Character development questions help writers explore the traits and behaviors of people unlike ourselves, drawing readers into your stories.
By: Grant P. Ferguson
Last Updated: February 21, 2025
When we base characters on people familiar to us, there’s a tendency to project our feeling and behaviors. That’s a problem because we often lean toward the positive traits. Readers want fictional people who react to plot events with realistic actions and emotions, and that forces writers out of our comfort zones.
Spread across the internet, you can find many free and paid character profiles, so this post will focus on development questions that help you create an interesting cast.
Answers to Character Development Questions
I like to begin with the end in mind, and in this case, it starts with where we can find answers to our character development questions.
Years ago, I came across the Enneagram of Personality. When I took an Enneagram test, I discovered it mirrored my real-life experiences. That catalyst sent me on a quest of discovery, and I studied many books and visited countless websites.
I turned that research into the Story Character Development Workbook and its worksheet into the Trellis Method’s Step 3: Develop characters.
Excerpts from the Trellis Method’s Worksheet
Here are significant character development questions pulled from the worksheet included with either the Essentials or Bundle version of the Trellis Method.
Snapshot
What will make this character register with the audience, and remain fixed in readers’ minds when you later mention a brief description? For example:
- Hair (e.g., color/style)?
- Eye color?
- Physical build/strength?
- Unique features (e.g., glasses)
- Appearance (e.g., neat/disheveled)?
- Clothing (e.g., fancy/plain)?
- Noticeable Mannerisms?
- Voice (e.g., tone/pitch)?
- Profession?
- Story role (i.e., contribution)?
Plot Influences
How will this character influence the plot and vice versa?
- How does the story’s external problem influence this character?
- How does the story’s goal (i.e., the “resolution” of the story’s external problem) affect this character?
- What is the story’s basic external stakes, and how does the character’s relationship to external forces block achieving the story goal?
- What’s at stake within the character, and what motivates the person despite the obstacle of some inner need?
- What motivates the character philosophically besides the external and internal stakes?
Issues
What makes this character interesting to readers and gives the writer plenty of room to conjure up conflicts that show the person’s emotions and Enneagram development level?
- What is the internal obstacle that holds this character back?
- What is the change required for this character to move forward?
- What is the false belief held by this character that keeps them from seeing what needs to change?
- What caused this psychological scar (aka emotional wound) that hinders the character from moving forward?
- What keeps the character’s emotional wound from healing (aka shard of glass)?
- What is this character’s chief desire (i.e., personal goal)?
- What’s notable about this character’s feelings?
- What inspires this character to take action?
- What besides the basic fear (see: type profile) is this character afraid of?
- What are the inner stumbling blocks and struggles that keep this character from moving forward, and how does it affect this person?
- What serves as the external obstacle and strife that blocks achieving the story’s goal, and how do those roadblocks affect this character?
- What is the universal (i.e., philosophical) truth and resulting strife this character must recognize before accepting the need to change?
Motivations
What moves this character forward despite the roadblocks?
- What drives character toward the Story Goal despite the opposing external forces?
- What motivation continues to drive a character toward the “want” despite inner “need” for change?
- What universal truth inspires the character to change?
Backstory
How would you describe the story behind this character at significant milestones in their life?
- Key events as a preteen?
- Significant physical, emotional, and spiritual events as a teen?
- Events that marked this character as an adult?
- Which parts of these events will show up as the character’s backstory and how will the rest help the writer choose what to share?
Sample Dialogue
How will you design the dialogue so that readers will know who is speaking, even if missing dialogue tags?
- How does the character speak when feeling stress?
- How does the character speak when feeling secure?
Descriptions
How will you remind readers of a character who returns from offstage after being absent from the story for several scenes?
- Full Description?
- Brief Description?
Character Arc
How will you draw the character arc for this person as they navigate different Story Beats for the Story Spine?
- HOOK development level?
- TRIGGER development level?
- THRUST INTO 2 development level?
- MIDPOINT development level?
- PLUNGE INTO 3 development level?
- CLIMAX development level?
- RESOLUTION development level?
Relationships
How will you keep track of other character’s names, relationships, story roles, and story contributions?
How to Develop Interesting & Realistic Characters
We recommend using the Enneagram to identify the “type” (1-9) for your characters.
Here’s how to develop characters in five steps.
- Identify ‘Character Type’
Use the three tables in the Character Type Identification infographic to choose the Enneagram type.
- Review Character Type
Consult the two-page description for the identified character type, focusing on the traits shown on page 1 and the development level on page 2.
- Select Development Level
From page 2 of the type description, select the development level you’ll use to introduce this fictional person to your audience. As your characters experiences plot events, their development level will move up or down, causing behaviors to shift.
- Complete the Character Snapshot
Answer the character development questions and your answers will serve as a quick reference to this person, useful for a single book or in a series.
- Complete the Detailed Characters Profile
For your primary characters (e.g., the roles of the protagonist, co-protagonist, antagonist), complete the answers to the questions. For your secondary characters (e.g., love interest, love rival, mentor, sidekick, foil character, parental figure), answer only those questions you feel are important to your story. Note: Keep these character profiles and update them as needed to synchronize with your story’s content.
Your Answers Matter!
How you answer the character development questions, the way you use the details, and your ability to track the Enneagram development levels do matter.
For example:
- What does the person want that matters most to them?
- What does the person need, the lesson to learn that can move the story forward?
- Consider fears that keep the individual up at night, and are those concerns central to your development of this character?
- How do the character’s thoughts, choices, speech, and actions mirror the Enneagram development levels as the story and personal stakes rise?
To gather the many details, and as with many of the techniques used by bestselling authors, it takes work. Most top writers adopt and adapt a writing system, and that personalized process becomes their intuitive way of creating stories. Then, it’s no longer work, but fun!
Study these character development questions, pick out the ones you think will work for your stories, and enjoy putting those answers to work on your writing journey.
Where can you find more information?
There are many excellent books and websites that explain the Enneagram of Personality.
However, most help you understand how the Enneagram applies to your life and interactions with people. In contrast, I want to help writers apply the Enneagram theory to dynamic character development. With that in mind, here are a few links within Tame Your Book that will give you a glimpse of how to apply the Enneagram to character development.
- https://tameyourbook.com/what-are-story-character-types/
- https://tameyourbook.com/dynamic-characters-examples-and-guide/
- https://tameyourbook.com/develop-characters-using-enneagram-personality-types/
- https://tameyourbook.com/develop-character-voices-and-descriptions-using-enneagram-personality-types-part-2/
- https://tameyourbook.com/free-character-template/
If you want the prompt-based worksheets that walk writers through the process, you’ll find those packaged in the Trellis Method‘s Essentials or Bundle.
Leave a Reply
What’s your process for developing characters and how have you turned that into a writing system you can use again and again?
Leave a Reply to Wynne LeonCancel reply