apottovan

AP Ottovan

Doing better, love

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I Also Really Like The Characterquestion Of:> Describe Their Hands.It Makes You Think About What They

I also really like the character “question” of: > Describe their hands. It makes you think about what they go through in a day, routine, you know? It also carries with it a certain softness and romance that I enjoy in character questioners. > A lot can be said from someone’s hands. What they do for work, what their hobbies are, how they hold a knife (like a butcher or a chef), or a pen (like a scholar or a brute), so on and so forth. The hands, like the eyes, are a gateway, and can tell you more at a glance than months of talking. > River’s hands were not soft. They were a gardener’s hands, calloused and rough from years of digging and toil. There was dirt under her nails, which she kept short to prevent their breaking. Dirt always in the lines of her palms, how deep her head line and how short her heart line. There were shallow scratches from thorns in her skin. She always charcoal on her fingertips and down to the side of her right hand from where it rested on a page. She marked everything she touched, though she rarely meant to. Her hands were always cold, but never freezing. River was gentle in everything she did, even when her fingers were wrapped around the handle of an axe or the string of a bow.

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.) Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results:

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory)

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.)

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.)

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.)

I Also Really Like The Characterquestion Of:> Describe Their Hands.It Makes You Think About What They

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