Character Questionnaire - Part 3
This is Part 3 of our character questionnaire. Click here to go to Part 1.Use this questionnaire to develop three-dimensional characters. It will also help you get story ideas!
Something s/he dislikes about himself or herself:
STORY IDEA: A friend, family member, or romantic partner mentions the one thing your character hates most about himself or herself. The comment is meant as constructive criticism, not an attack, but it strikes a nerve, causing your character to react in a way that is completely out of proportion. Depending on your character's personality, s/he might strike back viciously, pack up and leave home, engage in self-destructive behavior, or... (you fill in the blank).
An aspect of himself or herself that s/he's blind to:
STORY IDEA: Your character quite wrongly thinks s/he has a particular ability (examples: singing, boxing, seduction, solving other people's problems, keeping secrets). This misplaced confidence causes your character to attempt something s/he is sure to fail at. Your character is soon in way over his/her head...
What is his/her deepest desire?
STORY IDEA: Your character makes a plan to go after his/her deepest desire. But there is a major obstacle in his/her path. Will your character be able to fight past this obstacle and succeed?
What does s/he think about when s/he's trying to fall asleep?
A lie he or she has told someone:
STORY IDEA: Your character has been lying to everyone about something (What? Why? You decide.). Now, someone has discovered the truth and is threatening to tell the world. What will your character do to avoid exposure? How far is s/he willing to go?
Someone who has hurt him/her in some way
STORY IDEA: Your character comes up with a plan to get revenge on the person who hurt him/her so badly. But the plan doesn't play out the way your character expected...
Someone s/he has hurt in some way
STORY IDEA: Your character feels terrible about having hurt someone and decides to make amends. But this other person doesn't want anything to do with your character any more. How can your character repair the damage s/he has done and obtain the forgiveness s/he wants so badly?
Continue to Part 4 of the character questionnaire
Character Questionnaire - Next Steps
Go to the next part of this character questionnaireGet advice on how to write a story
Read about our online course on developing vivid characters
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