Using interviewing to create fictional characters

The character interview is a chance to explore both a character’s background and voice. It is an exploration of a character’s opinions, experiences, goals and attitudes. The basic method of conducting an interview is simple. You ask questions and then, as the character, answer those questions.

Many Forms of Interviews

Interviews come in many forms, and you can get as creative with them as you like. Many people choose to conduct interviews in the style of a relevant magazine. For example, you might use a Rolling Stone or People Magazine style interview to approach a celebrity character. You might use a hobby magazine interview to approach a character with a particular interest, such as building model railroads.

You may also pose the interview as a police interrogation, a job interview or a therapy session. An additional alternative is that you can interview one character about another. You might interview a mother about her child or an employer about an employee. If you don’t feel that creative, then simply ask questions and don’t worry about who the interviewer is.

Let the Conversation Flow

One of the real benefits of the interview method is that it can be a free flowing and natural process. It can be easy to generate a lot of information about a character quickly using this technique, once you get used to the style. It can also be more fun than many of the other methods of exploring a character.