Books are what draw writers like me into the world of creating. Many of us dream of writing our own novel. But starting a new book of your own can be intimidating and a daunting task. With that being said, if you are interested in writing your own book, you have to create your characters. Characters are what make or break the story. Here are character development questions that will help you get started on your new novel. We'll start with the basics.
1. Who is your character? Are they a boy or a girl?
2. Where are they from?
3. What is/was their family life like?
4. How old are they?
5. Do they have any siblings? Who are their siblings?
6. Who are their parents?
Now, onto more deep questions to really get to know your character.
7. What do they take for granted?
8. What are their dreams/hopes?
9, What do they want to do for a living?
10. What is your character afraid of?
11. What would completely break your character?
12. What is the one thing your character cannot live without?
13. What would your character die for?
14. How many friends does your character have?
15. What memories from their childhood have significantly impacted them?
16. What is the best thing that has ever happened to your character?
17. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to your character?
18. What major flaws does your character have?
19. What does your character care deeply about?
20. What image does your character try to project?
21. Is that image accurate, or do they project something different?
22. What inspires your character?
23. What makes your character happy?
24. What makes your character angry?
25. What depresses your character?
26. What would cause your character to get into a fight?
27. Does your character compare themselves to others? In what ways?
28. What is your character's most fond memory?
29. What does your character look for in a relationship?
30. What beliefs/values does your character have?
31. What is your character socioeconomic status?
32. What have they had to overcome to get to where they are?
33. Does your character care about money and possessions?
34. Is your character emotional or tries to hide any emotion?
35. What feelings does your character have most often?
36. What has fundamentally changed your character for better or worse?
This list is a starting point for truly getting to know your character. Figuring out who your character is is essential in creating the plot line and viewpoints of your story. With this list, you can perfect your character into making them exactly how you see them.
