Getting to Know Your Characters

Make your character stand apart from the crowd.

Every fictional character has a unique personality and history. They are a lot like people only fictional, of course. Getting to know your characters can take some time but you can help expedite the process by filling out character charts for them. Try moving beyond the physical and getting to the "nitty gritty" aspects of what makes them exactly who they are.

I wanted to share with you a list of questions I have been compiling to help me with my own character developments. I tried to cover a variety of topics using binaries to remove the temptation to write on tangents.

It's simple and it works like this...

Below are a list of 30 choices. For each pair you must choose ONE that your character prefers and (if possible) explain why. By the end of the list you might not know what color of eyes your character has, but you should hopefully be closer to a crafting a more complex  individual.

1. Rock or rap?
2. Country or jazz?
3. Rice or bread?
4. Horror or Romance?
5. Fantasy or SciFi?
6. Writing or speaking? 
7. Comics or novels?
8. Water or wine?
9. Climbing or swimming?
10. Cookies or crackers?
11. Elvis or The Beatles?
12. Television or books?
13. Being alone or being with others?
14. Singing or dancing?
15. Words or numbers?
16. Rural or urban setting? 
17. Nostalgia or regret? 
18. Routine or spontaneity? 
19. Academics or agriculture?
20. Family or friends?
21. Cops or vigilantes?
22. Love or lust?
23. Spending or Saving?
24. Slang or precision? 
25. Morning or night?
26. Tradition or progress?
27. Religion or philosophy?
28. Politics or apathy?
29. Meat or veggies?
30. Art or science?

Enjoy! 

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