#character formation

✧ How would a character describe themselves to someone else? How would they describe themselves internally?

✧ How is your character feeling? What might they focus on setting-wise? What might they ignore or overlook?

✧ Does your narrator have an accent? Where are they from? How old are they? Are there any figures of speech or idioms they would use as a short cut?

✧ Do they use colloquialisms naturally or for those around them?

✧ Do they have a unique cadence?

✧ Does your character code-switch? Have they picked any expressions up off of people around them?

✧ How intelligent are they? How educated are they?

✧ How do they approach conflict? Analytical/emotional/logical/avoidance?

✧ Do they have any specific mindsets? Are there any pitfalls or thought patterns they consistently get stuck in?

✧ Are they very all-or-nothing? Do they believe they're in control or fate is? Are they a pessimist or an optimist? Are they ironic?

✧ How might they label something before consideration?

✧ Are they prone to minimising/magnifying situations? Do they have any false beliefs and do they know that they're false beliefs?

✧ What do they expect of themselves? What do they wish for themselves? What is the most important thing to them?

✧ What do they blame?

✧ Do they effectively communicate their feelings? Do they even know their feelings?

✧ How do they feel logically? How do they feel emotionally? How do these differ and which does your character value?

✧ What do they tell themselves? Is it accurate?

✧ What outcome do they want? What do they fear will happen?

✧ What is the reader privy to? What does the reader know that the other characters don't? What do the characters know that the reader doesn't?

✧ What's the pace of your narrator's thoughts? Are they anxious? Obsessive? Desperate? Under pressure?

✧ Is the narrator bored or enthusiastic?

✧ What do they focus on? What do they cling to?

✧ Is the pacing of the narration intended to subvert the reader's expectations? Are the reader and narrator feeling the same way based on their knowledge/feelings?

✧ Do they practice their words before they say them? Or does dialogue spill out without any prior consideration?

✧ Are they physically comfortable? Hot/cold/itchy/sore?

✧ Is there anything distracting or intrusive? Smells, sounds, tastes, etc.?

✧ How easily do they get distracted? What do they focus on naturally?

✧ How do their emotions, thoughts, and opinions change through the scene? Why?

✧ Are they getting interrupted? Are they used to how they're being treated? Do they spend a lot of time with their thoughts?

✧ How conscious are they of themselves and their movements/face?

✧ Is there something not being said? How does your character feel about it?

✧ Do they have a habit they've stopped partaking in? Do they swear internally, but not externally? How short of a fuse do they have?

✧ Do they have repetitive thoughts? Are they confident? Are they forgetful?

✧ How do they approach new things? Are they willing to fail? Are they naturally gifted? Are they used to getting what they want? Are they hiding discomfort?

✧ How do they interact with things they don't like about themselves? What do they do when they have a thought they aren't comfortable with?

✧ Do they hate in others what they hate in themselves? What might they project onto other characters? What do they envy? What are they lacking?

✧ How do they cut someone off?

✧ Are they direct? Do they use complex language? Are they an expert in the subject?

✧ How do they see themselves in the context of the situation? How do they see themselves in the context of the other characters?

✧ Favourite words and/or phrases?

✧ Do they think very much at all? Are their thoughts more active or passive?

✧ How much energy do they have? Are they tired? Are they waking up?

✧ Are they sober? Are they lucid? Do they believe things are real that aren't? Does the reader know?