20q for your character

I saw an idea for developing your character involved someone asking them a set of questions for their character and then they tried to answer it (if they couldn't come up with an answer, then they'd have to go research something).

So how about you post a character, the next guy posts up a list of questions about the character based on your very brief description and then puts up a character of their own and the next guy asks questions on that character.

My character I'm currently working on the prologue of my story:

Jagustyna, a low-ranking noble in the military as an elite soldier. She's been posted on "death watch" duty out in the middle of nowhere after fudging up a recent mission.

Define "questions for the character".

Oh, you're trying to poke out the background, personality questions, what they would do questions, physical descriptions and so on.

I mean, are these in-character questions for the character, or questions for the author about the character?

They're questions to help you define the character so that an author gets a better sense of how the character should be written.

I realize that. My point is that it's ambiguous what you want the POV of the questions to be - both could work for that purpose.

I don't think it matters, but out of character direct questions to the author about the character makes the most sense I think.

I reckon if you're going to do 20 questions for characters, the character's viewpoint would be better, because it might help flesh out their personalities and motivations better than from an outside viewpoint.

I would have to agree with Gravy on this one.

We actually have several of these threads.

On the other hand, asking the author about their character can give a more detailed description - the character won't have knowledge of future events or any secrets about them that even they don't know. And the more clinical tone is arguably better for feedback anyway; asking the character can easily devolve into something of a forum game.

Plus, we don't have any threads like that, judging from those linked.

edited 4th Jul '12 2:54:45 PM by nrjxll

Well post up a character and I'll come up with questions, we'll work our way to something that helps us flesh out our characters.

I have not really developed any characters enough yet to really have a go at these 20 questions whatever they may be, but i'll get onto it soon.

That's a very good point, in that case I reckon it would be a good idea to give an explaination of why the answer to the question is so, such as explaining motivations for actions etc. Either way i'm happy, but it would be better if this thread doesn't become a place for people to merely post about their character just because. I would rather people post about their character to develop them further as well as get feedback, otherwise this might as well be a forum game.

I have a character ready. I'd be happy to try and fine tune this halapalooza, just as soon as I get some sleep.

edited 5th Jul '12 5:14:44 AM by AtomJames