Questions Writers Ask To Develop Characters and Plots

      When planning a new novel I like to write a lot about each character before I even start writing a first draft of the manuscript.
        Proust made a famous Questionnaire many years ago (c. 1890 W.) that I have found useful to answer as I explore the distinct personalities of my characters one at a time. I also find it an extremely helpful tool to develop the story. It may sound a bit odd to the uninitiated, but that's how many experienced writers develop plots. Character development is a well-known method to develop plots because we keep going back to our characters and follow them around. I have added more questions to his (below) about confidences and confessions. Please add further questions you like to ask your characters in my comment section.

     These questions are useful in conversation and parties, too, by the way, although many might be considered private or intrusive. So be careful what you ask is all I'm just saying...

1. What is your current state of mind?                                                                           
2. What do you most fear?
3. What do you most dislike about your appearance?                            
4. What is your favorite occupation?
5. What do you consider the most over-rated virtue?
6. Which living person do you most admire?
7. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?                                
8. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
9. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?    
10. What is your most favored possession?
11. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?     
12. Who are your real heroes?
13. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
14.  When and where were you happiest?
15. What is the quality you most admire in a man? 
16. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
17. What is the quality you most admire in a woman?                     
18.  What is your most obvious characteristic?
19. What do you value most in your friends?                                         
20. What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
21. If you were to die and come back as a person or animal which would you choose?      
22. If you could choose any object to come back as, what would you choose?            
23. What is the trait you most dislike in others?                                                  
24. Where else would you like to live?
25. What historical figure do you most identify with? 
26. What is your greatest extravagance?
27. Who has been the greatest influence on you?                                          
28. What is your favorite journey?
29. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?                                  
30. On what occasion do you lie?
31. Which natural talent would you like to have as a gift?                                 
32. What is it you most dislike?
33. For which fault do you have the most toleration?                                       
34. Where would you like to die?
35. Which military event do you admire most?                                                   
36. What is your favorite bird?
37. If you could have been anyone in history, who would it have been?                      
38. What is your motto?
39. What are your favorite names?                                                             
40. Who is your favorite hero in a novel?
41. What is your favorite food and drink?                                                
42. Who is your favorite heroine in a novel?
43. What is your favorite color?                                                                        
44. Who is your favorite composer?
45. What is your favorite flower?                                                                        
46. Who is your favorite painter?
47. Who is your favorite poet?                                                                               
48. Who is your favorite author?
49. What is your character's motivation?
50. What is your character's goal?
51. What is your character's major conflict?
52. How does your character change by the end?

Keep Writing