5 Key Development Questions to Bring Your Characters to Life

by Loretta Bushell

The most beloved fictional characters aren’t faultless heroes. They’re complex characters who feel real — they have flaws, quirks, likes, and dislikes.

Many authors turn to handpicked development questions to help them achieve greater character depth. Over on Reedsy Studio, we have hundreds of prompts for each character role. Here are five crucial questions to ask yourself about every significant character in your story.

1. How did their childhood shape them?

Admittedly, this first question’s not very original — but it is important, as any therapist will tell you, and it’s a key pillar of our own character profile template.

Why? When readers learn about a character’s past, it helps them understand their present choices, fears, and motivations. In Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, for example, Richard’s “boring” upbringing and strained relationship with his parents explain his desperation to fit in with the wealthy and sophisticated Ancient Greek students. He covets their acceptance so much, in fact, that — spoiler! — he chooses not to report them for murder.

Indeed, backstory is such a powerful tool that it can make readers feel sorry for even the most nefarious villains. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff commits heinous crimes of domestic violence and kidnapping, but we still pity him when we think of the neglect, abuse, and discrimination he faced as a child.

Remember: it’s not only trauma that a person carries with them to adulthood. Think about the routines, habits, and values your character picked up from their parents or carers. In A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, for instance, Ove inherits his principles from his father — who taught him to always act honorably, rather than merely talking about taking action.

2. If they could change one thing about the world, what would it be, and why?

You can be sure that Ove’s answer to this question would be admirable. But what about your character’s response?

One of our 101 questions to ask any character, this prompt immediately reveals a person’s level of selfishness. Would they change something to benefit their personal agenda, or something that would make the whole world a better place?

Dive into the specifics to discover more about their priorities. Assuming your character is fairly selfless, for instance, which would be most important to them: world peace, an end to poverty, or a cure for cancer? The actual answer could be anything, but thinking about the reason will help you dive deeper into your character’s mind. Consider their past experiences, their loved ones, and/or any religious or cultural influences in their life.

Remember: your character’s answer might change over the course of the story or series. I’m not J.K. Rowling, but I imagine 10-year-old Harry Potter would just want a loving family, whereas an older Harry would wish Voldemort out of existence.

3. If they knew they only had one year (or month or day) left to live, how would they spend it?

On a related note, when Harry is on his way to die in Deathly Hallows, he uses the resurrection stone to summon echoes of loved ones who have gone before him. Chances are, such a stone doesn’t exist in your story world — but would your character also choose to spend their final moments with loved ones, or would they rather be alone?

This question, another one of our 101, is supposed to elicit a selfish answer, even from the noblest of heroes. It tells us who and what is most important to them.

But it also tells us how they would cope with knowledge of an ill-fated future. Would they live every day to the fullest, or fall into a depressive stupor? Would they pursue their romantic interest with renewed urgency, or would they think it kinder to distance themselves? Would they still chase their primary goal, or would it all seem pointless now? The answers to these questions will reflect your character’s resilience, determination, and outlook on life.

In John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars, Augustus and Hazel both face terminal illness, but deal with it differently. Hazel withdraws and tries to distance herself from Augustus so that he will hurt less when she is gone, whereas Augustus seizes the day, flying to Amsterdam and staging his own prefuneral. These actions reflect the teenagers’ underlying fears: Hazel is afraid of the pain she’ll cause those left behind, while Augustus is afraid of fading into oblivion.

4. What’s something they still need to forgive themselves for?

Even teenage cancer patients Hazel and Augustus have regrets, mostly about not making the most of every moment. All multidimensional characters will have flaws and regrets — though they may not be self-aware enough to regret their flaws.

This question divides characters into two: those who need to forgive themselves for a genuinely bad deed, and those carrying misplaced guilt. Amir from Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is an example of the former: at 12, he stood by as his friend was assaulted and said nothing. Starr from Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give falls into the latter category: it’s not her fault that the police killed her friend, but she thinks she could have done something to change his fate. While Amir is aware of his own failings, Starr’s inability to see the truth is a flaw in itself.

Besides highlighting one of your character’s weaknesses, this question lets you explore how strongly they cling to the past. Does their guilt torture them constantly or only occasionally, and do they ultimately manage to forgive themselves? If so, what act of redemption or change in thought pattern allows them to move on? In Amir’s case, he makes strides toward redemption when he rescues his old friend’s son and gets badly beaten instead of running away again.

5. Which words or phrases do they overuse?

Our final question helps you craft a distinct voice for every major player in your story, allowing readers to recognize who’s talking even when there are no dialogue tags.

Some authors use this trick to make their characters memorable beyond the realm of their book. If I say “phony,” whom do you think of? Probably Holden Caulfield, if you’ve read The Catcher in the Rye. And “old sport” is practically Gatsby’s catchphrase.

Be careful not to overdo it (unless for deliberate comedic effect). You probably know people who overuse certain slang phrases, fillers, or swear words. Try to draw inspiration from these individuals to keep the frequency of the overused expressions realistic.

After these five development questions, you should know your characters much better. But there’s always more to discover, so keep on asking!

Loretta Bushell writes for Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors with top publishing professionals. If she only had one month left to live, she would rent out a soft play center and invite all her friends and family along.