Do you interview your chracters?
A lot of authors do, and I think it's an excellent technique for getting to know someone you're going to be writing about. Asking the right questions can give you amazing insight into someone's life - even if that someone is fictional.
There are lots of resources available on the web to help an author design a character interview. Some are exhaustive and specific and ask questions that I'm not sure a live person would even be inclined to answer in some cases. Fortunately our fictional characters don't have much choice - if they want the job of living in our book, we need to know them inside and out, even if that means uncovering their deepest fears and darkest secrets. In fact - it especially means uncovering their deepest fears and darkest secrets.
On that note, I have to admit, I'm not good at character interviews. Aside from the basics like what they look like, what they do for a living and where they live, I usually find myself having a hard time coming up with those piercing questions that really tell me who I'm dealing with before I start writing.
Here are some questions I've come across on the web in popular character interviews.
What is the worst thing your character has done to someone, and why?
What makes your character laugh out loud?
If your character could be any animal what would it be? [Especially useful for shapeshifters, I suppose.]
What are you lying to yourself about?
How would your main characters respond?
If you work with character interviews, what are some of the tough questions you ask your characters?
3 comments:
I don't interview my characters, but I do use the exercises in Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. (but because I'm contrary I use them BEFORE the book is written, not after as they're designed).
I also converse a lot with my characters while I'm cooking, vacuuming, driving....(I don't recommend the "driving" one, it results in me missing turns/exits.)
I've never interviewed my characters. I guess for me, it would be like interviewing someone I've known forever. I'd ask them questions and they'd just look at me like I'd dropped a few marbles out my ear. "What, Meissner? Are you nuts?" (Meissner because the voices in my head use my maiden name.) ;o)
It does sound like an excellent way to get to know your characters better, though. Maybe I'll give it a whirl and see what the voices have to say.
JB, I miss turns too. I'm not even allowed to talk to MYSELF anymore when I drive.
B.E., If your characters know YOU that well, maybe you don't need to interview them. LOL!
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