2023 Character-Building Challenge: Day 2
Make the most of March by participating in the first ever Character-Building Challenge. Writer’s Digest provides free daily tasks for the first 10 days of March to help writers unlock compelling new characters. For Day 2, interrogate one of your characters.
Welcome back to the Character-Building Challenge! There were so many great lists of names yesterday (and I loved Yvonne C.'s idea to list first and last names in separate lists to make combinations later).
For this second day, I want you to pick one of those character names and interrogate your character. And maybe interrogate is a bit too rough of a term; it could be an interview (unless you really want to get your character sweating under the heat lamp while you fire questions their way). Try asking at least 10 questions, but don't be afraid to probe deeper.
If you want a little help figuring out questions to ask, check out "Novel Writing: 10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Characters," by Brenda Janowitz.
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Here's my interrogation:
Name?
Abraham
Full name?
Abraham Clyde Houser
Does anyone call you Abe?
Not if I can help it.
Do you have a problem with Abe?
Yeah, I hate it when people start calling me Honest Abe all the time. It's annoying.
How old are you?
I'm fifteen.
Do you have a driver's permit?
No, not interested in driving.
Why not?
I have friends who drive me anywhere I need to be. Or I ride my bike.
How are your grades?
Good. As and Bs. Could probably be better if I tried harder.
Are you a slacker?
Some people say I am. Maybe in some ways I am. I don't think so.
Do you have a favorite subject?
Art class.
Do you do any extracurricular activities?
I run track and cross country.
Are you fast?
Not the best...or the worst. It's fun.
Do you have any favorite books or stories?
I really like that story about Bartleby by Herman Melville, because he was always saying what he didn't want to do.
I know that one. He took it a little far in the end, didn't he?
Yeah, I guess.
Would you say you're a rebel?
No, not really. But I will stand up for things I care about, though I'm pretty open-minded on most things.
What's your biggest secret?
Like I'm telling you.
Well, what's your biggest fear?
I don't like heights. Or public speaking.
What do you want to do when you get older?
I really don't know. I just want to make enough money to be happy, I guess.
Do you have a girlfriend?
No.
Boyfriend?
No.
Any friends?
Yeah, I've got friends. A lot of them. But maybe just a few who are close friends.
What's the best thing that ever happened to you?
I won an art competition when I was in middle school. That was pretty cool. Got a ribbon and everything.
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Like I'm telling you.
Anything else you want to share?
I'm good.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
