A few years back, I learned and practiced a technique that can help you get to know your characters: interviewing. Most of us do this I think in some form or another. I'm pretty sure I've seen a list of questions in one of my Nanowrimo prep packets. My creative writing teacher said it's okay to ask questions about favorites (eg. color, food, hobby), but eventually, you need to move away from those and ask the "tough" questions. For example, biggest fears, regrets, motivations, etc. In a previous post, I listed a bunch of questions I've used to get to know my characters. I don't know about you, but listing questions and answers like this sometimes feels more like "homework" than actual writing or brainstorming. That's why (over the years), I've tweaked the method into something that makes a little more sense to me. Late Night Talk Shows Have you ever watched a late night talk show? I grew up (and fell asleep) to David Letterman and Jay Leno telling jokes and interviewing celebrities, but I know Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel both have late night shows. There are others. (Conan is the one with the funny red hair right?) Anyway, I recently developed a passion for looking up celebrity interviews online, especially for movies I was planning to see soon or had just watched. For example, I looked up interviews with the Marvel cast before I saw Avengers: End Game. I also watched all the interviews with the Pitch Perfect cast because I loved those movies and wanted to "get to know the cast" better outside their character roles. My favorite interview was one I stumbled upon. It was with seven-year-old Drew Barrymore and Johnny Carson. Johnny Carson interviewed Drew on his late night show after her role in ET. She has the best answers to his questions and--- it's just super cute! You have to watch it. (See video link below.) Welcome to my book! I write middle grade fiction (ages 8-12), and after I saw Drew Barrymore's interview with Johnny Carson, I realized I'd been interviewing my characters all wrong. Yes, it's good to have a list of questions, but I needed to interact with them--- really talk to them, you know? That's when I developed my own private talk show called, "Welcome to my book!" in which I periodically have my characters come into my imaginative studio---and interview them. I image what they might be wearing for the interview, how they step onto the stage, whether they give me hug, high-five, or a handshake. I think about whether they'd dance or spin before sitting down or silently slip into their chair. Next, I create a dialogue between me and the character. Sometimes I refer to a list of questions to get the conversation started, but most often, I welcome them and ask how they're doing, and I go from there! At the end of the interview, I always ask them if they'd be willing to come on the show again. If they are hesitant, I suggest we meet more privately in a coffee shop (and I take on either a friend role or the role of a journalist). Most of my characters say they're happy to come back on. In this way, I'm able to interview them throughout my drafting process. Like, if I'm stuck in a scene, I might bring them onto the show and ask about how they feel in that moment, what their motivations are, etc. Or, I might interview them after a completed draft and ask how they feel about their role or if I missed anything they really wanted in the book. Practice makes perfect
I think as adults we don't always make the time to play make-believe as often as we should. Sometimes we're out of practice, and using our imagination is essential to writing an interesting and successful story. I can see how interviewing your characters in this way can feel uncomfortable because (if you think about it) you're essentially talking to yourself. Don't think of it like that. If you want your readers to believe your characters are real on the page, it's time to think of them real off the page, too. This technique is just one way to begin doing that.
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