Character Interview: Questions to Develop Your Characters

What a character interview is

A character interview is a question-and-answer exercise in which you speak to a fictional character as if they were a real person. The questions can be simple or strange. The point is to hear the character answer in their own voice, so that you find out what they want, what they avoid, and how they talk before you rely on them for a whole book.

The exercise is popular because it is low pressure. You are not writing a scene or a chapter. You are only listening. Many writers find that a character who felt vague on the page becomes clearer after a handful of honest answers.

Two meanings: the classroom book project and the writer’s tool

The phrase “interview a character book project” is used in two quite different ways, and it helps to know which one you need.

The classroom project. A student reads a novel, then writes or performs an interview with one of its characters. The student plays both roles or pairs up with a classmate. The goal is to show understanding of the text: motives, conflicts, and how the character changes. Teaching resources for this task usually ask students to support their answers with details from the book.
The writer’s tool. A novelist interviews a character they invented. The answers are not graded. They become raw material for a character profile and, sometimes, for the story itself.

The question sets below work for both. If you are doing the classroom version, answer as the character would, and stay consistent with what the book actually shows. If you are developing your own character, you have more freedom, but you should still treat surprising answers seriously.

How to run a character interview

Pick one character. Start with your protagonist or the character who feels least clear.
Choose a format. You can write a transcript, freewrite in the first person as the character, or speak the answers aloud and record them.
Set the scene loosely. Decide where the interview takes place and what mood the character is in. A relaxed character and a cornered one answer differently.
Ask, then follow up. The best material usually comes from the second question: “Why?” or “Can you give me an example?”
Let the character refuse. If a character dodges a question, note it. Evasion is information.
Stop before it becomes a chore. Ten good answers beat fifty forced ones.

Question sets to draw from

Pick the questions that fit your story. You do not need all of them.

Background

Where did you grow up, and what did your home feel like?
Who raised you, and what did they get right or wrong?
What is your earliest clear memory?
What did you want to be when you were young, and what happened to that wish?

Wants and fears

What do you want most right now?
What would you never admit you want?
What are you afraid will happen?
What would you give up to get what you want, and what would you refuse to give up?

Beliefs and flaws

What do you believe is true about people that others might disagree with?
What is the worst thing you have done, and do you regret it?
What habit or trait gets you into trouble?
When did you last change your mind about something important?

Relationships

Who do you trust completely, and why?
Who have you hurt, and have you made it right?
Who would be surprised to learn what you are really like?
Who do you secretly envy?

Voice and habits

What do you do when you cannot sleep?
How do you speak when you are angry compared with when you are nervous?
What do you carry with you every day?
What small thing makes you laugh?

The story itself

What do you think is going to happen next?
What mistake do you think you are about to make?
If you could skip the events of this story, would you?
What would count as a good ending for you?

A short example

Here is a brief, invented illustration of how an exchange can move from a plain answer to something usable. The character is a lighthouse keeper’s daughter named Mara.

Q: What do you want most right now? “To keep the lamp lit. That’s it.”

Q: Is that really it? “Fine. I want someone to ask me to leave, so I wouldn’t have to be the one who does.”

The second answer shows a conflict between duty and a hidden wish to escape. That tension could shape a scene, a relationship, or a decision at the story’s midpoint. Notice that the first answer alone gave the writer very little. Follow-up questions did the real work.

Interview projects for a book report or class

If your assignment is to interview a character from a book you have read, a few habits make the result stronger:

Choose a character whose motives change during the book, so there is something to discuss. A novel from our classic novels for book clubs list is a good source of such characters.
Base each answer on specific events, quotes, or choices from the text, without copying long passages.
Include at least one question about a turning point and one about a relationship.
Decide whether the character is speaking at the start, middle, or end of the story, and keep their knowledge consistent with that point.
Avoid questions with one-word answers. “Why did you leave?” works better than “Did you leave?”

Turning answers into a character profile

An interview produces a lot of loose material. To make it useful, pull out a short profile:

Core want: what the character is chasing. (See what the problem of a story is for how wants turn into conflict.)
Core fear or wound: what they are avoiding or protecting.
Contradiction: a place where their beliefs and actions do not match.
Voice notes: a few features of how they speak.
Key relationships: two or three people who define them.

Keep the profile short enough that you will consult it. A page is often plenty. If you want to see archetypes that can inform a profile, our guide to sage character examples shows how one familiar type is built and where it tends to go wrong. And if your character narrates the book, the interview can help you find their voice before you start writing in first person.

Common mistakes

Collecting trivia instead of motives. Favorite colors rarely matter unless they connect to something the character does.
Making the character too agreeable. Real people are inconsistent. Let your character be defensive, wrong, or secretive.
Treating the answers as rules. The interview is a tool. If the draft takes the character somewhere new, update the profile.
Doing it once and forgetting it. Return to the interview after your first draft. Revisiting a character is a useful step during a rewrite.

FAQ

What are some good questions to ask a character?

Questions about desire, fear, regret, and relationships tend to produce the most useful answers. Use the question sets above as a starting point and add your own that fit the story’s situation.

How many questions should I ask?

There is no required number. Some writers use a short list of about ten or twenty questions, others keep a long questionnaire and use only what applies. Quality matters more than count.

What are the common types of characters?

Writers often talk about protagonists, antagonists, mentors, allies, foils, and love interests, though lists vary from source to source. Archetype frameworks sort characters differently again. Treat these categories as starting points rather than fixed rules.

Can I do a character interview with someone else?

Yes. A friend or critique partner can ask the questions while you answer in character. Unexpected questions often reveal what you had not thought about.