Help a FridgeMagnet.

Hi. So, I'm writing a story with a friend of mine and we're kinda stuck on some plot points, and it occurred to me that there are certain aspects of our protagonist's personality that need to be better defined.

To that end, I decided to interview him, a little trick I remembered from some Creative Writing class.

Here is a list of questions for my character:

1) What do you consider important?

2) What motivates you?

3) What do you believe in?

4) What’s your favorite kind of music?

5) What’s your favorite movie?

6) What’s your favorite book?

7) Define a perfect day?

8) Sex or love?

9) Favorite Sport?

10) Favorite Sports Team?

11) What are your hobbies?

12) Brothers or sisters?

13) Describe your relationship with your parents.

14) Where do you shop for clothes?

15) Describe a time when you were perfectly content.

16) What is missing in your life right now?

17) What’s your favorite food?

18) What do you think happens after you die?

19) What kind of car do you drive? What’s your dream car?

20) What do you do for a living. What is your ideal job?

21) Do you play a musical instrument? Which one?

22) Do you have any tattoos or piercing?

Can you think of any other questions you'd ask to really get a sense of who someone is at their core, to establish how they might react in different situations?

Thanks in advance.

[Edited on Jul 10, 2005 by FridgeMagnet]

[Edited on Jul 10, 2005 by FridgeMagnet]

23) Are you religious or spiritual?

24) Do animals play a part in your life?

25) What are some of your regrets?

26) Do you have a motto or theme song?

I wonder how long it'll take for people to start answering the questions instead of posting their own. Cause y'know, people are dumb like that.

my money is on 3 more posts.

A). When was your first gay experience?

B). Do any forms of pornography make you feel uncomfortable?

C). Do you feel okay using the toilet with the door open?

- It's not a cock, I know that. So what is it?

I mean, 1. Unicorns and rainbows.

Way to make me look like a huge mega-dick.

2. My boyfriend's huge mega-dick.

Do you like gladiator movies?

I'm putting all of this in the story.

I'm sorry.

Like four of mine are in the original post. I better get money for that.
Or fridgelove.

I will add to this. Do you brush them in the shower, or out of it?

When I'm a big shot Hollywood motherfucker I'll totally remember you. I won't answer your phone calls, and I'll have my security people escort you off the premises, but I'll definitely remember you.

I'd add some questions that would better define the ramifications the story's central conflict will have on the character.

Things like:

What has been your biggest disappointment?

How do you react to adversity?



On a related note, one trick I learned from an old teacher of mine, a murder mystery novelist of moderate success, was to break these sort of interviews down into two stages. The first is what you're doing, the sort of "personal interest" interview of stars that mags like People do.

The second is to do a post story interview, where you proceed as though you were a reporter interviewing the same subject after the central conflict of the story has taken place.

You know, a personal interest story with the survivors of a bank robbery gone wrong, that sort of thing. Think of what the reporter would want to know, and by extention, what the readers of the story would want to know about the interviewee's experience.

Then you mesh the two "interviews"., The first helps establish the way the character would answer the second interview, and the answers from the second helps zero in on the important bits of plot and character.

Of course, this is most useful for plot driven stories.

I hate people that brush in the shower. Do you want him to be a hateable character?

Heh, funny story...

Get out of my house right now.

Who do you look up to, if anyone?

It's weird right? Different kinds of people.
I DO NOT brush in the shower. Never mix mildew and plaque.

Hey, it's not like I was licking the goddamn shower curtain. Jesus.

See, that's what I'm talking about. If you were here right now you'd be getting laid.

My boyfriend, not so much.

Fine, you don't get none a'this weiner neither, lady.