Image Credit: Comic Character Creations

I’m working on a new story now, and found my lead character to be a bit lack luster, when it hit me — I don’t know anything about her. This revelation made me turn to the internet to locate a list of character creation questions.

Do you use creation characters to plot out the little nuances of every character? If you don’t, you may want to start, or at the very least try it once. I find it really helps me to get to know my characters, so that I can portray a stronger, more realistic picture of who they really are. I find this also makes for a more believable story.

Here’s a list of questions that I found particularly helpful. Maybe they’ll be helpful to you too.

• What was your childhood like?
• Who were your parents?
• Did you know your parents?
• How do you feel about them?
• How do they feel about you?
• If your parents didn’t raise you, who did and why?
• Did you have a lot of friends growing up?
• What memories stand out in particular?
• What impact did your childhood have on who you are now?
• Do you have siblings?
• How big is your family?
• How close are they?
• Do they keep in touch?
• Where are you from?
• What culture did you grow up with?
• What culture do you feel closest to?
• What traditions do you believe in?
• Are you used to people who are different from yourself?
• What kinds of foods are you used to?
• What are you willing to try?
• Do you believe in gender roles or certain types of moral behavior?
• How do you feel about politics? Religion?
• How many places have you lived?
• How has this impacted you?
• Is there somewhere that stands out as home?
• How do you earn a living?
• Is this the career you’ve always wanted?
• Did you dream of something else when you were young?
• Did you do something else before?
• How long have you had this job / career / trade?
• What do you like about it? What do you hate about it?
• What exactly does it involve?
• Ideally, what do you want?
• Is money or the job more important?
• Have you had to sacrifice money for job satisfaction, or vice versa?
• Did you have to work hard to get to your skill level, or did you go with her natural strengths or both?
• Who was your first love?
• Did you even have a first love?
• What is your perception of romance?
• Is that what you want?
• Why did or didn’t it work out?
• What happened?
• Have you fallen in love since?
• Have you tried to avoid it?
• Are you searching for  a soul mate?
• Do you care? Why?
• Do you have children? (That you know of? That you don’t know of?)
• What kinds of foods do you like?
• How do you decorate your house?
• Are you allergic to anything?
• How do you feel about dancing?
• Any phobias?
• Any sensitivities to changes in weather?
• What kind of music do you love / hate?
• Do you like animals? Kids?
• What is your astrological sign?
• What do you do to unwind?
• What are your religious / spiritual beliefs?
• What irritates you?
• Do you embarrass easily?
• Have any addictions?
• Who do you trust and why?
• What makes you laugh?
• Are you ticklish?
• What do you take pride in?
• What are your sleep schedule / habits like?
• Does you have any hobbies?
• Optimist / pessimist / realist?
• What kind of art catches your attention?
• Any habits for idle hands? Fidgeting, nail biting, etc.
• What would you take offense to?
• What are you like when you are sick?
• What kinds of entertainment do you like?
• What do you notice about the opposite sex? Same sex?
• Do you have a favorite color / item?

Do you have favorite character creation questions? Leave me a comment and share the questions you use to help you create strong characters.

Image Credit: madmarv00

Skin flush, hoop hot,
back, belly, cold,
the hoop
slides slick against skin
racing circles from
front to back and
back again.

The backyard backdrop
of cars and crickets
melts
away.

Until the blank expanse of nothing
stands between me and the moon.