The Character Interview: A Brainstorming Trick to Deepen Your Cast

You've got a plot. You've got a setting. But your characters feel flat, like actors hitting marks instead of people living their lives. This is a common problem, and it has a surprisingly fun solution: interview them. Not literally, of course, but in your notebook. You ask the questions, and you let your character answer in their own voice. What comes out often surprises even the writer.

The character interview works because it bypasses your inner critic. You're not writing prose; you're just having a conversation. The pressure is off, and your subconscious is free to reveal things you didn't know you knew about your character. Maybe your stoic detective secretly writes poetry. Maybe your cheerful barista is estranged from her entire family. These details might never make it into the story directly, but they will inform how you write every scene.

Questions That Go Beyond the Basics

Skip the boring questions like "What's your favorite color?" unless color matters to the plot. Instead, ask questions that reveal values, wounds, and contradictions. Here are some to try:

1. What's the lie you tell yourself most often?
2. Who did you fail, and do they know it?
3. What's the kindest thing you've ever done that no one saw?
4. What would you do if you knew you had one week left?
5. What do you want that you're ashamed to want?

Write the answers in first person, as if the character is speaking. Don't edit. Don't judge. Just let them talk. If they dodge a question, that's interesting too. Why are they avoiding it? What are they protecting?

You can also interview your antagonist with the same questions. Villains who can articulate their own pain are far more compelling than villains who are simply evil. Understanding their logic, even if you disagree with it, makes them feel real.

Using Interview Answers in Your Draft

Once you have a page or two of interview material, read it over. Look for contradictions. A character who says they value honesty but lies constantly is rich territory. Look for patterns. Do they always deflect when asked about their childhood? That's a wound worth exploring.

You don't need to include the interview itself in your story. Instead, let the answers guide your choices. When your character walks into a room, you'll know how they feel about the people there. When they face a decision, you'll know what they're afraid of losing. The interview is scaffolding, and once the story is built, you can remove it.

Try interviewing one character today. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and write without stopping. You might be surprised by what they tell you, and your story will be stronger for it.