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 2/8/2015 15 Questions Author s Shoul d Ask Characters - Wri ters Wr ite http://wri terswri te.co.za/15-questions-authors-shoul d-ask-characters 1/6 Login Writers Write Write to communicate. We offer the best writing courses in South Africa. « Back to blog 15 Questions Authors Should Ask Characters How well do you know your character? We spend a lot of time creating characters. We think about names, where they live, who they love, whether or not they have a phobia or a  personality disorder . We decide to place our characters in conflict with an antagonist in order to write a novel. We plan an inciting moment , and plot our scenes, but how much do we really know about the psychological motivations of our important characters? Here are 15 questions you should be able to answer about these characters in your novel. 1. What would mentally destroy your character? 2. How does your character feel about his mother  and father ? 3. When did your character feel completely loved and accepted? 4. What would have to happen to make your character speak out, or, defend a stranger, in public? 5. What does he lie about? 6. Does your character need friends?

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  • 2/8/2015 15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharactersWritersWrite

    http://writerswrite.co.za/15questionsauthorsshouldaskcharacters 1/6

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    WritersWriteWritetocommunicate.WeofferthebestwritingcoursesinSouthAfrica.

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    15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharacters

    Howwelldoyouknowyourcharacter?

    Wespendalotoftimecreatingcharacters.Wethinkaboutnames,wheretheylive,whotheylove,whetherornottheyhaveaphobiaorapersonalitydisorder.Wedecidetoplaceourcharactersinconflictwithanantagonistinordertowriteanovel.Weplananincitingmoment,andplotourscenes,buthowmuchdowereallyknowaboutthepsychologicalmotivationsofourimportantcharacters?

    Hereare15questionsyoushouldbeabletoansweraboutthesecharactersinyournovel.

    1. Whatwouldmentallydestroyyourcharacter?2. Howdoesyourcharacterfeelabouthismotherandfather?3. Whendidyourcharacterfeelcompletelylovedandaccepted?4. Whatwouldhavetohappentomakeyourcharacterspeakout,or,defendastranger,inpublic?5. Whatdoeshelieabout?6. Doesyourcharacterneedfriends?

  • 2/8/2015 15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharactersWritersWrite

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    7. Whatphysicalthingdoesyourcharacterfearmost?8. Ifyourcharactercouldchoosetospendhislastdayalivewithoneperson(deadoralive),who

    wouldhechoose?9. Whatishisdefiningstrength?

    10. Isheabletoworkforsomeoneelse?11. Doesyourcharacterhaveapositiveornegativebodyimage?12. Who,orwhat,wouldyourcharacterdiefor?13. Doesyourcharacterhaveaplanfortomorrow?Nextweek?Nextyear?14. Isyourcharacterresilientenoughtochange?15. Whatwouldyourcharacterthinkifhecouldseeyounow?

    Acharacterspersonalityismadeupofpatternsofthoughts,feelingsandbehavioursthatmakehimunique.Thesepsychologicalpersonalitytraitsremainfairlyconsistentthroughoutlife.

    Ifyouwanttomakeyourcharactersmemorable,itsagoodideatogettoknowthembetter.

    Ifyouenjoyedthisarticle,youmayenjoyThe12MostBasicCharacterBuildingBlocks,CheatSheetsforWritingBodyLanguage,andSevenEssentialThingstoRememberaboutVeryImportantCharacters.

    byAmandaPatterson

    AmandaPatterson

    FollowheronFacebookandPinterestandGoogle+andTumblrandTwitter.AmandaisthefounderofWritersWrite.Hersignaturecourse,WritersWrite,specializesintheteachingoffictionwriting.

    ~~~~~

    WritersWriteoffersthebestwritingcoursesinSouthAfrica.Ifyouwanttolearnhowtowriteabook,writeforsocialmedia,andimproveyourbusinesswriting,[email protected].

    WritersWriteWritetocommunicate

    Upvote16Tweet 345

    Likethispost?Subscribetoupdatesbyemail35responsesGreatquestionsthatareveryhelpfulforthewritingprocess...butIamdisappointedthattheauthorofthearticleassumesamalegenderfortheprotagonist.

  • 2/8/2015 15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharactersWritersWrite

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    Julia7monthsagoHiJuliaIneverassumeanygenderforanything.SometimesIuse'she'andsometimesIuse'he'foreaseofreading.Itisclumsytosayheorsheconstantlyinashortpost.WhenIusethefeminineformIgetcriticisedforthattoo.RegardsAmandaPattersonWritersWrite7monthsagoHaha,Iknewsomeonewouldcomplainaboutthegender.IKNEWit.Dragonmagazineusedtodoathing,whereinthemiddleofthearticle,whentalkingaboutanamelesscharacterlikethis,they'dswitchgender.Sointhefirsthalf,therangerwouldbemale,inthesecondhalf,she'dbefemale.Hypto7monthsagoHypto:Ididn'tevennoticeditbeforethecomment.ButIalwaysusewhensomeoneuses"she"allthetime.Mostlywhenitisforwordsthatareinmaleforminmylanguage,whichforexampleprotagonistis.M.7monthsagoExcellentarticle,Amanda!Iknowsomeofthesethingsformyprotagonist,butIsometimesdon'tworryaboutthingslikethisuntilitcomesup.SeveralofyourquestionsgavemepauseI'mgoingtohavetothinkaboutthemformycharacternow.Thankssomuch!VarinaSuellenPlonski7monthsagoIrecentlywroteanarticleoncharacterbuildingaswell,butitlacksalotoftheideasyou'veincluded.Sothankyouforsharingthiswithus.MelissaParker6monthsagoYoushouldchangethepronounsreferringtothecharactertoneutralpronounsasinthesingular'they'.You'regivingofftheimpressionthatthecharactersworthbotheringwitharemale,andwiththeexcessofmalemaincharactersvs.sparsepresenceoffemalemaincharacters,thismalesuperiorityimpressionhereneedstobeavoided!Ruinabout1monthago"They"ispluralbydefinition.Iamfemaleanddon'tgiveaflyingrat'spatootieifyousayusemaleorfemalepronounsbut"they"isnotsingular.ThatweallowitinthelanguagenowisjustamatteroflazyEnglishevolution/devolution.Ifyouuseitinformalwritingyouareshowingalackofprofessionalism.Iactuallygetalittleannoyedwhenawriterfeelsforcedbypoliticalcorrectnesstoswitchbackandforth.It'sdistracting.I'mmatureenoughandsecureenoughtounderstandthatasawomanIampartofthesameprocessbeingdescribed.KCabout1monthagoNo,theuniversaluseof"he"isoutrightoffensive.Ifyoudefendit,it'sjustbecauseyou'reusedtoitandusedtotheculturethatusesit,notbecauseit'sactuallyacceptable.Singular"they"isamuchbetteroption,andthereisnogrammaticalargumentagainstitit'sbeenattestedinEnglishsinceatleastthefourteenthcentury.Anothermuchbetteroptionwouldbe"heorshe".Tohellwithsexism.Sandraabout1monthagoHello,

    Excellentarticle!Ihopeyoudontmindmetranslatingthequestionnairesintomyfirstlanguageandpostthisviafacebook.Cantwaittoseeanswersfrommyfriends'characters!!!

    PSButifyoudomind,pleasedonothesitatetocontactviagivenemail,IwouldimmediatelytakethepostdownJaeshiizouabout1monthagoFromAmandaPatterson:"Ineverassumeanygenderforanything.SometimesIuse'she'andsometimesIuse'he'foreaseofreading.Itisclumsytosayheorsheconstantlyinashortpost.WhenIusethefeminineformIget

  • 2/8/2015 15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharactersWritersWrite

    http://writerswrite.co.za/15questionsauthorsshouldaskcharacters 4/6

    reading.Itisclumsytosayheorsheconstantlyinashortpost.WhenIusethefeminineformIgetcriticisedforthattoo.RegardsAmandaPatterson"WritersWriteabout1monthagoJaeshiizou,pleaseemailnews@writerswrite.co.zawithyourrequest.WritersWriteabout1monthagoGreetingsagain,Ihademailedtheaddress,however,itseemedthattheemailaddressdoesnotexist,asIreceiveaDeliveryStatusFailureemailsoonafterJaeshiizouabout1monthagoItexists.Jaeshiizou,pleasetryagain.WritersWriteabout1monthagoSeemedtohavebeentechnicalerroronmypart,utmostapologies:(

    I'veresenttheemail,hopeitreaches.Jaeshiizouabout1monthago"They"isnotpluralbydefinition.Evenifitwasatsomepoint,ithascometobesomethingdifferentovertime(thiswasaprocessthatwasinitiatedbyShakespeare,sopleasedon'tactlikeit'samodernanachronism).Itisaperfectlyacceptablegenderneutralpronoun,andshouldbeusedwheneverpossible.Snowskeeperabout1monthagoPleasedonotprescribehowotherpeopleshouldorshouldnotwrite.Ifyouwanttousetheclumsysounding'they'asasingular,youarefreetodoso.WritersWriteabout1monthagoThislistwasamazingIcan'tbelievepeoplearebeingnitpickyabout"he"beingused.Whocares?Weallknowwhatwasmeant.Besides,using"they"foronecharacterinmyopinionsoundsmessyandunprofessional.That'sprobablyjustme,though.Anyways,thisarticlehelpedmetogettoknowmycharacterevenfurther.Ilovethissite/blog,itreallyishelpful,unlikeotherplacesIhavecomeacross.Thankyouforthislist!:)Carolyn27daysagoThankyou,Carolyn.We'rehappythatthelistworkedforyou.WritersWrite27daysago16visitorsupvotedthispostYourNameEmailAddWebsiteURL

    YourCommentNotifymebyemailwhennewcommentsareadded

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  • 2/8/2015 15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharactersWritersWrite

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    WeofferthebestwritingcoursesinSouthAfrica.Formoreinformation,[email protected]

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