Day 11 – Interview a Character
Have you ever been arrested and interrogated? The “interview” is usually low key, professional–but the questions are probing, awkward–often the same question comes back up again and again (the interviewer wasn’t satisfied with your answer). On top of that, each answer you give spawn swarms of followup questions:
“So you didn’t have coffee that morning?”
“No.”
“Wasn’t that unusual for you?”
“No. Well, I mean I usually have coffee, but…not necessarily every morning.”
“But didn’t you tell the other officer that have to have your coffee in the morning because you get a headache if you don’t?”
“Um…did I? I guess I did…”
“But that morning…no coffee? Why was that, do you think?”
Dull perhaps, but deeper facts are being uncovered. Possible cracks in an airtight alibi are being explored. And it’s exactly this kind of intrepid questioning of your main characters’ thoughts, feelings, reasons for making this decision rather than that one, that builds strong characters. When you question your characters like that, deeper facts are uncovered, and characters start to really live when you start to mine the deeper levels.
Here’s your mini-task:
Remember that character you focussed on? Sit that character down for an interview. A very personal inteerview. Pretend you’re Barbara Walters, pretend you’re Columbo. Don’t let her off with half answers (character will try to do that–even though they exist within your own head). Followup relentlessly. I said “interview;” make it an iinterrogation.
Q: So Mandy, why did you go after your sister’s boyfriend the day he left for grad school?
A: I don’t know. Why do I have to have a reason?
Q: Did you feel sorry for her? I mean, your sister?
A: Of course not. Did she ever feel sorry for me?
Q: Did she?
A: Not once. Kristen, “the pretty one, right?” Your big sister is supposed to look out for you. Do you know how many guys she took from me? I hate her….
Okay, you get the point. Try one. Don’t worry about making it “sound right” or even look right on the page or screen. The point isn’t to produce “writing,” but to use writing to produce new insights into character. No one will ever read it so why pause to capture the more graceful phrase or stop to make a correction?
It’s not mandatory to time it, but I’d suggest you set a timer for 5 minutes. Just go, and don’t stop until the timer rings (or chimes or buzzes). Then take a look and you’ve got.
Note: this is just a mini-task, but be aware of the vast potential of this little tool: you can bring it out anytime you’re stumped or whenever the subtext of your story seems a little thin or contrived.
Have you missed earlier mini-tasks? You’ll find them posted right here
