The Inside and Outside of a Fictional Character

When writing a novel and even more so if you intend to make it into a series, you need to know the character as well as you know yourself. If not better.

Crime writer Sheila Bugler and I worked together on developing a list of questions to dig deeper than hair colour and speech tics to fully flesh out our main characters. (Note: there are hundreds of character questionnaires out there, lots of which may well be more pertinent to your own writing.)

However, Sheila and I were both embarking on a crime series, so we fine-tuned the questions to glean the maximum from our very different female detectives. When we’d finished, we sat down and answered in character. It was probably the most useful exercise I’ve ever done.

Later I began to realise how other characters see my MC doesn’t always reflect her true personality. Logical – none of us is consistent or 100% honest. So I developed a second exercise which helped me place her in any given environment. I found these two exercises so beneficial to my work, I thought I’d share them with you.

Have a lovely weekend.

Exercise A: From the Inside

1. Are you typically (insert nationality)?
2. What makes you easy/hard to get along with?
3. Describe your earliest memory.
4. Where do you get your information from? Be specific – TV? Which channel? Gossip? Whose word do you trust?
5. Who or what is the love of your life?
6. Who is your hero?
7. Last book you read – struggle or pleasure?
8. What do you usually have for breakfast?
9. In what ways are you like your parents?
10. If you were an animal, what would you be?
11. Give an example of one of your rituals.
12. What are you most afraid of and why?
13. What is the last thing you do before you go to sleep?
14. Are you normal?
15. What would be your desert island disc and why?
16. What would you change about your appearance?
17. When was the last time you indulged yourself? How?
18. What prejudices do you have, if any?
19. What makes you laugh?
20. Do you have any scars? Where did they come from?
21. What is your most precious possession?
22. What keeps you awake?
23. Why do you/don’t you have children?
24. Who is your best friend?
25. When did you last lose your temper? Why?
26. Which items do you always carry with you?
27. What is your idea of a perfect evening?
28. What is your greatest regret?
29. Which characteristics do you look for in a friend?
30. Describe your most recent achievement.
    (With thanks to Sheila Bugler)

Exercise B: From the Outside

Looking at your character from the outside is like trying to see yourself as others see you. It’s not easy so here’s a way in.

On the left hand side of a piece of paper, write down five of your character’s key values. What are the things they hold dear? Think conceptually, eg, truth, loyalty, persistence, kindness, etc

Now on the right, write down how those characteristics could be perceived by someone who doesn’t know/is prejudiced against/hates your character. Eg, truth can be seen as rudeness, loyalty as blind devotion, persistence as pig-headedness, kindness as being a sap, etc.