I never got character bios. They always seemed a bit dry, static, and impersonal. For my characters I tended to jot down a few general notes about their personalities and go on to writing. But there was a writing prompt that came to my attention tweeted by the wonderfully talented and creative Chelsea Smith that made me reconsider how to approach a character questionnaire: “Does your character write with his/her right hand or their left? And what is his/her handwriting like?“
This struck a chord with me and I followed it to its guitar solo riff. The simple answer would be just left or right handed and “sloppy” or “neat”, but the answer should be so much deeper than that; the simple result means little. Why would their handwriting be sloppy or neat? Is it a conscious choice or an unconscious action? It’s all about the process behind the result.
A character could have next to pristine handwriting and that could mean that they are a bit of a neat freak, or they are actually a master forger, or a serial killer. Those are wildly different motivations for the same outcome. Same goes with sloppy: they are a bit scatter-brained, a professional who has to write a ton and never has enough time, or they just don’t care as long as they can read it.
All at once, each of those character bio sheet questionnaires that seem to invite the most vapid of responses are suddenly possibilities for characterization. Not sure why I didn’t see this before but it slapped me in the face… and I kinda liked it.
This can be applied to a number of seemingly inane situations:
Ordering at a restaurant –
Jon snapped his fingers impatiently at the waiter. Never one around when he needed one. What the hell were they doing? Certainly not their jobs.
Kelly made eye contact with the server and smiled. It took a few times, but she knew what it was like on the other side of the apron.
Preferred method of breakfast eggs –
The carton was marked with a felt pen, meaning they were hard-boiled. Susan didn’t always have time to cook in the morning so she prepped eggs during the weekend just in case. Plus, they were tasty that way.
Wiping at the sweat, Brad smiled at his latest creation. Eggs Benedict of his own design, with bacon, a bit of sausage. It took him a half-hour, but they were were going to be worth it.
Answering the phone –
Andrew clicked his teeth together and let out a huff just as he answered the phone. He hated not knowing who was on the other end.
“Hello?” Marie said in a short, but civil tone. She didn’t have time if this was a telemarketer or a stupid person.
The heart of each action is the reason, the motivation, and methodology, of why the characters do what they do. Every description is an opportunity to characterize how they perceive and approach life.
A Writer in the Breaking 