NaNo Prep: The Official NaNoWriMo Character Questionnaire

Want more preparation exercises? Check out National Novel Writing Month’s Young Writers Program’s Novelist Workbooks, which our nonprofit provides free-of-charge to more than 2,000 educators and 8,000 young writers around the world! 

"Most people think that an intriguing plot is what makes a story good, but the truth is that exciting plots are made up of original and well-developed characters. Not only are characters with hidden depths and secrets more fun to read about, they’re also more fun to write about.

It’s a great idea for you, the author, to try and get to know your characters before you begin writing. We asked a team of scientists, mathematicians, and creative writing gurus from around the world: “What’s the easiest way for writers to get to know their characters?” Hands down, the experts all agreed the single best way is to fill out our 46-Question Character Questionnaire”:

Name:
Age:
Height:
Eye color:
Physical appearance:
Strange or unique physical attributes:
Favorite clothing style/outfit:
Where does he or she live? What is it like there?
Defining gestures/movements (i.e., curling his or her lip when he or she speaks, always keeping his or her eyes on the ground, etc.):
Things about his or her appearance he or she would most like to change:
Speaking style (fast, talkative, monotone, etc.):
Pet peeves:
Fondest memory:
Hobbies/interests:
Special skills/abilities:
Insecurities:
Quirks/eccentricities:
Temperament (easygoing, easily angered, etc.):
Negative traits: 
Things that upset him or her:
Things that embarrass him or her: 
This character is highly opinionated about:
Any phobias?
Things that make him or her happy:
Family (describe):
Deepest, darkest secret:
Reason he or she kept this secret for so long:
Other people’s opinions of this character (What do people like about this character? What do they dislike about this character?):
Favorite bands/songs/type of music:
Favorite movies:
Favorite TV shows:
Favorite books:
Favorite foods: 
Favorite sports/sports teams:
Political views: 
Religion/philosophy of life:
Physical health: 
Dream vacation:
Description of his or her house:
Description of his or her bedroom:
Any pets?
Best thing that has ever happened to this character:
Worst thing that has ever happened to this character:
Superstitions:
Three words to describe this character:
If a song played every time this character walked into the room, what song would it be?

Photo courtesy of Artsy Fartsy Mama.