Character development doesn’t have to be difficult. You don’t need to write a biography about every character – unless you want to! Deep questions are a great way to get to know your characters and develop them further.
The 44 questions you’ll find below will help you to create, explore, and develop your characters. Ask your protagonists in your story even a couple of questions and you’ll find out more than you did when you began.
How asking your characters questions can help you
If you really want to dive deep into your character’s motivations, beliefs, and experiences, asking deep questions can really help to create and develop them.
You could ask “What motivates you?” to get an idea… or you could try asking “What makes life worth living?” or “What is your purpose in life?”
So browse the questions below to pick out which will help you develop your characters further.
Deep questions to ask your characters
- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
- If you could go anywhere at all, where would you go?
- What goal are you struggling with?
- How would your loved ones describe you?
- What accomplishments make you feel pride of yourself?
- Who do you look up to? Why do you look up to them?
- What fear do you wish you could overcome?
- How do you handle criticism?
- What is the best dream you’ve had?
- How do you navigate conflicts?
- If life has a purpose, what is your purpose?
- What values guide the decisions you make?
- After a nightmare, how do you calm yourself down?
- What do you believe in that others don’t?
- Is there anything you want to change about yourself?
- What powers do you wish you had?
- If you could change anything about the world, what would you change?
- What inspires you to do better?
- If you could swap places with anyone else, who would it be? Why?
- What are you thankful for?
- Do you have a special connection with an object? What does it mean to you?
- What qualities do you admire in people?
- Have you ever lost someone close to you?
- What is your biggest regret?
- When do you feel free to be yourself?
- What did your last challenge teach you?
- Have you ever felt pressured to succeed at something?
- What does it mean to be generous?
- Is there anything you do that you judge others for?
- What do you wish you had more time for?
- Have you ever regretted a decision even if it turned out well?
- What are you afraid to try?
- If you could design the perfect friend, what would they be like?
- What misconceptions do people have about you?
- Is there anything that would convince you to drop contact with a person without giving them a chance to explain?
- What memory do you wish you could forget?
- Do you believe in fate?
- What skill do you think you’ll never use?
- Are you always honest with yourself?
- Is there anything you avoid thinking about?
- What secret would ruin you if someone found out?
- How do you cope with stress?
- What obstacles do you think you’ll never be able to overcome?
- Does everyone deserve a second chance?
How to use these questions to develop your characters
It might be tempting to go through as many questions as possible, but it might not be as productive as you think.
Instead, pick a few questions that will help you guide your character through the story. You could pick specific questions, or you can use a random number generator to select questions for you.
If criticism is a plot point in your story, ask your character, “How do you handle criticism?”
If your character is the Chosen One, ask them, “What is your purpose?” If this doesn’t line up with what purpose they will have, this could be a point of conflict you explore in the story.
Looking for more ways to develop your characters? Try using writing prompts to put them in unique situations.
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