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How well do you need to know your protagonist before you start writing about them? If you believe the lists of character questions found online, you need to know your protagonist’s eye colour, shoe size and zodiac sign – as well as every freckle on their body, the last time they drank a glass of water, and how they wipe their butt.
I disagree.
I think if you use ten-page-long character questionnaires, you’ll never end up doing any actual writing. And I think that so many of those questions are superficial and unnecessary at the start of the writing process. Even questions about physical appearance; they let you know what the character looks like, but not who they are. And details about what the character looks like can be added later, during the editing process – that is when a ten-page-long questionnaire is most useful.
I think the questions you ask your protagonist should help you start writing. I think that, if you wanted to, you could even start writing without knowing anything about your protagonist, and get to know them as you write. But if you’re stuck on where to start, asking your protagonist particular questions can help inspire ideas for plot, conflict and narration. Here are some questions that have helped me.
Plot questions to ask your protagonist
Questions that strengthen the connection between character and plot – so that the character influences the plot, instead of the other way around.
- What do you want right now?
- What do you want in the future?
- What stands in the way of getting what you want?
- What is at stake if you don’t get what you want?
Conflict questions
Questions that influence how the character responds to situations – so that their actions are back by their motivations.
- What are your weaknesses?
- What are your strengths?
- What do you really care about?
- What is your greatest fear?
Narration questions
Questions that change the way the story is written – so that the character’s internal narration matches their external actions.
- Why should the reader care about you when they first meet you?
- How do you self-sabotage?
- What do you want to change about yourself?
- Are you a deep thinker?