Category: Questions for writersPage 1 of 2

Questions to help you think about writing in new ways.

Where your character lives (or lived) under their bed is a forgotten item, what is the significance and story of this item?

Under your character’s bed is a forgotten item. What is the significance of the item? What’s the untold story?

Tell us something unexpected about your character

What unexpected aspect of your character are you most excited to share? This character question was inspired by a blogger’s question on Open Mentions.

What’s your character’s most controversial hot take?

I’m sure your character has one or two hot takes – tell us about them. This character question was inspired by a blogging question on Open Mentions.

How have politics impacted your character?

Politics is a broad term. It can refer to local councils, governments, and trade agreements. It can also relate to gender assumptions, family dynamics, and social expectations. If…

What is your character’s deepest fear?

It is a rare person who has no fears at all. There are some fears so deep, we might not even be fully aware of them. What fears…

What are some of the ways that the world around your character has shaped who they are?

What lie does your character believe about themselves?

We’re not always fully truthful with ourselves. We harbour illusions, misconceptions, and half-truths. Your character probably does too. What is a lie they believe about themselves?

How will your characters change the world around them?

What secret or forgotten aspect ties your character to the history of your setting?

This could be an ancestor involved in a historic event, a similarity to a person of legend, or something else that you have invented. Even if this does…

What’s your character’s signature dish?

In what way does your character reflect you?

What lie does your character believe?

Write about your character’s greatest fears

How can you make things worse for your characters?

We connect with characters not so much through their victories but through their struggles. How can you make life much harder for your characters?

What has your character sacrificed along the way?

What a character sacrifices and what they choose to leave behind in pursuit of their goals says a lot about them. What price has your character already paid?

Share a myth from your setting

Myths and legends set the cultural backdrop for all of us. Share one from the world your character lives in – perhaps a myth they believe is true.

What debt does your character owe?

Debts come in many forms. You may have borrowed money or you may owe a debt of gratitude to a teacher or saviour. Tell us about your character’s…

What was the biggest plot twist in your character’s life before the plot even started?

This question is designed to help give your character a lively and interesting backstory to subtly shape their adventures.

Perfect characters are boring – what vices do yours have?

Perfect characters are boring – what vices do yours have? A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more…

What does your character want and how does it differ from what they need?

Character wants are (usually) what motivates them to start whereas what they need is often the thing that satisfies them even if they do not get what they…

What is your creative writing process like?

For me, creative writing starts either with an idea that has to be crafted right now, or the slow build-up to a mature enough idea that I can…

Do you believe that every chapter should end on a hook?

This question was first posted by @Abhiofficial018 on Twitter.

Do your characters reflect your character?

What is the hardest part of writing?