Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Testing, testing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

This is topic Testing, testing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in forum Character Interviews at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Reagansgame (Member # 8149) on :

Mrs. She Who Can Crush Me Like A Bug(... but in a nice way), is this something along the lines of what you are looking for

Okay, so Bachelor/-rette Number One:

1.) What is your name and in which hypothetical story-world do you live?

2.)Do you have any pet peeves?

3.)Who, in your life, are you closest to, and why? If that person were given three sentances to sum you up, what would that person say?

4.) What is your earliest, most significant memory?

5.) What is your greatest insecurity? What is your greatest strength?

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

Thanks, Reagansgame. This is great.

Those are some good questions to start with, too.

So, let's get some character topics in here, and people can start interviewing.

And let's have this topic be for suggested questions, like the ones you've already posted, okay?

Please start a new topic for each of your characters, people.

Posted by Reagansgame (Member # 8149) on :

What an awesome idea KDW.

Talk about a great warm up to writing.

I'm ready for the questions I would never think to ask.

Posted by ? (Member # 8177) on :

Well there are the obvious questions you could ask like age, physical appearance (height, weight, scars, eye and hair color ect), family, education, and friends.

But what I'm more interested in is what makes a character more believable: Habits(both good and bad), what are the embarassed by, fears, secrets, phobias, regrets, pet peeves(as mentioned), what are they most proud of, and talents.

I'm going to be thinking about some good questions to ask for my characters and ask them here.

Is that what we're supposed to to KDW?

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

What do you do?

Do what Reagansgame has done.

1--Start topics for your characters

2--have them introduce themselves

and/or go post in Reagansgame's character topics:

3--go ask questions of other people's (like Reagansgame's)characters

and when someone posts questions in your character topics,

4--have your characters answer the questions other people ask them

Posted by MrsBrown (Member # 5195) on :

This forum is so cool! I want to read EVERYONEs stories now. These characters are so well thought out and presented! Its helping me with my characters.

Does anyone mind having the characters talk to each other? For example, does it sound like thread-stealing when Ida talks to Joi? I've been having a blast, but don't want to step on toes or anything.

I'd like to suggest one more idea here: asking for opinions about the characters. After having a chance for some back-and-forth, I'd like to know if my character sounds:

- Likeable, stand-offish, offensive, whatever; to see if I've hit the intended mark

- Does s/he sound rich or cookie-cutter?

- Does the character and his story make you want to read more?

- What works or what turns you off?

Sound okay?

Posted by shimiqua (Member # 7760) on :

I second MrsBrown. I am having a blast, and it is helping me so much!
I liked it when the Ida talked to Joi, it made me think of how Joi would talk to a dragon, which I will be needing in the foreseeable future.

Good times!

Posted by LAJD (Member # 8070) on :

I third or whatever that is! I even suggested this to another forum that I participate in.

Liz has been kind of a shadow character in my story. She disappears early and only shows up in text messages to the main characters. However, she is going to come back and I this is really helping me figure out what she might have been like before she got into that crazy mess.

Can we come back with the same character after she has had some catastrophic event? Something that has changed her or hurt her badly?

Oooooh, this is so much fun! I love reading the other characters as well. So different. I love Vivian, she's so bad.
Leslie

Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :

Maybe we could offer an incident for the writer to have their character go through? I.e., we could say, Vivian just got into a car accident, or something like that. Then the author could use that trigger.

I'm having fun too. A little too much fun, maybe. It's great play acting. It's also an ego boost when people pick up on something I was trying to suggest without coming right out to say it.

Posted by Rhaythe (Member # 7857) on :

quote:
Vivian just got into a car accident...

Poor Viv...! =(

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

I am loving how much fun you all are having.

As for what you do here, it's up to you. The only restrictions are what you agreed to when you registered.

Posted by Rhaythe (Member # 7857) on :

I've enjoyed the exercise. It feels kinda silly writing for someone that's not even a main character, but she's definitely fun to write for. I probably should have written as one of the lesser fleshed-out characters instead, but it wouldn't have been as amusing.

FBI agents have no sense of humor anyway.

Posted by Reagansgame (Member # 8149) on :

Asking questions as your character is a challenge!!! Man, you really got to get into that voice, don't you. Answering about your character is easy enough, but to be in someone else's story and maintain that character --- well, I love challenges.

It seems feedback comes in the direction of the questions you get too, Nobody actually has to say "Wow, your guy Sam, he's a jerk!" I can gather the context from the line of questioning. (Hey, but at least now you know why I felt slimey writing him.)

PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED BY HIM, OKAY. He just does it for attention, y'all.

Posted by Rhaythe (Member # 7857) on :

I thought it was funny!

Posted by Reagansgame (Member # 8149) on :

So, I was thinking about the questions that we would never think to ask and it occurred to me that I may not be thinking of them, because that is the whole point. So, I've gone outsourcing, folks. I found some questions that none of us would ever think to ask, because I'm assuming (since there is an age requirement for this site) that none of us are sixteen-year-old girls, even if your character is. Below, I'm pasting the latest MySpace survey. True, it may seem silly, but The Sixteen-Year-Old-Girl survey will pry open the locked chests of silliness in your character that you and I would never bother to explore. For grins, see how your character would respond to some of the questions from the survey.

Like anyone right now?

Do they like you back?

Last time you laughed alot?

What is bothering you right now?

Are you high?

What is your favorite color(s)?

Is there a high chance of you going to the movies soon?

When was the last time you got a back massage?

Are you easily scared by horror/thriller films?

If you had $100 would you spend or save it?

If there was a large spider in the room, would you stay?

When was the last time you were in a hotel room?

Last place you went out to eat?

Where are you right now?

Do you have any enemies?

What are you thinking about right now?

When was the last time you intentionally made someone cry?

What are you doing tomorrow?

What are you doing tonight?

What are you wearing right now?

When did you last cry?

Last movie you watched?

In the past week have you felt sad?

Do you give out second chances?

Look to your left, what do you see?

What was the last clothing item you bought?

What were you doing an hour ago?

Where were you last night?

Are you married?

Have you told anyone a secret in the past week?

Do you live near your best friend?

What woke you up this morning?

What is your current mood?

What are you looking forward to in the next three months?

Is smoking one of your turn offs?

Do you like the song 'I Kissed A Girl' by Katy Perry?

Could you eat nothing but grilled cheese for a week straight?

Have your parents told you that you couldn't hang out with a certain person?

Could you last an hour without talking?

Were you happy when you woke up today?

What are you listening to right now?

Who was the last person who you called?

What did you eat last?

Has anyone told you they missed you lately?

Are you a Hollister/Abercrombie/American Eagle kind of person?

Have you ever liked someone who all your friends hated?

Have any interesting conversations lately? If so, with who? What about?

What always makes you feel better when you’re upset?

What do you wake up to everyday?

Did you ever waste too much time on a certain boy or girl?

When was the last time you had butterflies?

Who was the last friend in your house?

Do you currently miss anybody?

Do you think you will be in a relationship three months from now?

Have you ever broken someone's heart?

Do you have trust issues?

Are you open with your feelings to people?