This is in the Moncton forum too, but then I realized that a lot of you guys probably aren't. XD So now you can join in the fun!
Guys, two days until NaNo! :D I can barely stand still. Also, I am very hyper, which makes me ADD. So instead of doing what I SHOULD be doing (finishing Part II of my book), I took a little break and made a pre-NaNo character development exercise for everyone!
Now, from what I've observed at the Moncton meet-and-greet, I know:
A) That most people doing NaNo are starting a novel from scratch, with new characters that maybe they don't know too well just yet.
B) That writers enjoy talking about their characters (well, if they're anything like me they do, anyway. XD).
If one or both of those statements apply to you, this little "challenge" might be useful (or at least fun, or time-killing) for you. :)
Tell me about your character(s), be it your MC, your love interest, your personal favorite, your sidekick, your antagonist, or even two or more of those. But here's the catch - you have to do it by answering the following gruelling character quiz!
Also, if there are some questions you do not feel comfortable answering (spoilerwise or otherwise), you may skip them. :)
[Part I - Back to basics]
1. Where and when was your character born?
2. What is your character's name, as written on his/her birth certificate?
3. Is your character male or female (or something else)?
4. Was this character born before the story or during?
5. In November 2009, how old would your character be?
6. Is your character human? If not, what is it?
7. What role does this character play in the story (in relation to the main character)?
[Part II - A brief physical]
8. Describe your character's eyes.
9. Describe his/her hair.
10. Describe his/her predominant feature.
11. Does your character appear older or younger than his/her chronological age?
12. Does your character have any birthmarks or scars?
13. Tall or short?
14. Build?
15. If you got to pick the actor/actress to play your character in a movie, who would it be?
16. What's your character's physical health status?
17. Any physical particularities? Explain briefly.
[Part III - Personality and psyche]
18. Describe your character's personality in one word.
19. What does your character avoid at all costs?
20. Complete this sentence: "My character is most likely to..."
21. What's your character's favorite book/favorite color/favorite show/favorite expletive/favorite song/favorite food?
22. Who is your character's favorite person in the world - if they had to pick just one?
23. What are your character's hobbies?
24. What's your character's first memory?
25. Most vivid memory?
26. Your character's greatest fear?
27. Greatest regret?
28. Is your character bored easily?
29. What would he/she be most likely to do on a rainy day?
30. What would be your character's motto?
31. What would be the theme song of his/her life?
32. What is the single worst thing that could ever happen to your character?
33. How would your character describe him/herself?
34. Character's top five priorities (in order)?
35. How is your character's psychological health on a scale of one to ten?
36. Does your character get angry easily?
37. Talents and skills?
38. Greatest psychological flaw?
39. Character's darkest secret (I won't be surprised if people back out of this one XD)?
40. Optimist? Pessimist?
41. Introvert or extrovert?
42. Ultimate goal in life?
43. Tell me any additional information (related to personality and psyche) I should probably know about your character here.
[Part IV - Family and social]
44. What kind of childhood did your character have?
45. Your character's immediate family consists of:
46. What is your character's marital status for most of the story?
47. Is your character in a committed relationship for the greater part of the story?
48. Education?
49. Religion?
50. Social class?
51. Sexual orientation?
[Part V - Relationships]
52. How does the character relate to other characters?
53. Does your character have a major love interest, and if so, who is it? Are they/will they be in a relationship (if you can tell us)? What is your character's relationship with his/her love interest like?
54. What is your character's relationship with his/her best friend(s) like?
55. What was/is your character's popularity like in high school/middle school?
56. How's the relationship with the parents?
57. How about siblings?
58. Is there someone your character would die for, no questions asked?
59. What are other characters' general first impressions of your character?
60. What do others like most/least about your character?
61. What is a something your character cannot stand in other people?
62. What is a surefire relationship deal-breaker for your character?
[Part VI - Your character and you]
63. Give us a three-word description of your character.
64. Give us a paragraph description of your character.
65. Would you want to be friends with your character if they were real?
66. If you've ever talked to people in your life about the character, how did they react to him/her?
67. What genre is your story this year?
68. Do you enjoy/do you think you'll enjoy writing about this character nonstop for 30 days?
And... you're done! So, what do you think? Do you know your character a bit better?
I really have to write another chapter, but I'll be back later with at least one of my characters. :) Just because I'm obsessed and love talking about them.
I can't wait to hear about your characters! :D
----------
Me: http://awriterstherapy.blogspot.com
Follow Gertrude's daily life with three awkward husbands (Hannibal, Johnny and Robert) and one disturbed child (Michael) XD: http://gertielsd.blogspot.com




8,624 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 11 33
Hmm, some of these questions are awkward for a Fantasy setting... Oh well :P
*Edit* Oooo, I'm first :D
1. Where and when was your character born?
On a small farm half a day's walk from the nearest town in the country of Grapha.
2. What is your character's name, as written on his/her birth certificate?
Silvia Renais (though it would be her Rider license, not a BC)
3. Is your character male or female (or something else)?
Female, but is always confused for a male.
4. Was this character born before the story or during?
Before,
5. In November 2009, how old would your character be?
N/A
6. Is your character human? If not, what is it?
Yes to human.
7. What role does this character play in the story (in relation to the main character)?
She is the MC
[Part II - A brief physical]
8. Describe your character's eyes.
Her eyes are silver, though she usually corrects people by saying gray.
9. Describe his/her hair.
Chestnut brown and short to keep out of her eyes in flight.
10. Describe his/her predominant feature.
She is never without some headband tied over her forehead and never wears skirts or dresses.
11. Does your character appear older or younger than his/her chronological age?
About the same, it's the gender people confuse.
12. Does your character have any birthmarks or scars?
>.> I say nothing.
13. Tall or short?
A bit taller than average for a woman, about average for a man.
14. Build?
Muscular and built for a woman, about average for a fit man.
15. If you got to pick the actor/actress to play your character in a movie, who would it be?
I haven't the faintest idea...
16. What's your character's physical health status?
Very fit. She is military trained and trains daily. Most of her strength comes from her archery, but her legs get work from the saddle as well.
17. Any physical particularities? Explain briefly.
Just that she looks like an average, but fit guy with a pretty face.
[Part III - Personality and psyche]
18. Describe your character's personality in one word.
Dedicated.
19. What does your character avoid at all costs?
Compromising herself.
20. Complete this sentence: "My character is most likely to..."
Keep going until she finishes the job.
21. What's your character's favorite book/favorite color/favorite show/favorite expletive/favorite song/favorite food?
She loves warm tea made with mint leaves.
22. Who is your character's favorite person in the world - if they had to pick just one?
Living? Sangold, her gryphon partner. Dead? Secret :D
23. What are your character's hobbies?
Her work. Archery namely and flying with Sangold.
24. What's your character's first memory?
Her mother doing things on the farm.
25. Most vivid memory?
Waking up in her father's arms with him standing over a pair of graves.
26. Your character's greatest fear?
That she has no right to live and by being alive, she has doomed either someone she cares about or just everyone.
27. Greatest regret?
That all she can do for her sick father is send home money for the healers.
28. Is your character bored easily?
No, she keeps herself busy to avoid it.
29. What would he/she be most likely to do on a rainy day?
Convincing Sangold to fly in it anyway.
30. What would be your character's motto?
"You can never fail until you stop trying."
31. What would be the theme song of his/her life?
"All That I'm Living For" by Evanescence
32. What is the single worst thing that could ever happen to your character?
If Sangold died.
33. How would your character describe him/herself?
'I'm a Rider and I get the job done."
34. Character's top five priorities (in order)?
~1~ Do it right
~2~ Send money home
~3~ Finish the job
~4~ Protect Sangold (from himself as well)
~5~ Live.
35. How is your character's psychological health on a scale of one to ten?
One being poor and ten perfect? 7. Ren is very stable, but she isn't without some vicious mental scars and some quirks. If you asked her, she would probably say 5, Sangold would say 9.
36. Does your character get angry easily?
Yes and no. She lashes out verbally almost all the time, but that is just how she corrects people and talks. She hardly ever gets truly angry.
37. Talents and skills?
Ren can shoot down a flying target, while in flight from a very long distance while riding Sangold. She has literally years of daily practice with the bow and she is also trained in several different types of weapons from Wing Camp. She is the practical of the pair and does most of the hunting and other things needed for their survival.
38. Greatest psychological flaw?
Can't say...
39. Character's darkest secret (I won't be surprised if people back out of this one XD)?
(Just for that, I won't!) Her twin brother died from a sickness that she was supposed to die from. Somehow, she got the antidote when it was intended for him.
40. Optimist? Pessimist?
Optimist actually, though she talks otherwise. You have to really work for it to get on her bad side and even then, she would rather cover your tracks (so long as it doesn't harm anyone) and give you a second chance.
41. Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert. She's aware how the things she says come out and rather than fight to change it, she opts to avoid people if possible.
42. Ultimate goal in life?
Raise enough money so her father can truly live again.
43. Tell me any additional information (related to personality and psyche) I should probably know about your character here.
After the sickness, she practically took over providing for her father and herself by working as a stablehand at a gryphon aerie. She met Sangold there.
[Part IV - Family and social]
44. What kind of childhood did your character have?
For the first few years, happy and peaceful. After the sickness, she worked daily to keep the farm from being taken from them.
45. Your character's immediate family consists of:
Her father, who is sick at home on the farm. She tends to include Sangold as family.
46. What is your character's marital status for most of the story?
Single.
47. Is your character in a committed relationship for the greater part of the story?
No, Ren hasn't time to meet a man. And when you keep getting mistaken for one, that tends to cramp the looking :P
48. Education?
Ren didn't go to schools, but her mother was very educated and taught her to read and write before the sickness. Now, she is well versed in the history and geography taught by the military in Wing Camp.
49. Religion?
Ren doesn't follow any faith religiously, but her mother was a follower of the Lunar path.
50. Social class?
Working currently, since she isn't actually a graduated military Rider.
51. Sexual orientation?
Straight.
[Part V - Relationships]
52. How does the character relate to other characters?
She gruff and harsh when she talks and expects that everyone tries as hard as she does. She does understand failure and has experienced it before, but sees it as stepping stones to experience. She doesn't tolerate people who just complain about what they can actually change if they tried.
53. Does your character have a major love interest, and if so, who is it? Are they/will they be in a relationship (if you can tell us)? What is your character's relationship with his/her love interest like?
As of right now, I'm saying no. But it may change.
54. What is your character's relationship with his/her best friend(s) like?
Sangold is Ren's best friend and despite his whining and complaining, the gryphon respects her completely and defends her against any insult. Ren spends most of her time either stopping him from attacking people or telling him to shut up, but she'd be lost without him.
55. What was/is your character's popularity like in high school/middle school?
Can't go with Modern school... She was top of her class in Wing Camp and she wasn't really singled out as female, despite being the only one in her class. The recruits were only referred to by their surname and hers was reduced from Renais to Ren. Several of her squad mates were jealous of her skill, but she earned every bit and most respected her.
56. How's the relationship with the parents?
Before her mother died, Ren had a slightly strained relationship with her. As for her father, she feels guilty that he fell ill from the sickness while taking care of her and her whole goal in life is to restore his health.
57. How about siblings?
Her twin died with the sickness and she refuses to think about him.
58. Is there someone your character would die for, no questions asked?
Sangold and her father, without a thought. She might die protecting someone innocent, but not on purpose.
59. What are other characters' general first impressions of your character?
That 'he' is a competent Rider that is confident, but not arrogant. A bit of a life-saver since 'he' is the only Rider in Grapha not in the war.
60. What do others like most/least about your character?
Everyone appreciates Ren's skills and dedication, but some feel jealous or guilty when they realize or think about the fact that they don't have either as much. Hardly anyone knows her long enough to get past the roughness of her comments, but Sangold understands she just overdoes it a little and takes it as it is.
61. What is a something your character cannot stand in other people?
Apathy. Laziness, she can handle (Hello, Sangold's middle name), but not apathy. There is always something you can do to change your situation. So get off your butt and do it.
62. What is a surefire relationship deal-breaker for your character?
Under-handed tactics. Ren is brutally honest and a sure-fire way to tick her off is to try and discredit someone or trick others into harming them.
[Part VI - Your character and you]
63. Give us a three-word description of your character.
Determined, misunderstood and down-to-earth.
64. Give us a paragraph description of your character.
I refer you to my synopsis.
65. Would you want to be friends with your character if they were real?
Yes. She is hard on people, but I'm lazy and I'd need the boost. I'm horribly sarcastic, so I think we'd get along well :P
66. If you've ever talked to people in your life about the character, how did they react to him/her?
Plenty ^^ Most of them seem very interested in her, though the more conservative ones were concerned about the gender-bending.
67. What genre is your story this year?
Fannnnntasy :D
68. Do you enjoy/do you think you'll enjoy writing about this character nonstop for 30 days?
----------YES. Totally.
I've been accused of driving someone crazy before. But I still say we should all carpool! Saves gas.
~Iya Ilene
33,682 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 19 23
Wow, I feel like I know Ren now! ^^ And I don't blame you for wanting to write about her nonstop for 30 days, she sounds like a really cool character. Also, about the questions being awkward for fantasy - I know, and I apologise. :( I wasn't sure how to make them applicable to everyone, so I figured I'd stay the "mainstream" route.
I'll do my MC. He's nothing new - I've known him about two years. :) But you can never stop learning about your characters, I guess!
[Part I - Back to basics]
1. Where and when was your character born?
In Scranton General Hospital (fictional) on August 8th, 1988.
2. What is your character's name, as written on his/her birth certificate?
Gabriel Emery-Locklear (he never uses the Emery though)
3. Is your character male or female (or something else)?
Male* (see physical particularities)
4. Was this character born before the story or during?
Technically before. He was born in the prologue, which, along with the epilogue, is meant to be entirely separate from the story's general action.
5. In November 2009, how old would your character be?
Um, 21 I believe.
6. Is your character human? If not, what is it?
He's actually human, folks.
7. What role does this character play in the story (in relation to the main character)?
He's the main character.
[Part II - A brief physical]
8. Describe your character's eyes.
Hazel, but they look rather golden and he has one of those stereotypical Gary Stu "piercing" gazes. Except it's not really Gary Stu considering no one notices it ever. XD
9. Describe his/her hair.
He has straight chestnut hair that drops below his ears to about mid-neck. Also, his bangs are extremely long and often obstruct his eyes, which doesn't seem to bother him in the least.
10. Describe his/her predominant feature.
His eyes are his predominant physical feature. They're big and beautiful and the color is kind of special. When they're not covered by that gosh darn hair, people might actually notice them.
11. Does your character appear older or younger than his/her chronological age?
He acts, and therefore appears, quite a bit older because of his intellectual advancement.
12. Does your character have any birthmarks or scars?
He has a lot of scars.
13. Tall or short?
Relatively tall as he gets older. He's always been average height for a guy.
14. Build?
Really skinny for a guy, but not to the anorexic point.
15. If you got to pick the actor/actress to play your character in a movie, who would it be?
There's no actor I've ever come across that looks like him, so I'd probably just pick some emo-looking kid off the street and be like, "Wanna be in a movie?"
16. What's your character's physical health status?
Pretty good, but he needs to get in shape. He refuses to however because, and I quote, "sports hate me".
17. Any physical particularities? Explain briefly.
*Gabriel was born with a mosaic form of Klinefelter's syndrome (they have a good Wikipedia article on it if you don't know what KS is), and physically displays only mild symptomology, limited to a lanky build, significant shortage of facial hair, inability to perform physical tasks such as sports as well as regular guys do, and slightly ambiguous facial features and stuff like that. This is not even mentioned in the story, it's just the way I've always seen him.
[Part III - Personality and psyche]
18. Describe your character's personality in one word.
Borderline.
19. What does your character avoid at all costs?
Abandonment in any shape or form.
20. Complete this sentence: "My character is most likely to..."
Have a ton of extremely different moods in one hour.
21. What's your character's favorite book/favorite color/favorite show/favorite expletive/favorite song/favorite food?
Wuthering Heights/Black/Disorderly Conduct/the f-word/anything by Michael Jackson, AC/DC or Borderline by Madonna/hot dogs.
22. Who is your character's favorite person in the world - if they had to pick just one?
Jeff Somers
23. What are your character's hobbies?
He likes being around people, so he doesn't really have any hobbies besides hanging out. XD He's an epic failure, I know. Wait! He does like reading a lot!
24. What's your character's first memory?
It's very vague, but he remembers the day he was born a little bit (this has to do with the emotional advancement).
25. Most vivid memory?
I can't say.
26. Your character's greatest fear?
Abandonment.
27. Greatest regret?
... I'm not really able to say here either.
28. Is your character bored easily?
Pathologically so.
29. What would he/she be most likely to do on a rainy day?
Call someone to come over or just walk to Jeff and Janet's apartment in the rain.
30. What would be your character's motto?
Honey, Gabriel is too chronically depressed and self-loathing to have a motto.
31. What would be the theme song of his/her life?
"Borderline" by Madonna
32. What is the single worst thing that could ever happen to your character?
That Jeff Somers would ever A) die or B) otherwise go away. Yep, B happens. B is actually going to happen in less than five chapters from where I am. >_>
33. How would your character describe him/herself?
"Gross", "pathetic", "stupid", "freak" are all terms he's used in the past.
34. Character's top five priorities (in order)?
1. Jeff
2. His other friends/family members
3. Recovering from his illness (when he's not like, "F this sh*t" about therapy, that is)
4. School (he's a book nerd)
5. Making sense of the disgusting mess which is his "love life" (I use that term loosely).
35. How is your character's psychological health on a scale of one to ten?
Probably a 2. There are people worse off than him, but he's preeeetty bad.
36. Does your character get angry easily?
You can say that again.
37. Talents and skills?
Gabriel is very skilled at three things: lying, seduction and maintaining a perfect GPA. He also has a very sharp wit which never fails to annoy.
38. Greatest psychological flaw?
As a result of his personality disorder, he is extremely volatile and not very easy to live with or even be friends with. This is bad for him, because his behavior tends to push the people he so desperately needs (in his view) away.
39. Character's darkest secret (I won't be surprised if people back out of this one XD)?
That is between Gabriel, me, and the people who've read past Chapter 39. XD
40. Optimist? Pessimist?
Pessimist.
41. Introvert or extrovert?
Extrovert.
42. Ultimate goal in life?
To live past the age of 25.
43. Tell me any additional information (related to personality and psyche) I should probably know about your character here.
Okay, well, Gabriel has a severe case of borderline personality disorder (again, Wikipedia is your friend). It is important that you know this considering his having BPD is kind of the whole point of the story. My book revolves entirely around his life with the disorder. Another thing that's mentioned a lot is that Gabriel is considered profoundly intellectually gifted (IQ = 179). This is important because it helps you understand why his friends are often quite a bit older than he is.
[Part IV - Family and social]
44. What kind of childhood did your character have?
His father left the family when Gabriel was five, became an alcoholic, and, seeing as he was the family's sole source of income, subjected them to extreme poverty. Gabriel's mother had to get two jobs, work almost around the clock and count on a very precocious Gabriel to take care of his twin sister while she was absent. Gabriel then developed BPD and started showing symptoms at the age of seven. He was diagnosed at nine. Not a very pleasant childhood here.
45. Your character's immediate family consists of:
Mother Clara, father Jeremy, legal guardian Isabelle (long story), twin sister Jessica.
46. What is your character's marital status for most of the story?
Single
47. Is your character in a committed relationship for the greater part of the story?
There's no such thing as a "committed" relationship when you deal with unrequited love your whole life and are constantly told you have to "move on". He has relationships because he needs the security, not because he loves the people.
48. Education?
He graduates from high school and goes to postsecondary. That is all I can say here.
49. Religion?
Doesn't believe in religion, only believes in God on good days.
50. Social class?
Middle class once the whole dysfunctional family thing gets sorted out.
51. Sexual orientation?
Bisexual.
[Part V - Relationships]
52. How does the character relate to other characters?
It depends on the day and it depends on his first impressions of each person. Generally, he tends to like people when he first meets them, but he can go from thinking you're awesome to thinking you're a piece of sh*t in two seconds flat if you do something to hurt him or piss him off (however unintentionally).
53. Does your character have a major love interest, and if so, who is it? Are they/will they be in a relationship (if you can tell us)? What is your character's relationship with his/her love interest like?
Yes he does. His name is Jeff Somers. No they will not, because Jeff is A) straight and B) a sociopath with no emotional capacity. They have a bizarre friendship/non-relationship going on which includes watching lots of Disorderly Conduct: Video on Patrol and having joint custody of a pickup truck and a turtle.
54. What is your character's relationship with his/her best friend(s) like?
Very rocky yet strong and intense (Gabriel's two best friends beside Jeff have BPD, too). His friendship with Jeff is like an escape, though, because Jeff is a free spirit and often distracts Gabriel from even remembering he has BPD.
55. What was/is your character's popularity like in high school/middle school?
Gabriel is not very popular because he happens to be like five years younger than his classmates.
56. How's the relationship with the parents?
Not good.
57. How about siblings?
He has a very strong bond with his sister Jessica, but they aren't the stuck-at-the-hip type of twins. They have lots of very different interests and a different maturity level.
58. Is there someone your character would die for, no questions asked?
Yup. Jeff.
59. What are other characters' general first impressions of your character?
Either, "Wow, he's so nice" or "Holy crud what a jerk".
60. What do others like most/least about your character?
His brutal honesty and dry sense of humor/his volatility.
61. What is something your character cannot stand in other people?
Really high-pitched voices drive him up the wall. People who are perverted rub him the wrong way, too.
62. What is a surefire relationship deal-breaker for your character?
I don't think Gabriel knows what a deal-breaker is. He's in love with a serial killer.
[Part VI - Your character and you]
63. Give us a three-word description of your character.
Cute but psycho XD
64. Give us a paragraph description of your character.
I would, but it's really late here. XD I might edit it in tomorrow.
65. Would you want to be friends with your character if they were real?
Ahahaha, no. I mean I love him and all, but no. I'd probably be very intimidated/scared of him. Or at least annoyed.
66. If you've ever talked to people in your life about the character, how did they react to him/her?
Well, one of my friends legitimately wants to marry him. The other ones are somewhat less intense, but still find him intriguing/interesting/cool. My mom keeps pointing out people that look like him, which I assume is a good thing.
67. What genre is your story this year?
Psychological drama.
68. Do you enjoy/do you think you'll enjoy writing about this character nonstop for 30 days?
----------Sure, after 700-ish days what's another thirty gonna hurt?
Me: http://awriterstherapy.blogspot.com
Follow Gertrude's daily life with three awkward husbands (Hannibal, Johnny and Robert) and one disturbed child (Michael) XD: http://gertielsd.blogspot.com