Writing Tools

Installment Two: Getting to Know Your Character

By Laurie Schnebly Campbell

    Laurie Schnebly Campbell is a multipublished author and a counseling therapist, who uses her background when speaking to writers' groups about such issues as "The Psychology of Creating Characters", and "Baking a Book From Scratch". Her newest release, His Brother's Baby, coming from Silhouette Special Edition in July 2003, features the characters in the Freestyle Interview Method # 3, given below. Please check out Laurie's website at www.bookLaurie.com for helpful tips about Character Development and Relationships, Dealing with Rejection, and Plot Creation.

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THREE METHODS FOR INTERVIEWING YOUR CHARACTERS
(c)2002 by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
 www.bookLaurie.com, LSchnebly@ MullenAdv.com

     If you're having a hard time getting to know your characters, you
might want to try putting on your Oprah Winfrey hat and interviewing
them.  Sitting down at the typewriter for a chat with your hero or
heroine is a great way to get to know them.  Just pretend you're the hero
and type, "Hi, I'm Rhett Butler," and let him start talking.  Once you
slip into the hero's personality, it's easy to stay in character as long
as the interviewer keeps asking questions.
     Ah, but there's the tricky part.  Where are those questions coming
from?  Unless you're good at switching roles back and forth from the
interviewer to the character, or have a friend standing by to serve as
the interviewer, you may find it easier to let your character answer a
list of questions already sitting at the top of the page.  (One nice
thing about characters is that they all seem to be great typists!)
     You can make up your own questions in advance, of course.  Or if
you're not quite sure what to ask once you've finished the nuts-and-bolts
("what's your name, where are you from, what do you do for a living?"),
you might want to use some of the following getting-to-know-you
questions.  You'll notice that they don't follow any logical progression,
because when you keep the character jumping from one topic to another,
you generally trick them into revealing more interesting things!

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METHOD #1:  TWENTY QUESTIONS
(c)2002 by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
www.bookLaurie.com, LSchnebly@ MullenAdv.com

     These take the getting-to-know-the-characters interview just a step
beyond the usual "Tell me your name, birthplace, job, parents, etc."

1. If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission
was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
2. What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?  How
about after they've known you for a while?
3. What's your idea of a good marriage?  Do you think that'll happen in
your life?
4. What are you most proud of about your life?  (If they answer with
something other than a personal statement, like a business achievement,
ask "What about on a personal level?")
5. What are you most ashamed of in your life?  (Again, if necessary ask
"What about on a personal level?")
6. If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or
imaginary), who would you pick?
7. Do you think you've turned out the way your parents expected?
8. What do you believe about God?  (If they believe in God, ask "What do
you suppose God thinks of you?")
9. Is there anything you've always wanted to do but haven't done?  What
would happen if you did it?
10. What's the worst thing that's happened in your life?  What did you
learn from it?
11. Tell me about your best friend.  (If you think it might be
interesting, ask "How did you meet?  What do you like about this person? 
What do they like about you?")
12. What's the worst thing you've ever done to someone?  Why?  ("Why" is
usually a good follow-up question to any response!)
13. What would you like it to say on your tombstone?
14. Describe your ideal mate.
15. What are you most afraid of?
16. What's the most important thing in your life?  What do you value
most?
17. What do you like best about yourself?  Least?
18. What do you like best about [the other character]?  Least?
19. How do you feel about your life right now?  What, if anything, would
you like to change?
20. Are you lying to yourself about something?  What is it?

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METHOD #2:  "GLOVES-OFF" QUESTIONS
(c)2002 by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
www.bookLaurie.com, LSchnebly@ MullenAdv.com

     These are the kind of questions you couldn¹t ask anyone except a
very close friend or counseling client!

1. Say you're using [other character] for something...what would it be?
2. What are they using you for?
3. How do you feel about that?
     (This is a good question to throw in anytime they say something
interesting.  Other good ones are "Say more about that" and "Really?"  I
put *** by any response that seems worth following up on later, and
continue the conversation/interview with those ***s next time I start
up.)
4. Assuming you and [other character] work out your differences, what's
gonna keep you from living happily ever after?
5. Even though we hope they'll never do it, for now just pretend it
could happen:  What's the worst thing [other character] could do to you?
6. Why would that be so bad?
7. Why would you deserve it?
8. What's the worst thing you could do to [other character]?
9. Why would they deserve it?
10. Why on earth do you _want_ a relationship with this person?
     By now they might be saying "never mind, I _don't_" -- in which
case, follow up with:
11. Why haven't you given them up already?
12. Assuming it would hurt, why would it hurt?
13. What does this person give you/do for you/complete in you that
nobody else ever has?
14. What do you do for them/give them/complete in them that nobody else
ever has?

     And that's it -- we'll assume that by now you guys are really
rolling up your sleeves and talking more intimately than most people ever
talk to a therapist.  Have fun! <g>
 
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METHOD #3:  FREESTYLE INTERVIEW (SAMPLE)
(c)2002 by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
www.bookLaurie.com, LSchnebly@ MullenAdv.com

     This is really like having a conversation with somebody you'd like
to get to know better.  You can do it before starting the book, or
anywhere in the middle -- just keep in mind what stage of the book this
person is at.  (If they haven't yet met the love of their life, they
can't really talk about the relationship! <g>)
     Here, we've got a waitress who spent three giddy weeks with a golf
pro before realizing she didn't truly love him -- then discovered she was
pregnant.  He promised to marry her, but instead left her in his family's
Scottsdale vacation home and phoned from Asia to say "I'm not coming
back; you can stay there until next winter."  Unknown to Lucy or golfer
Kenny, his older brother Conner (a workaholic attorney) was planning to
get away from the office and spend six weeks in the vacation home --
organizing a foundation that would relieve his guilt over the death of
his son.
     So before the book begins, before Conner ever shows up at the house
and finds Lucy there with baby Emma, we sit down and chat with each
character separately.

     Conner, how do you feel about Kenny?
    For a long time I wanted to knock some sense into him, you know? 
Instead of always covering for him.  But I finally realized he's not
gonna change; he's always gonna need bailing out...and I might as well
keep on doing that.  It's easy enough.
    And it lets you be superior to him.
    Yeah.  Good point.
    But you still don't think you're capable of love?
    I think if I were, I would've done it by now.  I mean, I thought at
first with Margie I could do it, I could love like anybody else.  And
then with Bryan--  I mean, my God, if you can't love your own kid...!  I
think it got left out of the gene pool someplace...somewhere along the
line, I missed something.
    How do you feel about that?
    I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it.  What'm I gonna do,
lie around feeling sorry for myself?  Getting angry again?  I've been
through that, done it, skipped the T-shirt...I don't need to go there
again.
    So why are you setting up this foundation for Bryan?
    Because I've gotta do something.  I¹ve gotta do what I can do, and
this is something I know how to do.  Maybe I can't love, but I can sure
organize.  I can delegate, recruit, administer, all that...I can do some
good with that.
    Okay, moving on...   Was Kenny always center stage?
    He was like the golden boy, all those years...my folks kind of saw
him as the proof that our family wasn't really screwed up.  Here I am
trying to hold it together and here he is, out there having a great
time...he was the proof they needed.  I mean, he probably wouldn't see it
that way, he'd probably say "Oh, Con was the one who kept everybody
going, he was the one everybody counted on, leaned on, turned to..." 
(pause)  I was the one everybody used.
    So what are you gonna do about it?
     Do?  Nothing.  There's nothing TO do at this point.  It was all
over twenty years ago, twenty-five, whenever my dad died and--  I don¹t
know, it was over before that, even.  Day he took his first drink.
    Ah.
    And I'm the last person who can throw stones, I know.  It all kind
of falls under "Shit Happens."  Shit happened, I survived...  (pause) 
Bryan didn¹t.
    Tell me about Margie.
    What's to tell?  I thought I loved her; she probably did love
me...until she realized I didn't really have it together.
     Have what together?
    The whole love-marriage-family thing.  I figured I could do it, how
hard could it be?  You know, you don¹t think that clearly when she's all
over your--  Shit.  I don't want to talk about this.
    Did you love her?
    No, I didn't!  But I thought I did.  Wishful thinking, I guess...I
should've known I couldn't do it.
    Are you bitter about that?
    Well, yeah.  But there¹s not much point going there.  Everybody
misses out on things, I don't have much patience with people who gripe
about missing out on piano lessons or a dad to play catch with or
whatever...everybody misses out, that's just the way things are.

     ---after moving from Conner to Lucy and getting introductions out of
the way---

     Lucy, you're on.
    Cool.  I get to be queen of the show, huh?
    Yeah.  I don't think it'll be that hard to get to know you, and I¹m
tired of talking to Conner.
    How come?
    He's tough.  He's all closed in on himself; it's hard to reach him.
    Ooh, too bad.  Want me to try?
    You'll get to later.  He's not gonna want to open up to you, either.
    No problem.  Just let me at him.  I mean, he's not a jerk or
anything, right?
    No...he's just incredibly responsible.
    Oh.
    You don't sound too thrilled about that.
    Well, no, it's okay.  I just didn't realize I was gonna be rooming
with somebody who always puts the lid on the toothpaste.  Is he a pain
about it?
    I don't know.  I guess we'll find out.
    Well, it's not like we're gonna be sharing a bathroom anyway.  I
don't know how he'll feel about Emma, though....
    He's gonna fall in love with her.
    Oh, I like him already.  Anybody who loves my baby--  God, does that
sound dumb, or what?  He could be an ax murderer, but as long as he loves
Emma...!  Slap me before I get all sappy.
    What's the matter with being sappy?
    Well, it's not something people want to watch for very long.  I
mean, I'm crazy about her, I never knew I could love anybody that
much...but even as I'm saying it, I know it sounds sappy.
    Do you care what people think of you?
    Sure.  Of course.  Not that I'm gonna change myself to be what other
people want, but of course I care what they think of me.  Don't you?
    Well, yeah.  But you seem so much more free-spirited.
    So?  You can't be both?  I don't mean I go around worrying about
what people think of me, but it matters what they think.
    Who doesn't approve of you?
    Aw, you name it.  I had a baby out of wedlock, okay?  That's a whole
lot of people off the list, right there.
    Okay, moving on...what if Conner wanted to marry you?
    Why would he?  He's rich, right?  He could have anybody.
    But say he fell in love with you.
    Oh, now we're back to Queen Of The Show.  Sure, fine, if this rich
guy who's real responsible--is he great-looking?  Shoot, he'd have to be
if he's Kenny's br--  Oh.  Oh. I just got very heavy and slow.  He's
Kenny's brother.  So no.  Uh-uh.  Forget it.
    Why?
    I'm not marrying Kenny's brother.  They come from the same family,
right?  Any family who could raise a guy like Kenny, no thanks--I don't
want any more Tarkingtons in my life.
    What are you going to tell Emma about her father?
    I've thought about that.  I'll tell her the good stuff.  He was
good-looking, for sure.  And he was--well, fun.  Really good at golf,
too; he worked hard at it.  So I'll tell her that.  Anyway, if I ever
marry somebody else, she'll have a better dad right there.
     Like Conner.
     Oh, sure, right.  Like this rich guy's gonna fall in love with me?
     I guarantee you, he will.  Because I designed you and him to be
perfect together, and I'm the one writing the book.
     I'm gonna be in a book?  No, come on.  Really?

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