One of my favorite techniques to develop my characters is to place myself in their world and interview them! Here’s how I do it:
What’s your role?
Who are you in their universe? Let’s set your interviewer background first.
- Your company
- company size (50-100, 100-1000, 1000+ employees)
- popularity (how many views does your company get on social media)
- purpose (are they restricted to a certain niche of people to interview?)
- Your own popularity
- how often do you interview people?
- who have you interviewed in the past?
- how popular are the interviews you direct?
- interview intentions
- what do you hope to get out of this person?
- how familiar are you with the character? (how do you already know them if you do and why do you want to interview them?)
- who will have access to this interview? (general public, internal distribution, or just yourself)
Here are some possible interview questions for your character:
General
1. What is your name and age?
2. Where are you from?
3. Where did you grow up? Tell me about your childhood.
4. Tell me a little about your family.
Personality & Preferences
5. What’s your biggest strength?
6. What’s your biggest weakness?
7. What’s a habit or quirk only a few people know about?
8. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Story-Specific
9. How did you end up where you are right now?
10. What’s the most important thing that’s happened to you recentl
11. What do you think will happen next?
Motivations & Goals
12. What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
13. What is your biggest mistake that you have learned from?
14. What do you want more than anything?
15. What’s stopping you from getting it?
16. What’s one thing you’d never do, no matter what?
Fears & Secrets
17. What’s your greatest fear?
18. Do you have a secret you’re afraid someone will discover?
19. What’s the worst mistake you’ve ever made?
Fun & Random
20. What’s your favorite food?
21. What is your spirit animal?
22. If you could be any pizza topping in the world, which would you be?
23. What’s your favorite place in the world?
24. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
25. What’s something that always makes you laugh?
Relationships
26. How is your love life, currently?
27. Who do you trust the most?
28. Who do you dislike or fear?
29. Have you ever been in love? What happened?
30. Do you believe in love at first sight?
If you want this to mimic a real interview, choose 3 general questions, and one from each category based on your intentions with the interview. And have fun with this exercise!