Laura Pfundt was talking the other day about interviewing characters, then Chris Stocking posted about interviewing his characters.
It’s so important to get to know your characters fully, and a quick Google search will pull up various forms of questionnaires that you can use to get to know your characters better. But, my absolute favourite way to get to know my characters is by using Manon Eileen’s Character Survey 🙂 Another good one is listed on the Writers Write Creative Blog
Kirsten at Write A Book With Me takes her characters out for a cup of coffee. I LOVE this idea.
And Kate Walker gets her hubby to bombard her with questions about her characters in the car 🙂
People watching at Swanwick 😉
So what do you do to get to know your characters?
Related articles
- A Jungian Tool for Character Creation (presentsofmind.wordpress.com)
The View Outside 
A character survey sounds so fun! I find I get to know my characters by imagining them in various scenarios prior to writing – I make one or two songs their theme songs and create a mental music video. Weird, I know. But it works. I will have to try the character survey thing though!
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It is fun Sara….takes a little while to fill it all in, but so worth it IMO 🙂
Ahhhhhh, music, interesting….and I will have to try that! 🙂
Xx
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I plan to try out the character survey this week. Excited!
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Ooooooo, do let me know how you get on 🙂
Xx
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I let music tell their story. When creating a playlist, I start to pick up on characteristics when hit a song I know they would like. It takes a long time, but it works for me. 🙂
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Wow, another fan of the music route….I’d never really thought of it CB. Thanks honey, will definitely give it a try now though 🙂
Xx
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What great links! That character survey is amazing. Bookmarked! And Sara and C.B. – your suggestions are great, too.
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Good luck Kitty,
I’m always open to sharing great links 😉
Xx
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I’ve been thinking of having a blog post by one of my characters.
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Oooooo, now that would be fun Patsy! 🙂
Xx
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That is a realy good idea! And got me thinking about writing all sorts of things ‘in character’ – shopping lists, birthday cards, a letter to their best friend/worst enemy. A great way to get inside a character’s head.
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The possibilities are endless when you think about it Jo 🙂 it’s kind of like being an actor lol
Xx
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I love the idea of taking your character out to coffee
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It’s good isn’t it 🙂
Xx
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It really is – it stirs my creativity – which for a journalist who works with facts is a great feat
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Ahhhhh, so interviewing is a technique you’re pretty familiar with 😉
Xx
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I had better be (lol)
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Thanks for the mention – glad you like the MSC so much! 😀 Good luck and have fun writing, all the best, Manon
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I LOVE it honey! 🙂
Thank you so much for popping by!
Xx
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Thanks for posting these resources! Great stuff.
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You’re welcome Josh, have fun! 😉
Xx
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I can understand the point of it, but it is not a technique I would use. For me, my characters exist in the world created, not my world. But that is just my perspective.
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Really? Wow, that’s an interesting perspective 🙂
So do they just kind of develop as you go into the story?
Xx
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Well I have my ideas about them, sometimes more than others, sometimes to see what comes out with the story. But they are related to that world of the story, To me I don’t want them to exist in different worlds, unless relevant. It is my way of categorising them I guess.
I have nothing against people doing it, and I am not criticising it, it just isn’t something that fits with me.
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It would be a very boring world if we were all the same honey 😉
I think it’s great that you’ve found something that works for you!
Xx
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Sounds like lots of fun. I like the idea about interviewing characters on a blog.
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Yeah, I think I might try that 🙂
Xx
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I hadn’t thought about this. Nothing at the moment, but perhaps I better try. Something to think about.
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I love finding resources for stuff like this….file it away in the notebook for use at a later day hon 🙂
Xx
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Aww, Vikki, thanks for the mention! And I’m hopping right over to all the links as soon as I finish this comment. There’s nothing I love more than finding out new things about my characters.
It’s funny– I just finished another post about how I bring my characters into focus, after another writer prompted me to try and outline my process, which is admittedly a little different from most.
It works for me, as far as I can tell, and it’s loads of fun to boot! That’s what I love about blogging though. I get to see how other writers do things, and share my own process in exchange.
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You’re welcome honey, it’s a great idea! 🙂
Oooooo, looking forward to your post!
Xx
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