The Word Cloud

I've collected so many character questionnaires over the years - I still resist using them. At the moment I'm just letting my characters tell me what they're - which sounds rather esoteric and metaphysical AND means it'll take me twenty years to write a novel as my central characters manage to tell me about two facts a week each.

Just wondered about anyone else's successful methods for getting to know their characters...?

hmmmm...i find that if i have an idea of where my characters are going and try and get them there - they usually reveal themselves along the way

My problem is when I do that, I shoehorn my characters into only revealing convenient things that justify them doing the thing I need them to do to make the plot go the way I want!

Not that I have control needs or anything.

As soon as I have a basic idea about a character's being I'll put a face to it but start only with the basics. What age; colour of hair; eyes; how tall; nationality; skin colour etc.? Then I sign into any one of the myriad of Casting Agency's websites and feed this information into their search function for actors and actresses who match the criteria and see who appears. (They are mostly unknowns so there can be no pre-conception of what kind of person they are or typecasting etc.)
I trudge through their photos until I find the person who most resembles my imaginary character, then sift through their photograph portfolio to find the nearest 'match' and print off the picture. Once studied closely, the photo can prompt any number of imaginings as to how they speak, what they do for a living, what their name might be etc.
If you do this for all of your characters and blue-tac them to your wall, constantly referring back to the photos as you write, then your characters really begin to come into their own. Sometimes you may find that a couple of your character photos may 'clash' and just not gel. If this happens, ask yourself why? Can this be used to your advantage? Or, if not, try someone elses photo in their stead. I find it an invaluable tool when writers block strikes or when you are faced with that impossible, first, daunting blank page.
Hope you find the suggestion useful.

That's a great idea, thanks Kim!

Hello,
hope you don't mind me dropping in like this. But I saw the 'Character' sign and couldn't resist.
Characters are my big problem. Well, one of my big problems and I don't like those 100 question sheets either.  I can't work that way. I suppose  I prefer to write little scenes, even if they have nothing to do with the plot and see what my characters say and do. This is totally off the top of my head, there is no planning whatsoever it's just whatever streams from the brain and it can be surprising.

Aiyla

Hi Aiyla, thanks for dropping in, we were feeling a bit lonely!

I think that's a great way in, actually - to the extent you can put aside any thoughts of getting it 'right' and just let your intuition roam, you are bound to find something authentic about your character. I remember reading a piece by one published writer who puts characters she's developing into short stories unconnected to her novel to see how they react and learn a little more about them.

In case anyone reading this loves character questionnaires, I have it on good authority that a favourite of many writers is the questionnaire used by the Scientologists to screen new recruits. It's great advantage is it's all 'yes/no' so you can get a feel for your character rather quickly. here it is in all its glory.

1.Do you make thoughtless remarks or accusations which later you regret?
2.When others are getting rallied, do you remain fairly composed?
3.Do you browse through railway timetables, directories, or dictionaries just for pleasure?
4.When asked to make a decision, would you be swayed by your like or dislike of the personality involved?
5.Do you intend two or less children in your family even though your health and income will permit more?
6.Do you get occasional twitches of your muscles, when there is no logical reason for it?
7.Would you prefer to be in a position where you did not have the responsibilities of making decisions?
8.Are your actions considered unpredictable by other people?
9.Do you consider more money should be spent on social security?
10.Do other people interest you very much?
11.Is your voice monotonous, rather than varied in pitch?
12.Do you normally let the other person start the conversation?
13.Are you readily interested in other people's conversations?
14.Would the idea of inflicting pain on game, small animals or fish prevent you from hunting or fishing?
15.Are you often impulsive in your behavior?
16.Do you speak slowly?
17.Are you usually concerned about the need to protect your health?
18.Does an unexpected action cause your muscles to twitch?
19.Are you normally considerate in your demands on your employees, relatives, or pupils?
20.Do you consider that you could give a valid 'snao judgment ?
21.Do your past failures still worry you?
22.Do you find yourself being extra-active for periods lasting several days?
23.Do you resent the efforts of others to tell you what to do?
24.Is it normaly hard for you to 'own up and take the blame'?
25.Do you have a small circle of close friends, rather than a large number of friends, speaking acquantances?
26.Is your life a constant struggle for survival?
27.Do you often sing or whistle just for the fun of it?
28.Are you considered warm-hearted by your friends?
29.Would you rather give orders than take them?
30.Do you enjoy telling people the latest scandal about your associates?
31.Could you agree, to strict discipline ?
32.Would the idea of making a complete new start cause you much concern?
33.Do you make efforts to get others to laugh and smile?
34.Do you find it easy to express your emotions?
35.Do you refrain from complaining when the other person is late for an appointment?
36.Are you sometimes considered by others a "spoilsport"?
37.Do you consider there are other people who are definitely unfriendly toward you and work against you?
38.Would you admit you were wrong just to "keep the peace"?
39.Do you have only a few people of whom you are really tend
40.Are you rarely happy, unless you have a special reason?
41.Do you "circulate around" at a social gathering?
42.Do you take reasonable precaution to prevent accidents?
43.Does the idea of talking in front of people make you nervous?
44.If you saw an article in a shop obviously mistakenly marked lower than its correct price, would you try to get it at that price?
45.Do you often feel that people are looking at you or talking about you behind your back?
46.Are you 'always getting into trouble'?
47.Have you any particular hate or fear?
48.Do you prefer to be an onlooker rather than participate in any active sport?
49.Do you find it easy to be impartial?
50.Have you a definitely set standard of courteous behavior in front of other members of your family?
51.Can you start the "ball rolling" at a social gathering?
52.Would you "buy on credit" with the hope that you can keep up the payments?
53.Do you get an after-reaction when something unexpected such as an accident or other disturbing incident takes place?
54.Do you consider the good of all concerned rather than your own personal advantages?
55.When hearing a lecturer, do you sometimes experience the idea that the speaker is referring entirely to you?
56.Does 'external noise' rarely intertere with your concentration?
57.Are you usually "up-to-date" on everyday affairs?
58.Can you confidently plan and work towards carrying out an event in six months time?
59.Do you consider the modern "prisons without bars" system doomed to failure?
60.Do you tend to be careless?
61.Do you ever get a 'dreamlike feeling toward life when it all seems unreal?
62.Do you speedily recover from the effects of bad news?
63.When you criticize - do you at the same time try to encourage?
64.Are you normally considered "cold"?
65.Are your opinions insufficiently important to tell other people?
66.Are you so self-assured that it sometimes annoys others?
67.Do you keep "close contact" on articles of yours which you have loaned to friends?
68.Do you enjoy activities of your own choosing?
69.Does emotional music have quite an effect on you?
70.Do you completely condemn a person because he is a rival or opponent in some aspect of your relations with him?
71.Do you often "sit and think" about death, sickness, pain and sorrow?
72.Are you perturbed at the idea of loss of dignity?
73.Are you always collecting things which "might be useful"?
74.Would you criticize faults and point out the bad points on someone else's character or handiwork?
75.Are you openly appreciative of beautiful things?
76.Do you sometimes give away articles which strictly speaking do not belong to you?
77.Do you greet people effusively?
78.Do you often ponder on previous misfortunes?
79.Are you sometimes considered forceful in your actions or opinions?
80.Do you accept criticism easily and without resentment?
81.Are you usually undisturbed by "noises off" when you are trying to rest?
82.Are you likely to be jealous?
83.Do you tend to put off doing things and then discover it is too late?
84.Do you prefer to abide by the wishes of others rather than seek to have your own way?
85.Do you find it easy to get yourself started on a project?
86.Do you bite your fingernails or chew the end of your pencil?
87.Do you "turn up the volume" of your emotions just to create an effect?
88.If we were invading another country, would you feel sympathetic towards conscientious objectors in this country?
89.Are there some things about yourself on which you are touchy?
90.Do you have few interests and activities that are your own choice?
91.Do you ever get a single thought which hangs around for days?
92.Are you a slow eater?
93.Can you be a stabilizing influence when others get panicky?
94.Would you stop and find out whether a person needed help even though they had not directly asked you for it?
95.Are you prejudiced in favor of your own school, college, club or team, etc,?
96.Do you pay your debts and keep your promises when it is possible?
97.Do you sleep well?
98.Would you use corporal punishment on a child aged ten if it refused to obey you?
99.Do you prefer to take a passive role in any club or organization to which you belong?
100.Are you logical and scientific in your thinking?
101.Does the youth of today have more opportunity than that of a generation ago?
102.Do you throw things away only to discover that you need them later?
103.Would you give up easily on a given course if it were causing you a considerable amount of inconvenience?
104.Do you "wax enthusiastic' about only a few subjects?
105.Do you rarely suspect the actions of others?
106.Do you sometimes wonder if anyone really cares about you?
107.Do you turn down responsibility because you doubt your fitness to cope?
108.Do you sometimes feel compelled to repeat some interesting item or tidbit?
109.Do you tend to exaggerate a justifiable grievance?
110.Is your facial expression varied rather than set?
111.Do you usually need to justify or back up an opinion once stated?
112.Do you openly and sincerely admire beauty in other people?
113.Would it take a definite effort on your part to consider the subject of suicide?
114.Would you consider yourself energetic in your attitude toward life?
115.Would a disagreement affect your general relationship with another person?
116.Does a minor failure on your part rarely trouble you?
117.Do you sometimes feel that you talk too much?
118.Do you smile much?
119.Are you easily pleased?
120.When met with direct opposition would you still seek to have your own way rather than give in?
121.Provided the distance were not too great, would you still prefer to ride rather than walk?
122.Do you ever get disturbed by the noise of the wind or a "house settling down"?
123.Is your opinion influenced by looking at things from the standpoint of your experiences, occupation or training?
124.Do you often make tactless blunders?
125.Are you suspicious of people who ask to borrow money from you?
126.Are your decisions swayed by personal interests?
127.Can you get quite enthusiastic over "some simple little thing"?
128.Do you frequently take action even though you know your own good judgment would indicate otherwise?
129.Are you in favor of color bar and class distinction?
130.Are you aware of any habitual physical mannerisms such as pulling your hair, nose, ears, or such like?
131.Can you quickly adapt and make use of new conditions and situations even though they may be difficult?
132.Do some noises "set your teeth on edge"?
133.Can you see the other fellow's point of view when you wish to?
134.Do you go to bed when you want to, rather than "by the clock"?
135.Do the "petty foibles" of others make you impatient?
136.Do children irritate you?
137.Are you less talkative than your associates?
138.Do you usually carry out assignments promptly and systematically?
139.Would you assist a fellow traveler rather than leave it to the officials?
140.When voting, do you vote the same party ticket straight rather than studying the candidates and issues?
141.Do you frequently dwell on your past illnesses or painful experiences?
142.Do you get very ill at ease in disordered surroundings?
143.Do you usually criticize a film or show that you see or a book that you read?
144.When recounting some amusing incident can you easily imitate the mannerisms or the dialect in the original incident?
145.In subjects about which you are not expert, are your own ideas of sufficient importance as to tell others?
146.Do you have a tendency to tidy up a disorder of somebody else's household?
147.Can you accept defeat easily without the necessity of "swallowing your disappointment"?
148.Do you often feel depressed?
149.Are you ever ill at ease in the company of children?
150.Do you get frustrated at not being able to do something rather than finding a substitute activity or system?
151.Are you sometimes completely unable to enter the spirit of things?
152.Do you rarely express your grievances?
153.Do you work in "spurts" being relatively inactive and then furiously active for a day or two?
154.Does the number of uncompleted jobs you have on hand bother you?
155.Do people enjoy being in your company?
156.Could you allow someone to finish those "final two words'in a crossword puzzle without interfering?
157.Do you consider the best points of most people and only rarely speak slightingly of them?
158.Do you laugh or smile quite readily?
159.Are you detinite and emphatic in voice and manner?
160.Are you effusive only to close friends if at all?
161.Are your interests and tields of knowledge so important as to give little time for anything else?
162.Would you like to 'start a new activity' in the area in which you live?
163.Would you make the necessary actions to kill an animal in order to put it out of pain?
164.Is it easy for you to relax?
165.Do you have little regret on past misfortunes and failures?
166.Does the idea of fear or apprehension give you a physical reaction?
167.Can you trust the decision of your judgment in an emotional situation in which you are involved?
168.Could someone else consider that you were really active?
169.Do you find it hard to get started on a task that needs to be done?
170.Are you opposed to the "probation system" for criminals"
171.Do you spend much time on needless worries?
172.In a disagreement do you find it hard to understand how the other person fails to see your side, and thus agree with you?
173.Do you cope with everyday problems of living quite well?
174.Are you usually truthful to others?
175.Would you rather "wait for something to happen" as opposed to you causing it?
176.Do you spend too freely in relation to your income?
177.Can you take a "calculated risk" without too much worry?
178.If you were involved in a slight car accident, would you really take the trouble to see that any damage you did was made good?
179.Do others push you around?
180.Do you make allowances for your friends where with others you might judge more severely?
181.Do you often ponder over your own inferiority?
182.Do people criticize you to others?
183.Are you embarrassed by a hearty greeting such as a kiss, hug, or pat on the back, if done in public?
184.Do you frequently not do something you want to do because of other people's desires?
185.Are you sometimes convinced of the correctness of your opinions about a subject even though you are not an expert?
186.Do you often find yourself "going off in all directions at once"?
187.Do your acquaintances seem to think more of your abilities than you do?
188.Is the idea of death or even reminders of death abhorrent to you?
189.Having settled an argument out do you continue to feel disgruntled for a while?
190.Are you friendly in voice, attitude, and expression?
191.Does life seem rather vague and unreal to you?
192.Do you often feel upset about the state of war victims and political refugees?
193.Do "mere acquaintances" appeal to you for aid or advice in their personal difficulties?
194.If you lose an article, do you get the idea that "someone must have stolen or mislaid it?"
195.It you thought that someone was suspicious of you and your actions, would you tackle them on the subject rather than leaving them to work it out?
196.Do you sometimes feel that your age is against you (too young or too old)?
197.Do you have spells of being sad and depressed for no apparent reason?
198.Do you do much grumbling about conditions you have to face in life?
199.Do you tend to hide your feelings?
200.Do you consider you have many warm friends?

Sorry, that should have read "Its great advantage". Appalling grammar. I apologise. Maybe the Scientologists can help me.

Hi Phil, I'm here from the Scientologists and I understand your pain. I think we can help. Now first off, we just need a little cheque. A little cheque, with lots of zeros. Lots and lots and lots of them ...

Tom? Is that you?

Here's another questionnaire alternative.

Sat down with a writer friend this week, told her my characters' basic domestic/career setup, and invited her to ask whatever questions she had about them, driven by her curiosity about them i.e. what do they make her want to know about them? This a) allowed me to rehearse my knowledge of them and b) showed me where some of the critical holes are in my knowledge e.g. I've no idea how they first met, since they come from very different worlds.

Oo. I like that idea Phil. Good one.

Hi there! I have exactly this problem! But sometimes (i.e. when the moon goes blue) I can think of characters when I use an object belonging to the character. Like say a pair of converse or an umbrella. Also perhaps your questionaires are so long they're putting you off. Try a short but very provocative one. Don't use it as a form to be filled out, use it as inspiration.

Obviously this information doesn't really help me, because I joined this group, but , what the hell, maybe it'll help. Seriously though, forget the 100+ questions. Just looking at them as I whiz by makes me fell like going back to bed for another decade.

Thanks Lucy - I'm never quite sure in approaching character development what is really necessary and what is me feeling I 'should' be doing it this way ("if I were a *proper* novelist I'd not rest until I know every character detail...."). The object idea is nice. Puts me in mind of Commedia Del Arte (I suspect I've spelt that wrong) where each character - Harlequin, Pulcinello etc - had what was called a 'latsi' (I expect I've spelt that wrong too!) which translates literally as a 'trick'. This was something - a gesture, habit, object - which defined that character for the audience. Mr Punch, for example, has a stick and hits people. Many modern comedy shows - Little Britain, for example - create their characters in the same way. And it must be true for 'real' characters as well, otherwise impressionists would be out of a living.

If all else fails.... ask someone else! I had a complete block on how the couple at the centre of my new novel first met, since their worlds are so different. So I asked someone I was working with "Imagine an ex-actor who's a professional role player, and a clinical mocrobiologist single parent who lives on a boat. They're a couple. Where did they meet?" She said: "on a bus". So banal I never would have thought of it: went straight back to my hotel room and wrote a scene around it.

I love the questionnaire! Thanks for posting it.

I actually did that once (research for a book - The Joy Of Sects - not because I was thinking of getting with the xenu-heads, I hasten to add)... But never got chance to write it down... Off to see if it helps my characters grow now...

My own technique is to take two real world individuals and morph them into one
For example, S'Ariro in Paradise Falls is an amalgamation (in looks) of Martin Clunes and Lee Evans but at the age of 17.
Kentse is based on a particularly fetching picture of a young Katherine Heigl combined with the personality of my own gorgeous EzBird, Mandy.
And so on...

Then... and this is the grind... I take the Gregory House character biog from Wikipedia and build the whole thing for my character.

As Paradise Falls has been written from start to finish, one editing iteration I go through is a spreadsheet of scenes and the characters present; then based on their biog's I can map their interaction and ensure that two characters behave consistently towards each other throughout. This is a refining process really - it helps to pad out who they are, etc. I have had many occasions to re-work some part because the characters are not behaving consistently!

I love Phil's idea, and I am so going to try it.

my characters are usually very monotonous and they're all the same. any ideas please?

One simple thing you can do is identify a 'core' dynamic about your character and give another one the opposite - e.g. one talks a lot, so the other is relatively quiet; one is interested in people getting on and creating harmony, the other is more challenging and task focused; one is more imaginative, the other more practical and down to earth etc..... In my proper job I work a lot with psychometrics and personality profiles so I will pick a particular model and allocate profiles to different characters so I can see where there might be conflict/tension between them.

In addition to Phil's excellent suggestions I read somewhere once that you could also give your character's an affectation; Sariro twirls his hair when he's nervous and Kentse has a cute faux sniff when she's being cheeky.

I found my characters were ever so dull and monotonous when they were in the novel alone, but when I began to give them parents, siblings, affectations, physical characteristics, a history; likes/dislikes etc. and fed just one or two of them into the novel it seemed to add that extra frisson of dimension; but of course, the worry for me is that I can see them as multi-dimensional complex real-world people but I may not have written them cleverly as such...

On your last comment, EzBloke, I choose to believe if you are clear about them as characters, something changes in the way you write about them even if you never mention all the stuff you know about them. They have a feeling of coherence. In both of my last two MSs the characters my readers responded to most positvely as 'rounded' were the ones I felt most comfortable writing about - as if I really 'knew' them. Interestingly, one of them had no backstory at all, I just had an intuition about what she was 'like'. So why I'm bothering with all these character questionnaires I don't know...!

On that last point, Twinkle, you could whizz through the scientology questionnaire further up this page, and pick a couple of traits from that which your characters score very differently on.

thanks guys this helps a lot :)

No problemo

If you want any more help - chuck some chapters my way that you believe epitomise your concerns and I'll have a look at them for you.

Ez

One idea to throw in from my actor's training: