Ahoy, fellow authors! Having a hard time getting to know your characters? Step 1: Read this delightful post on the topic. Step 2: Try sitting your fictional friends down for a lengthy chat. Feel free to use the compilation of questions below to get you started. Ask as much or as little as you wish, and see what your characters have to say for themselves; their answers may well surprise the both of you. Happy discovery!

Basic Stats

Name:

Nickname:

Meaning of Name:

Origin of Name:

Age:

Gender:

Blood Type:

Astrological Sign/Chinese Zodiac:

Element:

Nationality/Ethnicity:

Race/Species:                

Sexual Orientation:

Marital/Dating Status:

Political Party:

Police/Criminal/Legal Record:

Social Class as a Child:

Social Class as an Adult:

Birth Date:

Birth Place:

Current Residence:

Occupation:

Title/Rank:

Hobbies/Pastimes:

​Talents/Skills/Powers:

Physical Characteristics

Height:

Weight:

Posture:

Build:

Skin:

Hair:

Widow’s Peak?:

Ears:

Eyes:

Nose:

Mouth/Lips/Teeth:

Face Shape:

Expressions:

Describe Their Smile:

Hands:

Feet:

Tattoos/Scars:

Ambidextrous, Right-, or Left-Handed:

Distinguishing Features:

Who Do They Take After, Mother or Father?:

Style (Elegant, Shabby, etc.):

How Do They Dress, What Do They Typically Wear?:

Other Outfits One Might Find In Their Wardrobe:

Jewelry and/or Other Accessories:

Health:

Hygiene:

Physical Flaws:

​Physical Qualities:

Likes/Dislikes

Likes:

Dislikes:

Favorite Color:

Favorite Clothing:

Favorite Place and Why:

Favorite Room in the House and Why:

Favorite Food/Drink:

Favorite Music Genre:

Favorite Song and Singer/Band:

Favorite Movie/TV Show/Performance:

Favorite Actor/Performer:

Favorite Book:

Favorite Historical Figure:

Favorite Subject in School:

Favorite Animal:

Least Favorite Clothing:

Least Favorite Place:

Least Favorite Food/Drink:

Least Favorite Music Genre:

Least Favorite Subject in School:

Simple Pleasures:

Greater Pleasures:

Where Do They Hang Out?:

Where Is Their Dream Place to Live?:

Motto/Personal Quote:

Mode of Transportation:

​Most Prized Possession and Why:

Relationships With Others

Relationship Skills:

Loves:

Lusts:

Crushes:

Girlfriends/Boyfriends:

Other Lovers:

First Crush – Who Was it?:

How Did it Start?:

Did It Last?:

Best Friends:

Friends:

Confidant/Mentor:

Hates:

Dislikes:

Rivals:

Pets:

What Kind of Person Would They Consider to be the Perfect Partner?:

How Are They Perceived by Strangers?:

…By Friends?:

…By Coworkers/Colleagues?:

…By Lovers/Partners?:

…By Family?:

What Happens to Change This Perception, if at all?:

Are They Judgmental of Others, and To What Extent?:

Describe Their Sense of Trust:

What Type of Individuals Do They Like or Associate With?:

How Do They Treat Members of the Opposite Sex?:

How Do They Treat Members of the Same Sex?:

What Do Family/Friends Like Most About Them?:

What Do They Like Least About Them?:

Sex/Romantic Life

What Do They Consider to be a Romantic Setting/Activity/Date?:

What Did They Do On Their First Date?:

How Does a Typical Date Go For Them?:

How Would They Like to Propose/Be Proposed To?:

Have They Lost Their Virginity?:

If Yes, When?:

Was it Consensual?:

How Has This Affected Them?:

How Did They Feel Afterwards?:

How Sexual Are They?:

How Do They Feel Emotionally After Sex?:

Do They Have Self Control Around Individuals of Their Sexual Desire?:

Does Sex Play an Important Role in Their Relationships and to What Extent?:

Turn-ons:

Turn-offs:

Fetishes/Fantasies/Kinks:

Sexual Peculiarities/Flaws:

Sexual Perks:

​Usually on the Top or the Bottom?:

Miscellaneous

What If They Were an Animal? What Would They Be and Why?:

What If They Were the Opposite Sex? What Would They Do?:

What If They Could be Characterized by an object – What Would They Be and Why?:

What If They were Confronted with Someone with an Identical Personality as Themself? What Would They Do?:

What if They Became Physically Handicapped? What Would They Do?:

What If They were Placed in a New and Unfamiliar Environment/Country/ Planet, whatever – What Would They Do?:

What Song Best Fits Them?:

If You Could Compare Them to an Existing Character (physically or personality-wise), who would it Be and Why?:

If You could Choose an Actor/Voice Actor for Them, Who Would it Be?:

​Who/What Inspired This Character and In What Ways?:

Past History

Hometown:

First Memory:

Most Important Childhood Event that Still Affects Them, How/Why:

Other Memories that Still Affect Them, Why/How:

Past Failures They Would Be Embarrassed to Have People Know About, and Why:

Biggest Role Model and Why:

Biggest Disillusions from Childhood:

​Backstory:

Other Characteristics

Are They Generally Balanced or Clumsy?:

Describe Their Mannerisms/Poses/Movement:

Describe Their Walk:

Habits/Obsessions:

Speech Patterns:

Unique Phrases:

Do They Curse, and If So, to What Extent?:

Describe Their Voice:

Describe Their Sleep Patterns:

Describe Their Eating Patterns:

Describe Their House/Dwelling:

Describe Their Bedroom:

Describe Their Daily Rituals:

Psychological/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Intelligence Level:

Known Languages:

Long-Term Goals/Desires in Life:

Short-Term Goals/Desires in Life:

Secret Desires:

How Confident Are They?:

How Do They See Themself?:

How Do They Believe They Are Perceived By Others?:

What Are They Most Proud Of?:

What Do They Like Least About Themself?:

How Do They Express Themself?:

Are They Generally Dominant or Submissive?:

Describe Their Level of Patience:

Do They Seem Ruled by Emotion or Logic of Some Combination Thereof?:

Most At Ease When:

Ill At Ease When:

Describe Their Sense of Humor:

If Granted One Wish, What Would it Be and Why?:

Character/Personality/Mental/Social Strengths:

Character/Personality/Mental/Social Flaws:

If They Could be Described with One of the Seven Virtues, Which Would it Be?:

If They Could Be Described with One of the Seven Sins, Which Would It Be?:

Biggest Vulnerability (non physical):

Optimist or Pessimist:

Greatest Fear:

Other Fears/Phobias:

Emotional/Psychological/Social Peculiarities:

Biggest Regret:

Other Regrets:

Biggest Accomplishment:

Minor Accomplishment:

Musical Talents/Instruments:

​Any Deep, Dark Secrets:

Emotional Characteristics

Describe Their Sense of Morals:

What Do They Consider Taboo (Something They Personally Would Never Do):

Describe Their Etiquette:

Describe Their Sense of Self-Control:

Spontaneous or Structured?:

Instinctual or Logical?:

How Do They Act in Public?:

How Do They Act in Privacy?:

How Do They Act Around Strangers vs. How They Act Around Friends?:

How Do They Act Around Family?:

How Have They Most Changed from Youth?:

How Have They Remained the Same?:

Have They Dealt with the Loss of Someone They Knew?:

If Yes, Whom, and How Has It Affected Them?:

How Do They Deal With/React To Conflict/Danger?:

…Rejection?:

…Fright?:

…Change?:

…Loss?:

…Sex/Flirting:

…Pain?:

…Stress?:

…Peer pressure?:

…Guilt?:

…Being Wrong?:

…Being Criticized?:

…Being Insulted (like, name calling, etc)?:

…Offending Others?:

…Praise?:

…Being Loved?:

…Being Hated?:

…Humiliation?:

How Do They Express Anger?:

…Sadness?:

…Fear?:

…Happiness/Excitement?:

…Love?:

…Lust?:

…Stress?:

…Dislike (of a person, thing, or idea)?:

…Approval (of a person, thing, or idea)?:

How Do They Generally Express Themself?:

What Do They Think/Feel About Marriage?:

…Children?:

…Family/Family Values?:

…Children/Youth?:

…Old Age?:

…Sex?:

…Love?:

…Friendship/Other Relationships?:

…Homosexuality?:

…The Opposite Sex?:

…The Same Sex?:

…Money/Material Things?:

…Politics?:

…Religion?:

…Destiny/Duty?:

…Magic/Myth?:

…Racism/Races in General?:

…Science/Technology?:

…Nature/Animals?:

…Modernity?:

…Antiquity?:

…Their Past?:

…Their Future?:

…Their Role in Society/Job/Etc.?:

…Drugs and Alcohol?:

…Killing/Murder?:

…Education?:

…The Foreign/Unknown?:

How Do They View Life?:

How Do They View Death?:

How Do They View Society?:

How Do They Imagine Their Own Death?:

What Do They Want Out of Life?:

What Do They Consider “Success” To Be?:

What Would They Like to Change in Their Life?:

What Motivates Them and Why?:

What Discourages Them and Why?:

What Makes Them Happy and Why?:

What Makes Them Sad and Why?:

What Makes Them Angry and Why?:

What Humiliates Them?:

What Most Describes Their Personality?:

Psychoanalysis (Describe Why They Act the Way They Do):

Does it Stem from Childhood or an Event, or Chemical?:

Looking for other resources in this vein? ^^ Try:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/6sF6R8/www.epiguide.com/ep101/writing/charchart.html/
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http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1pkloxh6F1qd2lr6o1_500.png

http://blog.lettersandlight.org/post/61118193819/nano-prep-the-official-nanowrimo-character

https://letthewordsflow.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/ask-your-characters-some-tough-questions/

http://jessicadall.com/2013/10/28/your-character-as-a-roommate/

http://arthurianwriter.tumblr.com/post/152715674893/42-character-development-questions