The Best Character Questionnaire Ever

Consider these 100+ questions to give your characters real life and make your story even better!

105 Character Questions

1. Full Birth Name
2. Are they named after anyone? What is the origin of their name?
3. Nicknames/Origin of nicknames
4. Age-Do they look and act their age? If not, why?
5. Notes about Gender/Sex/Identity
6. Race/ Nationality-Relevant cultural/personality traits
7. Hair color, style, length, balding, graying, do they carry hair ties?
8. Eye color, shape, placement on face
9. Face shape: Round, square, oval, heart-shaped
10. Are facial features symmetrical?
11. Face description and distinguishing features: uneven eyebrows, deep-set eyes, wrinkles
12. Facial hair/side burns/color. Patchy or thick?
13. Skin tone and features such as freckles/moles/birthmarks/ blemishes/scars/acne, etc.
14. Height and build: Tall/short, scrawny/full figured/hour-glass shape, etc.
15. Nose shape and size
16. Eyebrow color and bushiness/eyelash length and thickness
17. Describe glasses or contacts if worn. How long have they worn them? How necessary are they for character to see?
18. Clothing: style, condition, age. Is it fashionable? Do they make or buy? What kinds of stores would they shop at?
19. Is the character stylish and put-together? Or frumpy and casual? Somewhere in between?
20. Does their clothing change throughout story? Remember to keep track of costume changes
21. Jewelry specific or memorable to Character: Cross necklace, favorite broach, too-big wedding band, etc.
22. What kind of shoes do they wear? How do they replace them if lost?
23. Teeth: Color, any chips or missing teeth, features: straight, cross-bite, over-bite, gap in between front teeth, etc. Do they visit a Dentist regularly?
24. Ear shape and size, features: pierced ears, drooping lobes, etc.
25. Other piercings and tattoos, and any relevant origin stories
26. Do they wear makeup? How much do they wear? Where do they buy it? Would they ever leave the house without being made up?
27. What is their morning get-ready routine?
28. Personal goals/desires. How ambitious are they to reach goals?
29. Major accomplishments in life so far and how they have affected them?
30. Major set-backs in life so far, and how they have affected the character. Have they experienced any tragedies?
31. Have they ever been physically or emotionally abused By who? How long ago? Do they still have contact with their abuser?
32. Do they have mannerisms/ triggers/ PTSD from tragedies? How often, what happens, how do they react and how do they handle it?
33. What is their home like? Size, style, color, yard/garden, indoor spaces. Is their home neat or messy? Why? Do they own or rent?
34. Where do they live? What part of the world? How does this affect their life? What are their neighborhood and neighbors like? Is it rural/suburban/urban. Affordable or expensive? Do they have an HOA?
35. What are the neighborhood schools like? Are there mostly public or private schools around? Are the schools well funded?
36. Where do they shop in the neighborhood? For milk, snacks, gas, etc.
37. What are neighborhood parks like? Fancy playgrounds or dangerous at night?
38. What has personally motivated your character to be who they are at the beginning of the story?
39. Have they traveled much? Where, when, how long of a stay, what was the purpose of the trip and how was it financed?
40. Preferred travel method, why? If it’s public transportation where are the stops? Are they close to home? What’s the schedule like?
41. Car: make, model, year, condition. New or used, leased or bought outright, price at purchase, reason for purchase, dents/scratches/broken headlights/etc. What’s in their glove box? Is their car messy inside? Is it washed often?
42. Items they carry in pockets, wallet, purse, backpack, locker, fridge etc.
43. Education level: Any college? Public or private schooling? Did they have a tutor? A favorite teacher or subject?
44. Any degrees/educational accomplishments
45. High School sports/activities of note
46. Intelligence level-Do they use their brain or is it wasted?
47. Do they know how to speak, read, or write foreign languages?
48. Any military training/service? What branch? How long did they serve? Any honors or relevant stories from battle?
49. Wealth level: Poor, middle class, rich. Did they work and save, inherit, etc. Have they always been at this financial status? Remember this when planning home/neighborhood/etc.
50. Salary: How often are they paid? How much? Check or direct-deposit
51. Personal good habits-Clean, tidy, always uses manners
52. Bad habits: Smoking, chewing nails, picking split ends, picking scabs, compulsive pimple-popper, etc.
53. What childhood memories/ traditions do they still cling to?
54. How have they changed since school/ childhood?
55. What kind of work do they do? Are they successful? How stressful is their job?
56. What is the workplace like? Casual or professional? Work hours? Uniform?
57. Employment history/ training of note
58. What kind of hobbies do they have?
59. When do they do hobbies? How do they finance them? What kind of equipment do they need?
60. Friends- how many? When and where did they meet?
61. What do they do with their friends? How often do they hang out?
62. What is their view of sex? What is their sex life now, sexual history, how it affects current relationship. Do they show P.D.A?
63. What is the most obvious thing about your character a person who has never met them would notice?
64. What secrets do they have? What wouldn’t they want anyone to find out about them?
65. What fears does your character have? Are they rational or irrational? Fear of failure, flying, heights, car wrecks, etc
66. What are they like in private vs. public?
67. Parents- what is their relationship like? (Divorced, etc) how does that affect the character? How is the character’s relationship with their parents? How often do they call/ visit?
68. Relationship with siblings- has this changed since childhood? Why?
69. Are their grandparents/ aunts/ uncles around?
70. Significant other- how did they meet, what is their relationship like, have there been any major rifts in their love?
71. Past Boyfriends/ Girlfriends/ Spouses of relevance
72. Children- ages/ relationships/ how they bond and spend time together
73. Do they have any enemies? Who? Why? How long have they been enemies?
74. Pets- relationship with pets, how do they care for them? How do they play with them?
75. Are they religious? Do they attend Church or another meeting? How does this affect their life?
76. General health- are they healthy? Do they have a medical or family medical history they should be worried about? Do they visit the doctor regularly?
77. Eating habits- Any eating disorders? Do they eat healthy? Do they eat regularly or skip breakfast every day?
78. Do they eat a special diet? Do they have food allergies? What happens during a reaction? How do they handle it?
79. Other allergies- pets, pollen, seasonal, etc. What are reactions like? How do they handle it?
80. Do they work out? Attend a gym, jog, do yoga, have a Trainer?
81. Sleeping habits- where do they sleep? Any sleep-aids? Night owl, early bird, insomniac etc. What do they use as an alarm? Do they snooze it?
82. Musical taste- favorite bands/ artists, when and how do they listen to music? What volume? Do they ever go to concerts or shows?
83. What T.V. shows and movies do they like? Do they go to opening nights for Blockbusters or prefer watching foreign movies with subtitles at home? Do they watch Netflix? Do they watch the News? In the morning or evening?
84. Do they have any special talents? Play an instrument/ sport/ paint or draw? Write books or poetry?
85. Major personality traits- have they always been this way?
86. Personal strengths- why?
87. Personal weaknesses- why?
88. Introvert or extrovert? Is this challenge for them because of work/ social stature/ etc
89. Are they spontaneous? Or must they plan everything out in advance? How do they react if things don’t go as planned?
90. What do they do to relax? How often do they get to do this?
91. What stresses them out? How do they act under stress?
92. Any pet peeves? How do they react when annoyed?
93. Do they have any prejudices? Why? Can this ever change?
94. Views on drugs and alcohol? Why do they feel that way? Have they had past tragedies or issues with either or both?
95. Any addictions? How long has the addiction been around? Any family history of addiction? How do they hide them? How do they finance them? Where do they get them and how often?
96. Birth date, month and year- How does the era they were born in affect their life?
97. Do they celebrate their birthday? How do they celebrate? With who?
98. Do they celebrate major holidays? What do they do? Who do they celebrate with? Do they stay home or travel?
99. Do they dress up for Halloween? What costumes would they wear?
100. Astrology sign/ Horoscope and traits associated
101. Handicaps/ chronic illnesses- are their treatments? How often? How do they attend treatments? Do they have company when they go? How do they pay? Or are there insurance issues/ Doctor bills
102. What are their political views? Do they vote? Do their friends and family have the same views? How does this affect relationships?
103. Indoors or outdoors person? Do they have a favorite place? What do they do there?
104. How do they pay bills? Do they ever struggle to make payments? What do they do when they need extra money?
105. Do they use Social Media? What networks? Do they run a website or blog? What are the differences between their online and real-life presence?

Those questions are just the beginning, be sure to follow me for updates to this list. What else should you consider when creating characters?