Write-Bytes

INTERVIEWING YOUR CHARACTERS 

Write-Bytes - July 21, 2023

By Linda S. Gunther

 

To read this week’s Write-Bytes, go to www.lindasgunther.com or read the whole byte below (included here for your convenience). All previous postings can be viewed on website.

INTERVIEWING YOUR CHARACTERS

The plot for a potential story can sweep into my consciousness without me intentionally trying to manufacture one. For example, my latest protagonist, Laura Styversant, appeared in a vivid dream I had one night. I awoke, grabbed pen and paper and started to outline the story based on my dream. The protagonist I sculpted in my head was a sassy, salty, often cynical 51-year-old female private investigator who had everything go wrong for her in the last year, including a bad car accident which resulted in a broken arm, a fractured ankle, and two cracked ribs. After a four-month recovery period she’s back into the P.I. game with a ritzy new executive-level male client. It’s a challenging case for Laura. Her mission is to locate the man’s ex-wife and find out what the woman’s done with the stacks of money they hid in the wall of their last house in Long Island.

My character, Laura, is back on her feet as P.I. but there are complications in the new case causing her some stress, even more so when her client goes missing. He doesn’t answer her calls. He’s not at home where he lives. His mail is piling up. He’s nowhere to be found. Laura thinks maybe he’s intentionally ghosting her. Or maybe not. He’s already paid her a hefty fee up front but she despises unfinished business and so, becomes obsessed with finding him.

In the midst of designing the skeleton of this new short story (possibly a novel), I decided to attend a writers’ webinar focused on Crafting More Compelling Characters.

The webinar’s presenter poses this question:

“Do you interview your characters?”

The presenter goes on to say, “As a writer, you want to find out everything about your lead character: likes, dislikes, fantasies, fears, joys and more, more, more! 

The only way to do that is to ASK DIRECT QUESTIONS to each of your lead characters (one at a time). Just pretend you are interviewing her or him across the table. Go deep.”

My mind swirls as I listen to the presenter. When I leave the webinar, I immediately start listing specific interview questions to ask Laura Styversant, the protagonist I’m creating. Questions I come up with include these:

1. Laura, what motivated you to become a private investigator? 
2. Do you wish you’d chosen a different line of work? As a young child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
3. You seem somewhat cynical about life and a bit sassy, maybe edgy? What happened in your life to shape you this way?
4. Who is the one person you’d like to have dinner with? Anyone – alive or dead? Why does that person appeal to you?
5. What creeps you out, scares you, or makes you nervous?
6. What would an ideal day look like for you? An ideal location for you anywhere in the world? What would you do there?
7. What family member do you most admire? Connect with? What is it about them? 
8. What one thing or accomplishment would you like to leave as your legacy? 
9. What secrets do you carry from childhood? high school? Early twenties? Something you don’t want anybody to know?
10. When did you have your first kiss and who with? What was the experience like?
11. How would you describe your biggest regret so far in life?

That list was easy to create because I was totally curious as to how my character Laura would respond. Of course, the answers are generated from my own imagination.

But the list of questions I’ve generated helps me get “inside” the mind of my character and that’s exactly where I want to be.

Highlights in bold italic above capture the core of this blog post!

Stay tuned for next week. Look for this BLOG every FRIDAY which will l be posted at 9 a.m.

Next week’s WRITE-BYTES post will be titled INANIMATE OBJECTS AS CHARACTERS IN YOUR STORIES