I have this one book about fiction writing and inside of it is a questionnaire to help aspiring writers to develop their character. I was reading through it, and started to apply it to my characters and I found that it helped me not only in writing, but RPing, too.


Questionnaire
• What is your character’s name? Does the character have a nickname?

• What is your character’s hair color? Eye color?

• What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?

• Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did he get them?

• Who are your character’s friends and family? Who does she surround herself with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he wish he were closest to?

• Where was your character born? Where has she lived since then? Where does she call home?

• Where does your character go when he’s angry?

• What is her biggest fear? Who has she told this to? Who would she never tell this to? Why?

• Does she have a secret?

• What makes your character laugh out loud?

• When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?

• What is in your character’s refrigerator right now? On her bedroom floor? On her nightstand? In her garbage can?

• Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Does he wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Is he in socks that are ratty and full of holes? Or is he wearing a pair of blue and gold slippers knitted by his grandmother?

• When your character thinks of her childhood kitchen, what smell does she associate with it? Why is that smell so resonant for her?

• Your character is doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for her to throw out? What is difficult for her to part with? Why?

• It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. If he’s eating breakfast, what exactly does he eat? If she’s stretching out in her backyard to sun, what kind of blanket or towel does she lie on?

• What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?

• Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where is she going? What does she wear? Who will she be with?

What is your character’s name? Does the character have a nickname?
Joselyn. Joss or Kitten.

What is your character’s hair color? Eye color?
Dark brown and black eyes.

What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?
She has a little spot on her cheek that looks like splattered mud. She doesn't quite know how it got there; it's just always been there. Her nose is a bit larger than average.

Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did he get them?
She has a small red birthmark/mole on her left breast and the Dark Mark. She has many scars; she's been in quite a few struggles.

Who are your character’s friends and family? Who does she surround herself with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he wish he were closest to?
Now? No one. All her family is dead and all the ones she used to care about are dead.

Where was your character born? Where has she lived since then? Where does she call home?
A little suburb outside of London. She's lived there and in various foster homes, not to mention Hogwarts, and some other places she'd rather not even think about. She doesn't really have a home. Home is wherever she is. She does think fondly of Hogwarts, though.

Where does your character go when he’s angry?
Somewhere that she can take her anger out safely. She's extremely hotheaded and knows she has a strong ability to injure or kill, so she uses it safely, beating the living crap out of an inanimate object. Probably in her room.

What is her biggest fear? Who has she told this to? Who would she never tell this to? Why?
To be found by the Dark Lord. She's grown slightly paranoid, just expecting him to show up and torture her to death. She hasn't told it to anyone and doesn't plan to.

Does she have a secret?
-grins- Who doesn't?

What makes your character laugh out loud?
Something morbid or really odd. She does, also, get quite a kick out of making people furious.

When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?
Joselyn would prefer not to answer this question. -eyes flash-

What is in your character’s refrigerator right now? On her bedroom floor? On her nightstand? In her garbage can?
Well, if she had a refrigerator, I can definitely see a good bit of firewhiskey in there. On her floor, probably nothing: she has to keep everything someone clean so that she can move in a hurry if she has to. Her nightstand would probably be a letter from her brother before the Dark Lord came into his life, but I doubt she'd leave that around. In her garbage can would be rotted food and the things she's broken in fits of anger.

Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Does he wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Is he in socks that are ratty and full of holes? Or is he wearing a pair of blue and gold slippers knitted by his grandmother?
Boots. Big hearty boots that can take her through the roughest terrain, but light enough not to drag her down. She's always on the move and has to always be prepared

When your character thinks of her childhood kitchen, what smell does she associate with it? Why is that smell so resonant for her?
A stale sort of smell. She lived an impoverished childhood and her house was just a shack in a slum. Any sort of stale smell reminds her of home. They had absolutely nothing.

Your character is doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for her to throw out? What is difficult for her to part with? Why?
The only things she throws out are garbage. She is a bit of a pack rat and doesn't like to throw things away, especially if they have a sentimental value. She keeps all her personal possessions on her body, tucked away into various pockets.

It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. If he’s eating breakfast, what exactly does he eat? If she’s stretching out in her backyard to sun, what kind of blanket or towel does she lie on?
There are a few things. She would be in hiding if she was travelling. When she's safe, she'll read, possibly practice up on some charms or potions, or just take some time to relax.

What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
She remembers the day her brother left. She was extremely young at the time and it's so surprising to her that she actually remembers it, but she does. He walked up to her, gave her a kiss on the forehead and promised that he'd always be with her. She loves her brother very dearly, even moreso than she thinks she's capable of loving.

Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where is she going? What does she wear? Who will she be with?
Her usual outfit, nothing fancy, all casual and simple. Probably with a knife and her wand on her, just in case. She's probably by herself; she doesn't trust others.

Questionnaire
What is your character’s name? Does the character have a nickname?
Luna Lovegood. Loony Lovegood, really.

What is your character’s hair color? Eye color?
Dirty blonde and grey.

What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?
Large eyes and a dreamy look on her face.

Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did he get them?
She doesn't have a birthmark, but she does have one on the bottom on her right foot where she stepped on a sharp rock while running around the creek down by her house.

Who are your character’s friends and family? Who does she surround herself with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he wish he were closest to?
Her mother died when she was nine, so her only family is her father. She loves him very much and thinks of him fondly. She's pretty much a loner, but not by choice. She'll sit with whoever wants to sit with her or whoever just happens to. She's not very picky. She's the closest to her father, who has been there for her and supports her 100 percent. She wishes she had friends, because after being in Dumbledore's Army, she's really lonely.

Where was your character born? Where has she lived since then? Where does she call home?
She was born right in her house on the couch that she still has. She's stayed in Ottery St. Catchpole, never moving, never particularly wanting to move. With her father.

Where does your character go when he’s angry?
When Luna gets angry, she doesn't stay angry long. She's never truly been angry, though. She believes there are better things to do than be angry.

What is her biggest fear? Who has she told this to? Who would she never tell this to? Why?
She's afraid of being all alone. You can't really tell that in her because she can be quite aloof, but she prefers being around people who understand her. Although those people haven't appeared yet. I don't think she even realizes how much she hates being alone.

Does she have a secret?
YES. And a big one at that.

What makes your character laugh out loud?
Something completely and totally odd, like a corny joke or something that's kind of "Oh that was cute -smile-" funny, she finds hilarious.

When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?
Been in love? No. Broken heart? Yes.

What is in your character’s refrigerator right now? On her bedroom floor? On her nightstand? In her garbage can?
If she had a refrigerator, I'd expect her to have bottles and bottles of orange juice. She loves orange juice. On her nightstand would be her favorite earrings and necklace, and a picture of her family. In her garbage can would be random pieces of paper and odd bits of clothing that she doesn't use for her robes.

Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Does he wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Is he in socks that are ratty and full of holes? Or is he wearing a pair of blue and gold slippers knitted by his grandmother?
She has on just some normal blue flip flops. Don't ask how she got them. I don't even think she knows.

When your character thinks of her childhood kitchen, what smell does she associate with it? Why is that smell so resonant for her?
Flour. She and her mother used to cook together. It means a lot to her, looking back on that.

Your character is doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for her to throw out? What is difficult for her to part with? Why?
A lot of things. She's not partial to very much. She will NOT throw away a Quibbler. Never EVER. She collects them.

It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. If he’s eating breakfast, what exactly does he eat? If she’s stretching out in her backyard to sun, what kind of blanket or towel does she lie on?
She's probably out doing something completely random and spontaneous, the first thing that pops into her mind. I see her chasing frogs, though. She would love that.

What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
Seeing her mother explode in front of her. It changed her life forever. There's been a little void in her ever since.

Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where is she going? What does she wear? Who will she be with?
Something she'd consider fancy. A nice pair of robes and some polished Mary Janes. She'd be going out, looking for something adventureous. She'd be by herself.