

Just imagine you're having dinner with all the charcaters and everybody is sitting on a long table, and as everybody eats, you ask one of them a question. Ask them stuff that you would have in your head as you eat.

Or have you sit in a restaurant with only one charcater.

Azraelsbane · Aug 10, 2007

Just an afterthought question- knowing how the person would react when horrible things are done to them, vs people they care about is also important.

For instance, I have a character that will take ANYTHING from anybody, pain, insults, torture- and he is still able to remain calm, collected, and in control. His morals and strength of will help keep him that way.

However, when his daughter is killed, he flips out. I mean like, after 3 books of him as an MC "Who the heck is this character?" type flipping out.

So yeah, I think that's an important thing to know about your chars.

Rhea L · Aug 10, 2007

Azraelsbane said:
I mean like, after 3 books of him as an MC "Who the heck is this character?" type flipping out.

So yeah, I think that's an important thing to know about your chars.

Hey, I know exactly what you mean. Current WiP has a character who was lighthearted and funny and charming. Only for so long, though. It so happened that the plot destroyed his sanity, one bit at a time, because at some point he just couldn't stand watching someone he loves suffer/die/fall. And, there you go - before I knew, I had plot enough for another book; this time, with an antagonist I really didn't want to end up with. Oops.

Back to the topic at hand, though. The main questions I asked my characters when I wanted to nudge the plot forward were the following:

1) What is it that you care about more than anything else? (so that I can take it away from you, one way or another. Or devise something that will prey on whatever your answer is. This one actually turned out to be the key to my current WiP's plot.)

2) What do you pay attention to first when you meet someone / arrive at a new place? (a lot more mundane, but it really helps keep the POV consistent, and with two narrating MCs, I'd imagine that's especially important as they're two people of different disposition, history and age.)

necia phoenix · Aug 10, 2007

Here are a few that I have tossed at my characters:

1)what are your hopes?
2)what are you goals (in relation to the story)?
3)who is your secret crush? why?
4)who do you hate?
5) why?
6)if forced to spend a day in a small house with your arch enemy, how would that day go? If there were no internal doors and no windows?
7) if your crush declared undying love for you then died, what would you do?
8) what is your least favorite activity?
9)why?
10) if you had to do the thing you hate to save your crush, would you?

there's more... but I can't think of them.

Scrawler · Aug 10, 2007

I have a couple of character profile sheets I like to use. It lists among other things:
Glasses or contact lenses?
How does he/she dress?
Mannerisms:
Favorite sayings:
Habits:
How does Character see himself/herself?
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?
How self-confident is the character?
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?
What would most embarrass this character?
How does the character deal with anger?
With sadness?
With conflict?
With change?

I've added some other things like gum or TicTacs; pantyhose or not; boxers or briefs; shabby shoes or neat? What's the secret thing in his/her briefcase/purse?

KTC · Aug 10, 2007

This works, but I also do diary entries as my characters. I try to do them in a timeframe either before or after the book takes place, so that I either know their backstory or how the book changed them. I just slip into the character and go...

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 10, 2007

My character interview questions are usually specific to a scene. I don't bother asking about anything not relevant to the story - who cares what Clive's favorite color is or whether he likes jelly on his toast? Usually, my questions delve into the character's feelings or the details of how a scene plays out. I ask open-ended questions and let them ramble.[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

necia phoenix · Aug 10, 2007

Devil Ledbetter said:
My character interview questions are usually specific to a scene. I don't bother asking about anything not relevant to the story - who cares what Clive's favorite color is or whether he likes jelly on his toast? Usually, my questions delve into the character's feelings or the details of how a scene plays out. I ask open-ended questions and let them ramble.

I have found that if you know those things you can torture them more effectively. Like it the character is picky about the color socks they wear and only the ugly socks from the distant relative are clean.... another form of torture **insert evil author laughter***

Or if a character doesn't like a certain type of drink and having that the only thing offered. Little things add up. In my opinion.

Shady Lane · Aug 10, 2007

I don't really understand this character interview stuff.

I just write the little bastards.

JoNightshade · Aug 10, 2007

I think for me, writing the book IS the interview.

TheIT · Aug 10, 2007

I tried character interviews but it didn't work for me. What worked was throwing my characters into wildly different situations to see how they'd respond. For example, one of my MCs is a wizard from a fantasy universe. I daydreamed that he was on the Enterprise trying to explain to Spock that yes, magic really did work. I also tried putting him into modern situations, things like "How would he react to going to an amusement park? A movie theatre? Christmas dinner with my family?" By having my (at the time) nebulous character interact with characters or people I know well, I was able to get to know him better.

Stringer · Aug 10, 2007

I ask my characters the same question I ask myself:

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"

That idea is a recurring theme in many of my stories. Makes me wonder about myself, particularly why I obsess over it.

KTC · Aug 10, 2007

JoNightshade said:
I think for me, writing the book IS the interview.

WAY good answer.

scarletpeaches · Aug 10, 2007

What do you want?

KTC · Aug 10, 2007

What does who want, Judas!? Please...stay on topic!

(-;

Robert L.B. · Aug 10, 2007

http://www.simegen.com/romance/interview.html

Found that recently. Might help some.

Raiyah · Aug 10, 2007

For me, when I interview my character I don't ask them direct questions. In fact, I ask them to literally tell me their life's story and even though its quite lengthy and half the stuff they tell me won't make it into the novel, but at least I have a better understanding and knowledge of my character. As a result, when I write about their journey, I am more confident as a writer because I know everything about my character. A few questions can't fill up that gap, in my opinion. Considering that this is a lengthy process, I only do it with major characters.

Sassee · Aug 10, 2007

My characters respond better to conversational type chatter rather than reading a list of questions. Just talk to them like you would any other friend.

Something like "hey, how's it goin?"

and then you might get something like "oh not bad. just a few werewolves trying to kill me today, and I almost failed my midterms. nothing much."

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 10, 2007

Sassee said:
My characters respond better to conversational type chatter rather than reading a list of questions. Just talk to them like you would any other friend.

Something like "hey, how's it goin?"

Same here. Casual conversation, not a grill session.

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