15 questions authors should ask characters - writers write

2/8/2015 15QuestionsAuthorsShouldAskCharactersWritersWrite

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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.

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Likethispost?Subscribetoupdatesbyemail35responsesGreatquestionsthatareveryhelpfulforthewritingprocess...butIamdisappointedthattheauthorofthearticleassumesamalegenderfortheprotagonist.

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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

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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

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Posted7monthsagoJuly8,2014at10:30AM33,628views

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