Below are the six questions I talk you through in the video.
Answer them completely truthfully as yourself and then do the same for all your characters, no matter how much of a bit-part they play. As George Saunders says in his wonderful book A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, even the cart driver in Chekhov’s short story has a backstory.
CHARACTER QUESTIONS:
Where do people get me wrong? (your MASK)
What is a recurring nightmare I have? (your FEARS)
What are my strengths? (Can equate to MOTIVATION)
What do I most admire in others? (deepest DESIRE)
What is the character trait I possess that is most likely to get me into trouble? (FLAW)
What do I most dislike in others? (my own DARK SIDE)
The other book I mentioned in the video is Colum McCann’s Letters to a Young Writer.
I hope you enjoy using these questions! Let me know how you get on - do they help with character development?
Happy ✍️!
