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101 Character Writing Prompts

Author: Natalie Harris-Spencer Updated: June 8, 2023

In order to sell a book and get it published , you need to create a product, which, for most of us here at Aspiring Author , is a novel. And in order to write the darn thing (while lamenting your career choices), you need to live and breathe your characters. Character writing prompts can be an excellent way to help you get inside your characters’ heads and achieve that elusive narrative voice through speech, dialogue, or internal narration.

Creating real people

Creating convincing characters isn’t easy. Have you ever had that feeling that your characters are slippery, not quite sounding or doing the right things, or, worse, are fake? Have you noticed them steering their own way, diverging from your carefully outlined plot? Characters are the one device that should drive your plot – not the other way around. Follow them down whichever dark paths they choose in order to access the truth. Keep them honest and as grounded in reality as possible.

When it comes to creating 3D characters, Ernest Hemingway said it best: “When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” And to write real people, you need to ground your people in reality: real circumstances, real settings, and real thoughts and feelings. These character writing prompts have been designed to help you expose the human condition in all its imperfect glory. Humans are multi-layered (ah, the onion), with numerous internal complications, feelings, and flaws. Remember: characters have to change in order for the reader to care about them. They must go on a journey, through which your novel’s plot is the vessel.

101 character writing prompts

Below are 101 character writing prompts that will help you deepen your understanding of your characters and elevate them from caricatures into real people. As you work your way through these character writing prompts, consider writing how your characters think, feel, but also change . Sameness is never interesting to read.

Physical appearance

Does your character have any moles, birth marks, or beauty spots? Where? Describe them.
Hair is not character. However, it can show something unexpected or unusual about your character. Write a scene featuring your character’s hair, without relying on the usual tropes (length, color etc.).
Write what your character thinks they see when they see their reflection.
Write a scene about your character in costume. What are they wearing, and why? How do they feel about it?
What does your character’s coughing, sneezing, and hiccoughing sound like?
What do they look like when they’re sick?
What’s in your character’s wallet apart from money?
Switch the gender of your character. How does that change how they think, feel, and move through the world?
Write about your character getting their ears pierced or getting a tattoo.
Describe your characters hands and feet.
Show your character doing a workout. What are they wearing? How do they look before, during and after?
Draw a sketch of your character’s passport. Does it help you understand who they are and where they come from?

Inner workings

What is your character’s biggest flaw?
What is your character’s biggest fear?
What or who would your character kill for?
What does your character want more than anything else in the world?
What is the one thing that is stopping them from getting it?
Write a therapy session between your character and their therapist.
Write a scene without dialogue that shows exactly what your character wants – only through their actions.
Show your character’s reaction to getting a parking ticket.
Write a scene about a mental health challenge your character has faced.
Put your character on a diet. How do they feel? What mood are they in?
Write about your character being insatiable thirsty.
Write about a time when your character couldn’t stop laughing.
Using just dialogue, write a scene between your character and someone they’re attracted to.
Your character is being lectured by someone in a position of authority. How do they react?
Show your character making a selfish decision and the ramifications it has on their life.
What is your character’s favorite book , and why? Has it always been the same book, or have their tastes evolved?
Write a scene where your character can’t remember what happened the night before, and they’re trying to piece it together.
Imagine your character is a nervous flyer. Document their thoughts during take-off.
Write a recollection scene about the most frightening time of your character’s life.
Show your character’s most embarrassing moment, either through recollection, dialogue, or action.
Write a scene where your character is struggling to show or purposefully concealing their real feelings and emotions.

Family, relationships, and home

How does your character spend their Christmas holidays, and who with?
Write a scene with your character attending a family funeral.
What are your character’s earliest memories? Do they remember their first home, their parents, or something else?
Your character has a bunch of keys. What do they have as keyrings?
Write an argument between your character and their mother and/or father.
Describe a family portrait: who’s in it? Where are they now?
Write your character’s bedtime ritual.
Show your character having an argument with a family member at the dinner table. Do they win?
What does your character’s closet and/or bedside drawer look like? What’s inside? Are they hiding anything they shouldn’t be?
Write a drunk argument between your character and a family member.
Imagine your character has a twin. List their similarities and differences, both physical and otherwise.
Write about your character on graduation day.
Write about your character going on a blind date.
Your character is getting married. They choose an unusual wedding cake topper. What is it, and why is it important?
Does your character want kids now or in the future? Why or why not?
Write a scene where your character moves to a new town. Are they welcome? Why or why not?
Write about a home invasion. Show your character’s possessions strewn and/or missing. What’s the first thing they check?
Your character opens a letter not addressed to them, only to discover a secret about the previous resident. How do they react?
Write a sex scene without mentioning anatomy (you can do it!).
Put your character in a country where they don’t speak the language. How do they get by?
Show your character meeting their first love again for the first time in ten years.

Epistolary character writing prompts

Write a letter in your character’s handwriting.
Write a Craigslist ad from the voice of your character.
Write an Airbnb listing for your character.
Write your character’s LinkedIn profile.
Create an online dating profile for your character.
Write a letter to your character’s younger self.
Create a tarot card reading for your character.
Come up with your character’s regular take-out order.
Write out your character’s family tree, including dates of birth, marriage, and death.
Write a postcard home from a far-flung destination.
Write a journal entry from a pivotal day in your character’s life.
Write a Valentine’s Day card from your character.
Write your character’s weekly shopping list. Include one item that doesn’t go with the rest.
Write a text conversation between your character and another person who they are trying to seduce or win over.
Write two lies and a truth for your character. The lies should be as convincing as the truth.
Write a scene with your character on the top of a Ferris wheel. What can they see? How do they feel?
Write a scene with your character in a haunted house.
Write a scene with your character falling asleep on the deck of a boat.
Write a scene with your character in a station waiting room. Where are they going and why?
Write a scene with your character in a hospital bed.
Your character has just been discovered stealing a midnight snack. How do they respond?
Write a scene with your character at a baseball game.
Write a scene with your character at a fireworks display.
Write a scene where your character is in a cemetery in the snow.
Your character is going on a camping trip. What do they pack?
Write a scene showing your character going into a church or place of worship.
Write a scene at the top of revolving skyscraper restaurant.
Your character makes a surprising discovery in a hotel room. What is it?
Your character enters an antiques store. What trinket do they come away with?
Write a scene where your character gets lost in a vineyard.
Write a scene with your character on a boardwalk or pier.
Imagine your character living in another decade. Now write about them – their clothes, their job, their desires.

Nature and animals

What is your character’s favorite season and why?
Write about your character ice skating on a frozen pond.
What does your character see when they look up at the night sky?
Is your character a cat or a dog person?
Or do they have an unusual pet? Write about it!
Write about your character accidentally hitting an animal with their car.
Write about your character’s experience of dissecting a frog in a science lesson.
What’s the first animal your character goes to see at the zoo?
Your character gets stung by a bee. How do they react?
Write a scene with your character sunbathing on a tropical beach.
Write a scene with your character skinny dipping in a lake.
Write a scene with your character watching the sun rise from a mountain top.
Take your character for a walk in the woods when the light is fading.
Describe the images, shapes, and patterns your character sees in passing clouds.
Write a scene where your character is caught in a thunderstorm.

Of course, there are countless more character writing prompts that you can work on. We hope these 101 character writing prompts from Aspiring Author give you just enough to spark your writerly imagination and take your characters to multi-layered, unexpected, and very real places. And trust yourself that your characters can be strange, because the truth is almost always stranger than fiction.

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100 Character-Driven Writing Prompts

March 19, 2024 by Richard 1 Comment

100 Character-Driven Writing Prompts: Character-driven stories are the heart and soul of great literature, captivating readers by delving deep into the minds, emotions, and motivations of the protagonists. These stories focus on the inner lives of characters, exploring their struggles, growth, and relationships as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of their journeys. By placing characters at the forefront, writers can create narratives that resonate with readers on a profound level, fostering empathy, understanding, and self-reflection.

Crafting compelling character-driven stories requires a keen understanding of human nature and the ability to create multi-dimensional, relatable characters. Writing prompts that focus on character development can be invaluable tools for writers seeking to hone their skills and explore new creative avenues. These prompts encourage writers to delve into the psyches of their characters, unearthing their fears, desires, and secrets, and bringing them to life on the page.

The following list of 100 character-driven writing prompts is designed to inspire writers of all levels, from novice to experienced. These prompts span a wide range of genres, from science fiction and fantasy to contemporary fiction and mystery, ensuring that there is something to spark the imagination of every writer. Each prompt presents a unique scenario or character archetype, inviting writers to explore the depths of human experience and craft stories that will resonate with readers long after the final page is turned.

By embracing the power of character-driven storytelling, writers can create works that not only entertain but also enlighten, challenge, and transform readers. These 100 writing prompts serve as a springboard for creativity, encouraging writers to push the boundaries of their imagination and craft stories that celebrate the complexities and beauty of the human experience. So, whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding writer, dive into these prompts and let your characters guide you on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery and storytelling magic.

A retired spy is pulled back into the world of espionage for one last mission.
A time traveler falls in love with someone from the past.
A child discovers they have magical powers and must keep them hidden.
A therapist begins to suspect their patient is a dangerous criminal.
A robot learns to feel human emotions and questions its purpose.
A ghost watches over their living family members, unable to communicate with them.
A world-renowned surgeon loses the ability to operate and must find a new purpose.
A politician leads a double life as a vigilante by night.
A woman wakes up with no memory of her past and must piece together her identity.
A chef inherits a mysterious cookbook with recipes that have strange effects on people.
A homeless man discovers he has the ability to see the future.
A successful businesswoman is forced to confront her humble beginnings.
A soldier returns home from war and struggles to readjust to civilian life.
An alien disguised as a human falls in love with an earthling.
A parent’s worst fear comes true when their child goes missing.
A writer’s characters come to life and demand a different ending to their story.
A hitman falls in love with his target and must choose between love and duty.
A scientist accidentally clones themselves and must deal with the consequences.
A time traveler tries to change a historical event but makes things worse.
A doctor discovers a cure for a deadly disease but realizes it has terrible side effects.
A politician’s scandalous past catches up with them as they run for office.
A famous actor is haunted by a ghost who claims to be their biggest fan.
A detective falls in love with the main suspect in a murder investigation.
A therapist becomes too emotionally invested in a patient’s problems.
A con artist falls for their mark and must choose between love and money.
A journalist uncovers a government conspiracy and becomes a target.
A child befriends an AI and must keep it a secret from their parents.
A time traveler meets their future self and learns a shocking truth.
A spy falls in love with a fellow agent from a rival country.
A doctor discovers they have a terminal illness and must come to terms with their mortality.
A famous musician loses their hearing and must find a new way to create music.
A chef opens a restaurant that only serves food from their childhood.
A ghost helps a living person solve their own murder.
A therapist is stalked by a former patient seeking revenge.
A politician is blackmailed by a hacker who threatens to expose their secrets.
A scientist creates a device that allows them to communicate with animals.
A soldier is captured by the enemy and must rely on their training to survive.
An alien falls in love with a human and must choose between their home planet and Earth.
A parent’s child is switched at birth, and they must decide whether to keep the child they raised.
A writer’s fictional world becomes real, and they must navigate it to find their way back.
A hitman is hired to assassinate a public figure but begins to question the morality of their profession.
A detective is framed for a crime they didn’t commit and must clear their name.
A therapist is haunted by a patient who died by suicide.
A con artist falls for a mark who is also a con artist, and they must outsmart each other.
A journalist is embedded with a group of rebels fighting against a corrupt government.
A child discovers a portal to another world in their backyard.
A time traveler accidentally changes the course of history and must fix their mistake.
A spy is betrayed by their own agency and must go on the run to survive.
A doctor discovers a way to bring people back from the dead, but at a terrible cost.
A famous actor is forced to confront their own mortality when diagnosed with a terminal illness.
A musician’s songs start coming true, and they must find a way to stop it.
A chef is kidnapped and forced to cook for a dangerous criminal organization.
A ghost falls in love with a living person and must find a way to communicate with them.
A therapist discovers their patient is a serial killer and must decide whether to turn them in.
A politician is elected president and discovers a secret that could destroy the world.
A scientist creates a machine that can read people’s thoughts and struggles with the ethical implications.
A soldier is sent on a secret mission behind enemy lines and must rely on their wits to survive.
An alien comes to Earth to study humans and falls in love with one of their subjects.
A parent discovers their child has superpowers and must keep them safe from those who would exploit them.
A writer’s characters come to life and take over their life, forcing them to live out their own story.
A hitman is hired to kill a child and struggles with the moral implications of their job.
A detective investigating a murder begins to suspect that the victim is still alive.
A therapist becomes obsessed with a patient and begins to lose grip on reality.
A con artist is conned by their own mentor and must find a way to get revenge.
A journalist uncovers a secret society that controls the world from the shadows.
A child befriends a monster living in their closet and must keep it a secret from their family.
A time traveler falls in love with someone from the future and must choose between staying or going back.
A spy must go undercover as their own twin to infiltrate a criminal organization.
A doctor discovers a way to make people immortal but realizes the consequences too late.
A famous actor is stalked by an obsessive fan who will stop at nothing to get close to them.
A musician is cursed by a witch and must find a way to break the spell before it’s too late.
A chef opens a restaurant that serves magical dishes, but the magic comes with a price.
A ghost is tasked with helping a living person fulfill their destiny before they can move on to the afterlife.
A therapist begins to suspect that their patient is possessed by a demon.
A politician makes a deal with a powerful entity to win the election, but the entity has its own agenda.
A scientist accidentally creates a black hole and must find a way to stop it from destroying the world.
A soldier is sent to a war-torn country to rescue a group of civilians, but things don’t go as planned.
An alien crash-lands on Earth and must blend in with humans to survive.
A parent’s deepest fear comes true when their child is kidnapped by a supernatural entity.
A writer’s fictional world begins to bleed into reality, and they must find a way to stop it.
A hitman is hired to kill a wealthy businessman but discovers that the businessman is their long-lost father.
A detective is brought in to investigate a series of bizarre murders that seem to defy explanation.
A therapist’s patient claims to be from the future and warns of an impending apocalypse.
A con artist falls for their mark and must choose between their love and their freedom.
A journalist stumbles upon a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top of the government.
A child discovers a magical amulet that grants wishes, but the wishes come with unintended consequences.
A time traveler is tasked with preventing a major historical event from happening.
A spy must go undercover as a member of the royal family to prevent an assassination attempt.
A doctor discovers a way to communicate with the dead, but the dead have their own agenda.
A famous actor is forced to confront their own ego when they are cast in a role that requires them to play a less attractive version of themselves.
A musician is given a powerful instrument that can control people’s emotions, but it comes with a terrible price.
A chef is tasked with creating a dish that can bring peace to warring nations, but the ingredients are nearly impossible to find.
A ghost is given a second chance at life but must live in someone else’s body.
A therapist begins to suspect that their patient is a werewolf and must find a way to help them control their transformations.
A politician discovers that they are the chosen one destined to save the world from a great evil.
A scientist creates a machine that can bring fictional characters to life, but the characters have minds of their own.
A soldier is sent on a mission to infiltrate a group of rebels, but begins to sympathize with their cause.
An alien falls in love with a human and must choose between their loyalty to their own species or their love for the human.
A parent discovers that their child has been replaced by a changeling and must find a way to get their real child back.
A writer is transported into the world of their own book and must find a way to change the ending to save the characters they love.

In conclusion, character-driven stories have the power to illuminate the human condition, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. By placing characters at the heart of the narrative, writers can create stories that resonate on a profound level, touching readers’ lives and leaving a lasting impact. These 100 writing prompts serve as a catalyst for creativity, encouraging writers to explore the limitless possibilities of character-driven storytelling.

Crafting compelling characters is both an art and a skill, requiring writers to delve into the complexities of human nature and bring their creations to life on the page. Through the use of vivid description, authentic dialogue, and psychological depth, writers can create characters that feel as real as the people we encounter in our daily lives. By investing time and effort into character development, writers can elevate their stories from mere entertainment to works of art that inspire, challenge, and transform.

As you embark on your writing journey, remember that character-driven stories have the power to bridge the gap between writer and reader, creating a shared experience that transcends the boundaries of the page. By crafting characters that readers can relate to, empathize with, and root for, you have the opportunity to create stories that will be cherished for generations to come.

So, whether you’re a seasoned author or a novice writer, embrace the power of character-driven storytelling and let these writing prompts be your guide. Dive deep into the hearts and minds of your characters, and let their stories unfold with authenticity, vulnerability, and truth. Through your words, you have the ability to shape the world, one character at a time.

In the end, remember that writing is a journey of self-discovery and growth. As you explore the depths of your characters, you may just find yourself reflected in their struggles, triumphs, and transformations. Embrace the power of character-driven storytelling, and let your creativity flow freely. The world is waiting for the stories only you can tell.

If you enjoyed these writing prompts, we have many more on our site .

64 Captivating Unreliable Narrator Writing Prompts to Ignite Your Imagination

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry. Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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47 Character Development Prompts To Flesh Out Your Book Characters

What kind of person is your main character?

Maybe you’ve started to hear their voice in your head, but they just haven’t been very talkative.

What can you do to make your character reveal their full self, quirks and all?

The best way to get to know the people you’ve created is to use character development writing prompts.

We’ve created a list of 47 to put each of your key characters to the test.

Choose your own adventures for them. And see what your characters reveal about themselves.

Actions speak louder than words. But you’ll need both.

Key Benefits of Character Development Exercises

Identity or personality prompts, relationship prompts, reaction prompts, ethics and morality prompts, backstory prompts.

The more writing prompts you use in the development of your characters, the more of the following benefits you’ll enjoy:

Deeper awareness of the process of creating complex and believable characters
Experience writing from the character’s point of view (voice journal entries)
Experience writing dialogue (or taking dictation for the voices in your head)
Greater ease in making each character stand out as unique and three-dimensional.
Well-drawn, interesting characters , which help in the creation of unique plots.

The more you know about these people in your story, the more real they become to you.

Related: 16 Best Self-Publishing Companies For Your Writing Business

Then comes the challenge of helping your reader see them through dialogue and essential details.

The more character development prompts you use, though, the more experience you’ll have doing exactly that.

47 Character Development Prompts

Try any of the character scenarios below to see what each of your key characters is made of. Put them in situations that reveal their character and what they believe about themselves — as well as what they think of other characters in your story.

We’ve divided these into groups to make it easier for you to focus on the areas that are the foggiest right now. Dive in and choose a prompt for today’s freewriting exercise .

1. If your character has a superpower , what is it and how did they discover it? Is it something they’re proud of or would they like to exchange it for someone else’s?

2. What is your character’s biggest flaw ? Write about how they came to terms with it (if they have) or how they react when someone calls them out for it.

3. Write a scene exposing your character’s fatal flaw and include another character from your story. Write from either character’s point of view.

4. Write a scene revealing a mental health challenge for your character. Another character recognizes that challenge and offers help.

5. Your character is trying to decide what to eat on a Friday night alone at their place. Write a voice journal entry about their thought process, what they eat, and why.

6. Have three of your characters play “ Truth or Dare .” What do they learn about each other? And what character is more likely to choose “Dare” over “Truth”?

7. If your character has decided romantic or sexual love is not for them, write about what led them to identify as asexual or aromantic . How have others reacted?

8. Has your character discovered an attraction they’ve been taught they shouldn’t have? Write about how has that affected their beliefs and sense of identity?

9. Does your character identify with the gender assigned to them at birth? If not, write about how they came to identify as a trans person and who supported them.

10. Write a scene where your character reveals their sexual orientation or gender identity to someone who doesn’t respond well to the news.

11. Have your character take the 16Personalities test to identify their Myers-Briggs type. Write a voice journal entry about their reaction to the results.

12. Get your character alone with a parental figure that shaped their response to authority. Is your character generally obedient or more likely to question or rebel?

13. Get your character alone with someone they’re attracted to , whether they’ve acknowledged that attraction or not. Let them find out the attraction isn’t mutual.

14. Get your character alone with someone who hurt them and who now needs their help. Write a scene or dialogue exchange hinting at the hurt caused by the other.

15. Write a scene where your character cooks a meal for someone else in your story. Show how it turns out and what they talk about while they eat (or drink).

16. Write a scene where one of your character’s siblings comes to visit them. What do they talk about? What have they been through together?

17. Get your character talking about their first love , who it was and whether the attraction was mutual. Was it an epic love or just a crush? How did it end?

18. Does your character have a mentor , coach, or guide? Write a scene where they clash with this mentor or take issue with advice or directions they’ve been given.

19. Has your character ever lost a friend ? Write a scene leading up to that loss and then show how your character reacts.

20. Write a scene that shows what kind of friend your character is when someone they care about is going through a bad break-up.

21. How does your character get along with kids ? Write a scene where someone talks to your character about whether they want kids of their own and why or why not.

22. Write a scene describing an encounter between your character and someone who has an unrequited crush on them — and who writes poetry.

WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

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Magical objects with tracy gold, show how an object’s meaning can change as a character changes..

LIVE – Dramatic

Write a story about an ordinary object that becomes magical (either literally or figuratively).

Center your story around a character who is obsessed with an object..

LIVE – Character

Send your characters on an unforgettable quest to find an essential object.

LIVE – Adventure

Write a story about an object that changed everything for a character.

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Center your story around a character’s attempt to escape a bad situation that inadvertently leads them back to the source of their problems.

Start a story with someone receiving a message from their past self, warning them of the consequences of their actions., a character’s life of deceit unravels as their past catches up with their present. what are the consequences, write a story about someone seeking forgiveness for their past actions., your character gets everything they ever wanted — only to realize the true cost., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Your character wants something very badly — will they get it?

Write a story set against the backdrop of a storm., there’s been an accident — what happens next, your character overhears something that changes their path., write a story with two characters who meet for the first time — and one of them has a secret., write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method., your protagonist has the perfect day scheduled — but things don’t go according to plan., write from the pov of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author., your protagonist discovers that everything they type comes true. what happens next, start your story with someone who wants to give up on their career right before their big break., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

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Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

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Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

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Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

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Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

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Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

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Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

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Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

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Character-Driven Fiction Writing Prompts

by Melissa Donovan | Apr 23, 2024 | Fiction Writing Prompts | 13 comments

Creative writing prompts for creating characters.

Most authors agree that fiction is primarily driven by characters. Authors will often talk about characters who take over the story, who have their own separate and independent consciousnesses. Outlines and plans for plot go out the window as characters insist on moving the story in a direction of their own design.

Because characters are central to most stories and because their primary function is to explore the human condition, it’s essential for characters to be believable. In other words, characters may not be real, but they most certainly should feel real.

It’s not easy to write believable and realistic characters. People (and therefore characters) are highly complex and layered, full of contradictions and flaws. Because writing imposes space-time limitations, we can never craft a character that is as complicated as a real person, but we can certainly try.

Today’s creative writing prompts encourage you to explore the characters in your writing. By working outside of your project on a series of exercises that force you to explore and engage with your characters, you will get to know them better. You’ll also get to use techniques for creating characters that have depth and dimension.

Character Writing Prompts

These character writing prompts are grouped into categories. You can mix and match the prompts according to which ones are most appealing to you, or choose the ones you think will help resolve character problems that you’re struggling with.

Feel free to let these character writing prompts inspire new prompts — in other words, you don’t have to write exactly what the prompt says. One set of prompts deals with character fears and flaws. These might inspire you to write about your character’s strengths and virtues.

Be creative, have fun, and keep writing!

Background and Family

Unearth your character’s roots. What is the character’s ancestry or cultural background? How does ancestry shape your character? Is the character at odds with family or cultural traditions?
Write a series of short paragraphical biographies of each of the character’s closest family members: spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, close friends, etc.
Write a monologue in which your character summarizes his or her life story; be sure to write it in the character’s voice.

Motivations and Goals

What motivates your character? Money? Love? Truth? Power? Justice?
What does your character want more than anything else in the world? What are they searching for?
What other characters or events are interfering with your character’s goals? What obstacles are in the way?

Flaws and Fears

What is your character’s single greatest fear? Why is your character afraid of this? How did your character acquire their fears?
What are your character’s flaws and weaknesses?
How does the character’s fears and flaws prevent them from reaching their goals?
What does your character look like? Make a list and include the following: hair, eyes, height, weight, build, etc.
Now choose one aspect of the character’s appearance, a detail (bitten nails, frizzy hair, a scar) and elaborate on it.
Write a short scene in which your character is looking in the mirror or write a short scene in which another character first sees your character.

Personality

How does your character feel on the inside? What kind of person is your character and what does the character’s internal landscape look like?
We don’t always present ourselves to others in a way that accurately reflects how we feel inside. We might be shy or insecure but come across as stuck-up and aloof. How do others perceive your character?
Write a scene with dialogue that reveals your character’s external and internal personalities. Good settings for this dialogue would be an interview, an appointment with a therapist, or a conversation with a romantic interest or close friend. Write the scene in third-person omniscient so you can get inside your character’s head as well as the other character’s head; this will allow you explore how your character feels and how he or she is perceived.

If you tackle these creative writing prompts, come back and tell us how they worked for you. What did you write? Did you learn anything new about your character or how to write about your character? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

13 Comments

Great ideas! Answering all these questions I really think can make the difference between a round, motivated character and a flat one. Thanks for your ideas 🙂

Thanks, Sarah. Good luck to you!

Yes, I agree with Sarah. I will make use of these suggestions while writing new books as well as in the film scripts I am presently writing.

(Meant to comment yesterday when I stumbled on this!) Great exercises. Helped me to elaborate more on another character I’m beginning to explore for another novel. I’m in the middle of my first novel now! Thanks for this mini-workshop!

Thanks, Tonya! My goal is to come up with exercises and prompts that help writers learn new concepts and techniques, gain experience through practice, solve problems within their own writing projects, and inspire new ideas. I’m thrilled that these prompts helped you solve a particular problem. Your comment totally made my day!

Great suggestions! Dissection or hotseating your character in many different ways is an excellent way of finding out who this person is who’s appeared in your story. I find myself talking through possible conversations as I walk, helping me round out who they are – even if all that information doesn’t end up in the story.

I always imagine character conversations when I’m trying to fall asleep. Sometimes they keep me up all night!

Excellent tips about creating believable characters. I think you did a great job here. The more authors can delve into their character’s background, the better writer they will be and it all gets down to how much the reader likes the book.

In most cases, I think it’s the characters that make stories so compelling. That’s why it’s so important to know your characters well.

This is amazing! Thanks for putting it together! I need writing prompts like this for class. A marketing class at a Polytechnic in Canada, these will be perfect.

Keep up the great work!

You’re welcome! I’m glad you found these helpful.

Thank you Mellissa for this. It is extremely helpful. I am going to relook at the characters I’ve created based on this.

You’re welcome.

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101 Creative Character Arc Prompts

Need some inspirational help in finding a new and exciting way to develop characters? Thankfully, character arcs aren't as difficult to develop as you might think. You just need a place to start.

A loser becomes a winner. A king becomes a pauper. The skeptic becomes a believer. Often, the best arcs start with a simple question or compelling traits that become the antithesis of the conflict your character is facing.

With that in mind, here are 101 character prompts that writers can test out on their characters — and their story concepts— to find compelling character arcs that can be explored within their stories.

Read More: Acceptance, Revelation, Contentment: Exploring Your Character's Inner Arc

101 Character Arc Prompts

1. What is your character's biggest fear?

2. What is your character's biggest regret?

3. What haunts your character when they stare off into nothing?

4. What, if anything, would your character kill for?

5. What is the most traumatic event from their childhood?

6. What is their most dangerous vice?

7. What is the one obstacle between where they are and what they want most in life?

8. Is your character religious?

9. Is your character anti-religion?

10. Who does your character love?

11. Who is their biggest influence?

12. Who in their lives is a bad influence?

13. What does your character see when they look at themselves in a mirror?

14. Why is the character in their ordinary world at the beginning of the story?

15. Why is your character the one dealing with the main conflict of the story?

16. How does the main conflict most conflict with the main character?

17. Is your character rich or poor?

18. Are they an optimist or pessimist?

19. Does your character have a handicap?

20. Do they have mental health issues?

Joker (2019)

21. What triggers their mental health issues?

22. Who did they hurt in their past?

23. Who hurt them in their past?

24. What does your character strive for most in their life?

25. What makes them laugh?

26. What makes them cry?

27. What makes them lose their temper?

28. What is the most selfish thing your character has done?

29. What is the most unselfish thing they've done for someone else?

30. Does your character have a lot of friends? If not, why not?

31. What is your character's favorite holiday? Why?

32. What is their least favorite holiday? Why?

33. What is your character's biggest flaw?

34. What is their biggest weakness?

35. What causes anxiety in your character?

36. What triggers them? Why?

37. Who is your character's biggest enemy?

38. Who is your character's best friend? Why?

39. Does your character believe in love at first sight?

40. Have they been in love at all?

The Woman King (2022)

41. What are their turn-ons?

42. What are their turn-offs?

43. What gender are your characters?

44. What race is your character?

45. What is your character's sexual orientation?

46. What is the greatest thing your character has done in their lives?

47. Who are their heroes in life? Why?

48. What types of people does your character look down on?

49. Who do they look up to and respect? Why?

50. Who are their mentors ?

51. Why would your character refuse a call to adventure ?

52. What tragedy most affected their life?

53. What tragedy could they have prevented, but failed to?

54. Who does your character need to make amends to?

55. What are they most grateful for in their lives? Why?

56. What causes them shame?

57. What would give them more confidence in life?

58. What would make them believe in God or a higher power?

59. What would make them not believe?

60. Do they work well with others? Why or why not?

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

61. Is your character a leader?

62. Is your character a follower? Why?

63. What is the biggest grudge your character is holding onto?

64. Does your character lie?

65. What do they lie about? Why?

66. Is your character a coward? Why?

67. Is your character heroic?

68. What's an ailment they are still trying to recover from?

69. What's an injury they haven't healed from?

70. What caused the injury?

71. What are your character's negative habits?

72. What is their favorite movie? Why?

73. What is their favorite book? Why?

74. Does your character belong to a particular organization?

75. What is their innate identity?

76. What new things would rock their world most? Why?

77. Does your character have a family? If not, why are they alone?

78. What is your character most stubborn about?

79. What taboos have they broken within their community? Do they regret it?

80. Does your character trust people?

Toy Story 4 (2019)

81. Is your character trustworthy?

82. Is your character tough?

83. If so, what caused them to be so tough?

84. What would finally "break" your character?

85. Who would your character give their life for most?

86. Is your character loyal?

87. What is your character's greatest bias or prejudice?

88. What is your character's worst nightmare?

89. What is their biggest dream?

90. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to your character?

91. What is your character's favorite place in the world?

92. What location scares them the most?

93. What item does your character treasure most?

94. What is your character's deepest physical scar? How did they get it?

95. Does your character fear authority?

96. Do they fight authority at every turn?

97. If your character could make one wish come true, what would it be?

98. What did your character want to be when they grew up?

99. Why did or didn't it work out that way?

100. What does your character want for their birthday?

101. Who does your character want at their wedding?

WANT MORE IDEAS? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OTHER STORY PROMPTS !

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed , and many produced and distributed Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies

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50 Character Development Writing Prompts

Last updated on January 5th, 2023

If you’re looking for some inspiration for your next creative writing project, why not try using some character development writing prompts? By coming up with creative and unique ways to develop your characters, you can ensure that your story will be more interesting and engaging for your readers.

From developing a character’s back story to exploring their motivations, these prompts should help you and your readers get to know your characters better and create characters that are more three-dimensional. By giving your characters prompts that help you understand them on a deeper level, you’ll be able to write them more authentically.

Plus, they can help you to break out of any writing ruts you may find yourself in and find inspiration. So if you’re ready to get started, here are some prompts to help you get inside your character’s heads. And if you are lucky, they might even surprise you!

What are writing prompts?

A writing prompt is a topic or question that is used to generate ideas for writing. As a writing exercise, character prompts specifically are used to generate ideas for writing about characters, and can be used for any type of writing, including fiction, non-fiction, and even poetry.

How do you use writing prompts?

There are many different ways to use character prompts. One way is to choose a prompt that focuses on a specific aspect of a character, such as their appearance, personality, or history. This can help to narrow down the ideas that are generated and can make the writing process easier.

Another way is to choose one that is open-ended and allows for a variety of ideas to be generated. This can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing, and can often lead to some very interesting and unique characters.

Whatever method you choose to use, they can be a great way to jump-start your writing and can help to create some truly fascinating and original characters.

Also, they may or may not lead to writing an actual scene that will be included in your story but will still give you more history of your character from which to draw.

Types of Character Writing Prompts

Things and objects.

When you are developing a character, you want to make sure that they are well-rounded and believable. One way to do this is to have them interact with their environment. What kind of things are in their environment? How do they react to them? Do they have any kind of connection to them? What does the object’s sentimental value say about the character who holds it dear? What kind of memories and associations does it bring up for them? All of these things can help to develop your character and make them more believable to your readers.

A character is cleaning out their attic and finds a dusty old box. Inside are things that belonged to a person they used to be close to, but haven’t thought about in years. What objects are in the box, and what do they mean to the character?
A character is going through a difficult time and finds solace in a particular object. What is the object, and why does it bring them comfort?
A character inherits a piece of jewelry from a relative they never knew. What does the jewelry look like, and what does it mean to the character?
A character finds a lost wallet on the street. What is the wallet’s owner like, based on the things inside it?
A character is going through a tough break-up and decides to get rid of all of the things that remind them of their ex. What are some of the things they get rid of (or keep!), and why?
A character is moving to a new city and has to downsize their belongings. What are some of the things they keep, and what do they mean to the character?
A character is going through a difficult time and starts collecting random things as a way to cope and regain a sense of control. What kinds of things do they collect, and why?
A character is going through their family’s things after a loved one dies and finds an old photograph. Who is in the photograph, and what does it mean to the character?
A character is cleaning out their closet and finds a box of things they used to love as a child. What are some of the things in the box, and what memories do they bring back for the character?
How does a character’s relationship to a thing or object change throughout the story? How does that reflect the character’s evolution and growth?

Personality

When developing a character, it can be helpful to explore their personality to get a better sense of who they are and how they might react in different situations. This can be done by considering their values, beliefs, and motivations, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

Your character is faced with a difficult choice and the consequences of that choice. How do they address it, or not? What did they learn?
What’s your character’s biggest secret? What would happen if it was revealed?
Your character tries out a new hobby and discovers they have a hidden talent for it. What is it? How does the hobby or that knowledge impact them?
Your character encounters someone who challenges their beliefs or worldview. What is it, and does either character change?
Write a scene in which your character tries out a new personality trait and it backfires hilariously.
Write a scene in which your character’s personality is the perfect match for a situation, and they make the most of it.
Write a scene in which your character has to restrain their personality for the sake of a professional setting.
Write a scene in which your character’s personality gets them into trouble but they manage to talk their way out of it.
Write a scene where your character has to fake a personality different from their own.
Your character has a revelation about themselves that leads to a radical change in their personality.

Character Interactions

One way to develop a character in your writing is to explore interactions with other characters or creatures in the story. This can help you to understand how your character thinks and feels, and can also give your reader insight into how other characters may react to your character. Additionally, exploring interactions between characters can help to create conflict and tension in your story, which can make it more interesting to read.

Have your character find a lost pet. What does this reveal about your character’s compassion for creatures?
Have your character overhear a conversation between two other characters. What does this reveal about your character’s relationships with others?
Have your character wake up in a room full of people they don’t know. What does this reveal about your character’s social anxiety or lack thereof?
What does your character do when they first meet someone new? Are they outgoing or shy? Do they make a good first impression?
How does your character act when they’re around someone they’re attracted to? Do they get tongue-tied or do they flirt shamelessly?
In what ways does your character open up to others, and in what ways do they hold back? What do they reveal about themselves, and what do they keep hidden?
What would happen if the character had to spend an entire day with someone they absolutely despised?
Your character is at a party and gets into a heated argument with another person. What caused the argument, and how does your character react?
Your character is at a museum and strikes up a conversation with the person next to them. What do they talk about?
Your character is stuck in an elevator with someone they don’t know. How do they pass the time? What do they learn about the other person?

Places and Locations

Developing a character in your writing can be informed by exploring places and locations in the story in several ways. First, they can provide physical details about the character such as how they dress, and what kind of environment they are comfortable in. Second, they can also provide information about the character’s past, such as where they grew up or what kind of experiences they have had. Finally, places and locations can help develop the character’s goals and motivations, as well as create obstacles and challenges for them to overcome. By exploring all of these aspects of a character, you can create a well-rounded and believable character that will resonate with your readers.

Develop a character who has a deep love for a certain place, whether it be a city, nature, or even an imaginary world. What is it about this place that draws them in?
Your character is haunted by a specific location. This can be a place from their past that they can’t forget, or a place they’ve never been to but feel a deep connection to.
Your character discovers a hidden room in their home that they never knew existed. What’s inside?
Your character gets lost in a place they have never been before. How do they manage the situation and find their way back?
Your character has to move to a new location and doesn’t want to leave their old home. How do they adjust to the new place?
How did your character come to live where they do? Why do they stay?
Your character visits a place that was significant to them in their past. What memories did it bring up? How did they feel?
Your character stumbles upon a place that is the complete opposite of what they expected. What was it like? How did they react?
Your character realizes they are homesick. For where? What do they do?
What was the last place your character visited that left them feeling inspired? How long has that been?

Another way to develop a character is to explore their senses, or the senses of those around them to add another layer of depth to the story. For example, if a character is trying to figure out what another person is feeling, they might pay close attention to that person’s body language and facial expressions. Or, if a character is trying to remember a past event, they might focus on the smells and sounds associated with that event.

Write a scene where your character is trying a new food for the first time and describe their reaction using all five senses.
Describe the first time your character ever saw snow. How old were they? Was it in-person, in photos, or on TV?
Your character’s child is learning an instrument. What does it sound like, and how do they feel?
What is your character’s sense memory of a parent’s perfume or cologne? What feelings or memories does it trigger in them?
Your character wakes up to the sound of someone else in the room. What is their first reaction and what does this say about the character’s paranoia or trust issues?
The character bites their tongue and tastes blood in their mouth. Where in their past does this take them emotionally?
The character smells something burning. What is their response, and what does it trigger in them?
What does your character’s handwriting look like?
How does your character respond to hearing their voice?
Your character receives an electrical shock. What is the first word or sound they make?

I hope these help your characters take you somewhere unexpected, and you can learn about them along the way. What motivates them? What do they fear? What are their deepest desires? By exploring different aspects of your character’s personality, history and motivations, you can create well-rounded, believable, and compelling characters that your readers will love (or love to hate).

Still need even more inspiration? AI writing assistants have the ability to brainstorm with you, potentially providing endless prompts! Check out our Directory of AI Writing Tools and find one that fits your needs and budget… some even have free plans!

Contributing Writer

Molly Rittenhouse

Molly has a passion for writing and helping others improve their writing skills. She is a strong advocate for clear and concise writing, and she enjoys helping others find their voice and improve their writing. When she’s not busy writing, Molly enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring new places, and reading good books.

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Character Prompts for Your Next Story (by Genre and Role)

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on September 6, 2022

Categories Writing , Creativity , Inspiration , Storytelling

Do you ever get stuck when trying to develop a story idea? If so, character prompts may be just what you need! These creative writing prompts will help you come up with interesting characters and plotlines for your next story. Remember that these are just suggestions – feel free to mix and match them or create your prompts. Use these prompts to jumpstart your creativity and get the ideas flowing! This post starts with a series of general character prompts and then has a series of genre-specific character ideas – so if writing a particular genre, skip straight to the relevant section.

Starter Character Prompts

To kick off, here are some character prompts to inspire your character development. For fun, and originality, try mixing up some of these prompts so that your unique character profiles are a combination of two or more.

A skeptic is always the last to believe but the first to offer help.
A woman who can’t help but love bad boys, no matter how many times they break her heart.
A tax accountant who lives for April because it’s the only time of year when he feels truly alive.
A child prodigy who skipped several grades but has never been able to find true friends.
A dog walker knows all the neighborhood gossip because she spends her days eavesdropping on people’s conversations.
A stay-at-home dad is secretly relieved when his wife returns to work after her maternity leave is up.
A young woman who has to care for her ailing father and doesn’t know how much longer she can do it.
An artist who uses his art to deal with his depression.
A woman who was born into a wealthy family but has always felt like an outsider.
A man who is haunted by his time as a soldier in Vietnam.
A robot who becomes sentient and starts to question why humans are so cruel to each other.
A well-educated woman is forced to drop out of college to support her family.
A small-town boy who dreams of moving to the city.
A woman in her late twenties who is struggling to find herself.

Character Writing Prompts by Role and Archetype

Sometimes it helps to think about your characters in terms of their role, or archetype, as a way to narrow down your options. For example, if you need a love interest for your protagonist, you might want to consider an archetype such as the “bad boy” or the “damsel in distress.”

For example, the loner who’s never been good at socializing but suddenly finds himself being drawn to someone. Or the joker who everyone loves but is hiding a broken heart.

Here are some more examples to get you started:

Protagonist: A high school student who has just been diagnosed with cancer and is trying to come to terms with her prognosis.

Antagonist: A vampire who is struggling with his addiction to human blood.

Love Interest: A soldier who has returned home from war and is dealing with PTSD.

Best Friend: A woman trying to break into the competitive fashion modeling world.

Mentor: A middle-aged man facing retirement and unsure of what he will do with the rest of his life.

Sidekick : A teenage boy coping with his parent’s recent death in a car accident.

Rival: A chef who is trying to save her failing restaurant.

Rebel: A man struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality.

Outcast: A woman diagnosed with a terminal illness is trying to make the most of her remaining time.

Villain: An assassin who has been hired to kill the president of a small country.

Hero: A single mother fighting for custody of her daughter against her ex-husband.

Princess: A woman who has been forced into an arranged marriage by her father.

Witch: A woman trying to find a cure for the curse placed on her by an evil queen.

Orphan: A girl abandoned by her parents and raised by wolves in the forest outside of town.

Wizard: An old man trying to find a successor before he dies so that he can pass down his knowledge and powers.

Fantasy Character Prompts

A creature that has been imprisoned for centuries and is desperate to be free.
A woman whose tail has transformed into legs must now learn how to walk on land.
A man who a rival king has hired to steal a magic scepter from the royal palace.
A gentle giant is misunderstood by everyone in town and constantly ridiculed.
An elf has been sent on a quest by the king to find a magical flower that can cure any ailment.
A princess whose kingdom is under attack by an evil sorcerer.
A young girl dreams of becoming a dragon slayer like her hero, Sir Lancelot.
A wizard whose apprentice has run away, and he must now go on a journey to find him.
A warrior who is haunted by visions of their dead comrades during battle.
A skilled thief who only targets those who have stolen themselves.
A dragon who has taken on the form of a human and is pretending to be a king.
A young woman discovers she can control the elements.
An orphaned street urchin who must save the kingdom from an evil sorcerer.
A cursed prince who turns into a beast every full moon.
A skilled archer who is revealed to be a part elf.
A daring rebel leader fighting against an unjust monarchy.
A faithful knight is forced to choose between their duty and their heart.
An assassin whose next target is revealed to be their long-lost sibling..
A bard whose songs have the power to heal the wounded and sick.
A ranger tracking a group of bandits through dangerous territory.
A wizard studying at a prestigious academy.
A goblin trying to make it in the human world.
A paladin is sworn to protect a small village from monsters.
A halfling con artist making their way through the world.
A necromancer raising an army of undead to take over the kingdom.
A child taken captive by orcs and raised as one of their own.

Mystery Character Prompts

Write a character whose profession is a mystery to everyone, including themselves.
Write a character who is haunted by a mysterious past.
Write a character who always carries a memento from a loved one they’ve lost.
Write a character with an intense fear of the dark.
Write a character who is looking for their long-lost twin brother or sister.
Write a character who can’t remember anything before the age of 10.
Write a character whose parents disappeared when they were very young.
Write a character who was born on Friday the 13th.
Write a character who has never had (and doesn’t want) a best friend.
Write a character who refuses to speak and only communicates through written notes.
Write an amnesia character trying to piece together their previous life through dreams and visions.
Write a rogue CIA agent on the run from their former employers.
Write an international jewel thief trying to retire but getting pulled back for one last score.
Write an assassin who falls in love with one of their targets and can’t bring themself to kill them.
Write about someone with multiple personality disorder – each persona knowing nothing about the others.
Write about an individual suffering from prosopagnosia – facial blindness/inability to recall faces even of those known well.
The victim’s spouse seems genuinely distraught but may be hiding something.
The victim’s jealous business partner stands to inherit everything they built together.
The nosy neighbor who saw something suspicious the night of the murder won’t say what it is until they’re paid off.
The prison inmate with information about the murder that they will only share in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
The paranoid conspiracy theorist is convinced that the government was behind the murder.

Thriller Character Prompts

A power-hungry politician who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
An idealistic young woman who gets caught up in the politician’s web of lies and manipulation.
An investigative journalist who is determined to uncover the truth about the politician.
A former jewel thief who is being blackmailed into stealing one last diamond.
A professional assassin has been hired to kill the protagonist.
The daughter of a wealthy politician is being held hostage by the antagonist.
A street-wise teenager who is caught up in the world of gangs and drugs.
A retired police detective helps the protagonist solve the case.
A quirky neighbor who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A ruthless criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
A ruthless killer who does the bidding of the villain.
A single mother who becomes caught up in the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist.
A hard-nosed police detective who is investigating a string of murders.
An ambitious reporter is trying to get the scoop on the story of a lifetime.
A deranged individual who kidnaps children for ransom.
A psychopathic killer who enjoys torturing and killing his victims.

Romance Character Prompts

A librarian who can’t seem to find love.
A pilot who’s afraid of flying.
A CEO who’s struggling to connect with people.
A baker who’s trying to forget her past.
A barista who’s secretly an undercover agent.
A nurse who is passionate about her job.
A teacher who is burnt out and doesn’t know what she wants anymore.
A stay-at-home mom who feels like she’s missing out on her life.
A woman who’s trying to move on from a bad breakup.
A woman who’s afraid of commitment.
A man who’s been hurt before and doesn’t believe in love anymore.
A man who’s afraid of intimacy.
A couple who are total opposites and can’t seem to make things work.
A couple who have been married for years are trying to spice things up.
Friends who realize they have feelings for each other.
Best friends who decide to start a relationship on a whim.
Two people meet online and fall in love without meeting in person.
Two people are set up on a blind date, and it’s love at first sight.
Two people who have been childhood friends suddenly realize they have feelings for each other.
Two co-workers who can’t stand each other but can’t deny the attraction they feel.
Strangers who meet on a plane end up sitting next to each other by the time they land.

Science Fiction Character Prompts

A woman who is chosen to be the first colonist on Mars.
A man who discovers he is an AI created by the government.
A woman who can travel through time but only forwards, never backward.
A man can turn invisible whenever he wants, but the downside is that he can’t turn it off again once he’s started.
A story about an alien who crashlands on Earth and has to find a way back home.
A story about two people who are the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust.
Someone who can read people’s thoughts but only when they’re thinking about him/her specifically.
Someone can choose when and how they die but not when they’re reborn into another life.
Aliens have invaded Earth, and the protagonist has to find a way to warn the other humans before it’s too late.
The protagonist discovers they are the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.
Someone develops the ability to fly, but every time they use their power, it takes them one day closer to death.
A girl with anti-gravity powers gets kidnapped by a group of people who want to use her for nefarious purposes.
An engineer is the only one who can save the day when a critical component on the space station fails.
A young woman is chosen to be the first human to make contact with an alien race.
An ex-military man is hired as a bodyguard for a wealthy businessman but discovers that his client is a criminal mastermind.
An alien race is invading the sheriff of a small town on a planet.
A pilot who crash-lands on a hostile planet must find a way back home.
A detective in a future city where crime is rampant and technology allows people to commit perfect murders.
A soldier is sent on a mission to a planet that enemy forces have taken over.
A bounty hunter is tracking a fugitive across the galaxy.
A doctor is trying to find a cure for a deadly disease sweeping through the population of a space colony.
A scientist who has developed a way to travel through time must prevent a disaster from occurring in the future.
A group of survivors is stranded on an uninhabited planet after their ship is damaged in an attack by pirates.
A group of people is trapped in a spaceship orbiting around a black hole and slowly being pulled in.
The captain of a ship that aliens attack must find a way to warn Earth before it’s too late.

25 Character Questions To Help You Develop Deeper Characters

There are a few simple questions you can ask yourself about your characters that will help you develop them more fully. Here are 25 questions to get you started.

What motivates your character?
What does your character want?
What does your character fear?
What is your character’s greatest strength?
What is your character’s greatest weakness? What is your character’s biggest flaw?
Does your character have any secrets? If so, what are they?
How does your character view the world?
How does your character view other people?
What are your character’s core beliefs?
How did your character develop those beliefs?
What events in your character’s life have shaped who they are today?
How does your character react under pressure?
What makes your character happy? Sad? Angry?
What are some of your character’s favorite things?
Does your character have skills or talents that set them apart from others?
How does your character dress? How do they carry themselves?
What kind of impression does your character make on others when they first meet them?
Do people tend to like or dislike your character upon first meeting them? Why do you think that is?
Does your character have any close friends or family members? Who are they, and what is their relationship to your character like?
Is there anyone in your character’s life with whom they don’t get along? Why is that the case?
What would people say about your character if asked to describe them to someone else?
How does your character treat strangers as opposed to friends and family?
When was the last time your character experienced a strong emotion?
What kind of failure has your character suffered in their life? How did they handle that failure?
What kind of person is your character at the end of the day?

How Do You Make a Fictional Character Not Flat?

Give your character a unique voice.

One of the quickest ways to spot a flat character is if they all sound the same. When different characters in your story have the same voice, it’s hard for readers to tell them apart. Especially in dialogue. To avoid this, ensure that each character has a distinct way of speaking. This could be something as simple as using different slang words or constructions or something more subtle, like varying sentence structure or word choice. Pay attention to how the people around you speak, and try to mimic that in your writing.

Make Them Relatable

No one wants to read about a perfect person. We all have our quirks and baggage, and your characters should be no different. By making your characters relatable, you make them more real and relatable for your readers. Relatable characters also make it easier for readers to understand their motivations and actions. To make your characters relatable, give them flaws and weaknesses that will make them sympathetic and believable to your reader. Sometimes, this can express through body language.

Give Them Depth

What makes a person interesting? Their hobbies? Their passions? Their secrets? All of the above? The same goes for your characters. You need to give them depth beyond their basic description to make them compelling. What do they like to do in their free time? What are their hopes and dreams? What are their fears? Build in character twists.

Write Them as People, Not as Plot Devices

One of the easiest ways to spot a flat character is if they only exist to further the plot without having any agency. For your characters to feel real, they need to be driving the plot forward, not just passively reacting to events as they unfold around them.

Character Archetypes Every Writer Needs to Know

The hero is the main character of the story. The hero often tries to save or make the world a better place. Examples of heroes include Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Luke Skywalker.

The mentor is a wise and experienced figure who helps the hero on his or her journey. The mentor often provides guidance, wisdom, and support when the hero needs it most. Examples of mentors include Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings , Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter , and Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars .

The Threshold Guardian

A figure who stands in the way of the hero and their goal. The threshold guardian can be either positive or negative; they may be trying to help the hero by testing them or trying to stop them outright. Threshold guardians include Hagrid from Harry Potter , Mufasa from The Lion King , and Darth Vader from Star Wars.

The dark side of the hero’s personality. The shadow is often repressed because it threatens the hero’s ego or is socially unacceptable. However, the shadow always comes out eventually. Examples of shadows include Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter , Gaston from Beauty and the Beast , and Kylo Ren from Star Wars .

The Trickster

A light-hearted character who uses their wit and cunning to help (or hinder) the hero on their journey. The trickster is often chaotic and unpredictable, keeping things interesting for the hero and the reader. Examples of tricksters include the Weasley twins from Harry Potter , Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings , and Han Solo from Star Wars .

The Damsel in Distress

A woman who needs rescuing by the Hero. The damsel in distress often motivates the Hero to take action and pursue their goals. Examples of damsels in distress include Princess Leia from Star Wars , Belle from Beauty and the Beast , and Anna from Frozen .

The Love Interest

A character who develops romantic feelings for the Hero throughout the story. Love interests are often used to develop the Hero’s character arc further or provide motivation for them to pursue their goals. Examples of love interests include Hermione Granger from Harry Potter , Arwen from The Lord of the Rings , and Rey from Star Wars .

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Journal Buddies Jill | July 8, 2024 September 7, 2022 | Creative Writing

20 Free Character Writing Prompts

Free, Fun, and Fabulous Character Writing Prompts For Fiction Writers — Yes! Here we offer you a list of absolutely free character writing prompts along with some awesome, complimentary character writing exercises. Take a look now and enjoy. I know you’ll be glad you did.

Character Writing Prompts and Character Writing Exercises, for You!

After students learn the basics of plot development in elementary school, they often begin building on their writing skills and they start focusing on character development.

However…

Coming up with ideas for a protagonist and an antagonist can be a challenge for aspiring writers who are just starting to understand the concept of a well-rounded character.

This is why…

It’s useful to have character writing prompts and character writing exercises available to help the process along.

Character Writing Development Brief Overview

Character development is a critical part of the writing process, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be hard work. Many students find that coming up with a backstory and personality for their main character is one of the most enjoyable things about creative writing.

In order to craft a character that has a distinct point of view as well as relatable flaws, students will need to be guided.

Creative writing prompts can help spark an idea that can lead to their next magnificent character. Then, creative writing exercises can help writers go deeper.

Whether you are using character writing prompts as part of your journal entries in your classroom, or you are providing students with character writing exercises to help with the brainstorming process, you will find that these tools are a wonderful way to help your students start learning about the character development process.

Once they have their characters in place, they can then rely on creative writing prompts in order to complete the story that they want to tell.

With the right practice, your students will quickly find themselves developing complex characters that have narrative arcs that move the story along. Use these character writing prompts and character writing exercises in your classroom in order to show your students just how fun it can be to create their own characters.

20 Free, Fun, and Fabulous Character Writing Prompts for Every Genre

Character writing prompts will help your students uncover their character’s arc or will allow them to identify the motivations of their character. These prompts will help them develop the kind of person that they want their character to be, and they may even help them uncover their character’s biggest flaw.

These 20 character writing prompts will help your middle school and high school students get started:

Think of real people who inspire you. Base your main character on your role model.
Consider writing a memoir, but make one of the main characters fictional. Use your experiences to shape the personality of the character.
Imagine that your character lives in a small town. How would this experience shape their world view? How would it shape their motivations?
Fellow writers often discuss their characters with each other as if they are real people. As you create your character, consider every aspect of their life — your character should have a personality, it should have flaws, it should have life experience and a motivation for solving the conflict within the story. Make a list of all of the attributes you would like to see in a main character.
Create a character that has a medical condition that influences the outcome of the story. Be sure to do research on that condition so that you can incorporate factual information and real world experiences into your story.
Consider writing a story in which the character’s voice is very different from your own. Write down three things that influence a character’s voice.
Head to Twitter to search for inspiration for your next character. As you scroll your feed, find an account that mimics the voice of the character you want to create. Use those tweets to influence the thoughts, dialogue, and mindset of your character.
Different genres can influence your character development. Imagine a main character for your first book, then write a journal entry about how that main character would be different if you were writing a science fiction story versus a horror story.
Plan to write a story in which your character’s lies influence the outcome. Make a chart that identifies the truth that exists within your story and plan out the lies that your character will tell. Use your story to create a social commentary on the impact of falsehoods in everyday life.

Design a character that is based on one of your grandparents. Remember, you don’t have to create your character based on the grandparents that you know today — your character could be inspired by any stage of their life.
Not every character is a main character. Consider adding a hidden character to your story. Write down three places in your story where a hidden character could appear. Would this character influence the outcome of the piece?
Your character should appear to be a well-rounded, fully-functional human. Write about why a character’s favorite food may play an important role in any story.
Use a single image as inspiration for your character. Write down the traits your character will have based on that image alone.
Imagine that your main character is a fortune teller. What personality traits would your character have? What would motivate them? What would be your character’s biggest flaw?
Nearly all of the bestsellers have compelling characters. Write a detailed description of your favorite character from your favorite book. Why is this character your favorite? Consider how the author developed this character into someone you connected with.
Narrators tell the story. How would you choose the narrator for your story?
Focus on a micro-moment in order to add depth to your character. Write a journal entry with a detailed description of a moment that your character experiences that helps explain their personality.
Your character has a scar. Where is it? How did they earn their scar? Does this scar symbolize anything within your story?
Character fear has to come from somewhere. Write about three situations that could incite fear within your character.

I hope you enjoyed this free list of character writing prompts.

It’s time to explore some character writing exercises!

6 Character Writing Exercises to Spark Your Students’ Imaginations

In addition to character prompts, character development exercises can help students with their storytelling. Here are a few character writing exercises to consider:

Character Writing Exercise #1 — Write a detailed paragraph describing the physical features of your main character and their personality traits. Now, sketch a picture of that character on paper.
Character Writing Exercise #2 — After you have created a main character for your story, you will need to develop secondary characters, such as siblings or a best friend. In this exercise, you should create a character tree for your character that includes all of the secondary characters that will support them on their journey. This family tree doesn’t have to be limited to relatives; it can include friends, teachers, employers, and even passersby who interact with the character in the story.
Character Writing Exercise#3 — Imagine that your character has their own social media account. Create three posts from your character’s perspective. What types of photos would they share? What would they say in their post? How would they respond to their followers? Would they use a filter on their pictures?
Character Writing Exercise#4 — Spend five minutes thinking about your own routines and habits. How do they influence your daily life? Now, consider a habit that your character may have based on their own arc.
Character Writing Exercises #5 — Not all characters are good characters. Think about the last movie that you watched. Who was the villain? Describe their personality and appearance, and write about how you have to approach the development of a villain differently than the development of a protagonist.
Character Writing Exercises #6 — No matter what type of character you create, they should have weaknesses, hobbies, and quirks. In this writing exercise, write a paragraph written from the perspective of a hidden character who is gossiping about your main character. This will help reveal the quirks and weaknesses of your main character and will allow you to better understand how other characters may interpret those personality traits.

When your students discover how to create a character’s world, they will quickly see how they can use their imaginations while relying on their own experiences in order to create dialogue that suits their character’s voice.

They will find out that through their own writing, they can design an alternate universe where their characters live an entire life. Through character development, they will uncover an entirely different part of the writing process, and they are sure to love it. You can use this motivation to encourage them to always keep writing!

More Character Writing Resources

92 Fun Character Questions for Student Writers
22 Fanfiction Prompts (explore a type of writing that uses the world and characters of an original work in order to create something new)
22 Character Arc Ideas to Bring Fictional Characters to Life

Until next time, write on…

If you enjoyed these Character Writing Prompts and Character Writing Exercis es , please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

PS – take a look at this 12-step guide for good character development !

Tap to See Prompts Power Up Your Pen: 157 Writing Prompt a Day Ideas 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids ------------Start of Om Added --------- @media (min-width: 320px) and (max-width: 767px) { .inside-right-sidebar { display: none !important; } } Search Now Offering You 19,000+ Prompts!

Jill -- Owner and Curator of JournalBuddies.com

Tap to See Prompts Power Up Your Pen: 157 Writing Prompt a Day Ideas 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids Search Search Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7-8 Grade 9-12 All Ages ------------End of Om Added --------- Tags character , character activites , character building , character development , character development writing prompts , character traits , Character Writing Ideas , Character Writing Prompts , Character Writing Topics , characters , Fiction Characters , Fiction Writing , fiction writing prompts , Fictional Character , Grade 6 , Grade 7-8 , Grade 9-12 , High School , Middle School , writing prompts div#postbottom { margin-top: 12px; } Search Now Offering You 19,000+ Prompts!

50 creative writing prompts to enrich your craft

Creative writing prompts provide a useful way to jog inspiration. Try these creative writing exercises focused on individual elements of storytelling:

Post author By Jordan
13 Comments on 50 creative writing prompts to enrich your craft

Typewriter with lightbulb symbolizing writing prompts and inspiration

Creative writing prompts – find inspiration to:

Create compelling dialogue, craft vivid setting descriptions, create interesting characters, create strong story openings, master tense, craft more effective sentences and phrases, find story ideas.

Create eventful plots

Craft satisfying story endings

1. a relocation.

Prompt: A character is moving to another city. She visits her favourite public place and sees something that makes her want to stay. Describe this in 500 words, using third person POV (he/she). Then rewrite in first person, using ‘I’.

Why: Rewriting third person scenes (especially emotional ones) in first person helps you find your character’s voice. You’re telling the reader what your character thinks as your character, not an observer. When you rewrite in third person (if you prefer this POV), some of this immediacy will carry over.

Prompt: A character is being chased by a villain or villainous group through an abandoned warehouse. Describe their fear and lucky escape in 500 words or less. Rewrite the piece from the viewpoint of the villain(s).

Why: Rewriting a protagonist’s scenes from the antagonist’s perspective can help you create a more realistic sense of threat, since you will be able to picture the protagonist as well as antagonist’s movements and psychological state clearer.

3. A late arrival

Prompt: A character arrives late to a party, not knowing that an old significant other is attending too. The relationship didn’t end well. The host introduces them to each other, unaware of their history.

In 500 words or less, write the scene and rewrite it twice, once from each character’s perspective: The late arriver, the ex and the host.

Why: Sometimes a story scene can be effective written from a secondary character’s point of view. Writing as a neutral observer might help you notice details worth including in the scene (such as the main characters’ actions and body language); actions that you wouldn’t think about as much if you were writing from a different viewpoint.

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE TO SCENE STRUCTURE

Read a guide to writing scenes with purpose that move your story forward.

4. A long affair

Prompt: A POV writing exercise courtesy of Writer’s Digest:

A teenage couple is sitting at a restaurant, playfully making up a fake Cosmo love test for each other. What questions do they ask each other? Now, write the same scene, but this time the couple is in their thirties. How would the questions differ? Write the same scene again, but this time the couple has been married for fifteen years. How would their questions be different than the other two tests?

Why: Character development makes your characters feel real. Rewriting scenes from the POV of younger and older versions of your characters will give you a sense of how your characters’ voices and concerns could change over the course of your novel realistically.

5. A change of view

Prompt: A detective is called to a small hotel to investigate the disappearance of a guest. Describe him searching the guest’s room in 500 words or less. Use first person POV. Then rewrite the scene in the second person (using ‘you’ to describe his actions, as though the reader were the detective).

Why: Although the second person is very uncommon as a point of view, writing a series of actions in second person can help you get into descriptive mode – you’re putting the reader immediately in the viewpoint character’s shoes, making them see and do exactly what your character sees and does.

Creative writing prompt - dialogue between fighting lovers

6. An argument

Prompt: Two lovers are having an argument in a bar. Character one hates public displays and is trying to calm the situation. Character two doesn’t care at all what other patrons think. Write their exchange in 500 words or less.

Why: Conflict in dialogue makes it lively and the raised stakes draw readers in. The point of this creative writing prompt is to remind you to include individual characters’ differing psychologies and likes and dislikes so that each character’s voice is distinct.A new tag

7. Remove dialogue tags

Prompt 7: Take several lines of dialogue (either your own or another writer’s work) that use dialogue tags (‘he said’, ‘she said’).

Rewrite the exchange without any dialogue tags, describing each character’s body language (e.g. crossing arms, pacing back and forth, sitting down, standing up) between their spoken lines instead. (E.g. “You said the same thing yesterday.” She crosses her arms, leaning back.)

Why: Dialogue tags can be distracting and repetitive. Body language can show how your characters are speaking and feeling without telling the reader outright, and this brings characters to life.

8. A public figure

Prompt: A public figure (a celebrity or politician) is giving a long speech when they are interrupted by a member of the audience and heckled. The speaker loses their calm and responds to the heckler in far more informal speech.

Why: We use different ways of talking depending on whom we address. Creating sudden shifts in how a character talks in scenarios such as this helps us remember to vary a character’s expression according to their circumstances.

9. An elevator pitch

Prompt: Two characters have been stuck in a lift for an hour. They were strangers but they begin opening up, telling each other about their lives while they wait for assistance. Their conversation is awkward at first but by the end it’s as though they’re old friends. Use 500 words or less.

Why: Creating a sense of progression in dialogue shows change and this change and sense of development is a large part of what makes a story interesting.

10. A group project

Prompt: . Four college students have been put in a group to compile a report. Each has a very different work approach. One student loves to research first, another likes to organize people and delegate tasks, one is a lazy slacker and one just agrees with everyone else to avoid conflict. Write their argument about how to complete the project.

Why: It’s important when writing multi-character scenes to give each character a voice that corresponds to their immediate goals as well as personalities. This exercise will help you create multi-character scenes that are complex and rich with dramatic potential.

[Try extra character writing exercises here for further practice.]

11. A lone hiker

Prompt: Imagine your character has gone hiking in a forest on a mountainside. There is nobody else around. Describe what they hear as they pass through different parts – a densely wooded area, a stream, and a high ravine.

Why: Often when we write setting we rely on visual description almost exclusively. Creative writing prompts that help you invoke the other senses will help you create fuller mental imagery for readers.

12. A city changes

Prompt: Describe the general goings-on in a city over the past 100 years. In the course of your description, describe at least one major landmark that’s changed as well as one memorable event that residents won’t soon forget.

Why: Writing setting well, especially in historical fiction, requires showing place as dynamic rather than static. The process of time changes a place and showing these changes occasionally makes your novel’s locations feel real.

13. A sailor’s impressions

Prompt: Describe a seaside city from the viewpoint of a traveler who is visiting for the first time. Describe the same place again from the viewpoint of a local. Think about the different places in the city each would find interesting, and have each character list three things they love and three things they hate about the city.

Why: Characters’ relations to places affect what they notice about them and where they go, and the same place in your novel can have multiple qualities depending on whose POV is being used. A visiting character might end up eating at awful tourist-bait diners, for example, while a local is more likely to avoid these.

14. A house changes

Prompt: Describe a big, rambling house in the daytime and make it seem comfortable and homely. Rewrite the piece, keeping everything except the adjectives the same. Change the describing words you use so the house feels sinister, eerie or outright terrifying.

Why: In setting, time of day and place work together to establish mood and atmosphere. This exercise will help you show how places take on different characters according to the conditions under which we experience them.

15. A character’s refuge

Prompt: Imagine your character has a favourite place they escape to whenever they feel stressed or need quality alone time. It could be somewhere in nature or else an inner city café, music hall or public library. Describe this setting in 500 words including at least three of senses: smell, touch, sound, sight or taste.

Why: Involving the reader’s senses in your settings makes your fictional world easier to imagine. We form memories of places not just through vision but the other senses too. Do this exercise regularly to create memorable locations for your story.

16. A Mary Sue

Prompt: Describe a character who is loved by everyone (if you’ve seen the cult classic show Twin Peaks , Laura Palmer is a good example). Describe the character and what is so lovely about her in 500 words or less, but end with a secret or flaw that not everyone sees.

Why: Story characters who are perfect are boring. Great characters are light and shade. ‘Good characters’ can have flaws and ‘bad’ characters can have pasts that show the reader a human side. The villain Lord Voldemort in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was once an ordinary boy.

17. A police line-up

Prompt: Imagine a character who witnessed a crime has to identify the perpetrator in a police line-up. Each of the suspects is quite similar looking but there is one vivid aspect of the guilty party that stands out. Describe your character noticing this stand-out feature and realizing who the guilty suspect is in 500 words or less.

Why: When we describe characters, we often reach for the most obvious physical features such as hairstyle and eye colour. But these are seldom particularly identifying and can read as clichéd. When readers could spot your characters in a police line-up, you’ll know they are vivid. [Someone on Tumblr used forensics software to put together sketches of famous literary characters based on their descriptions: See more here ].

18.A formative experience

Prompt: Imagine a character who has a single, over-arching goal in his or her life (it could be the quest for money or love, status or acceptance, for example). Now describe a single event from your character’s life that strongly influenced their adopting this goal. Describe the event from the character’s viewpoint as a memory, in 500 words or less.

Why: Even if you don’t explicitly mention a character’s entire backstory in your novel, knowing details about why your character wants and strive for specific things will help you create a three-dimensional cast for your novel.

19. An intriguing voice

Prompt: Go to YouTube. Click on a random video and quickly minimize the window before you see anything. Describe the voice of the first person you hear speaking, in detail. Is there any defining characteristic? Is it low, high, raspy, clear? Do they have a stutter or an odd way of starting, pausing, or ending sentences? Begin with ‘Her/his voice is/was like…’

Why: Thinking about the differences in how people sound and express themselves will help you write characters whose voices are unique and interesting.

20. A metamorphosis

Prompt: It’s fun to ask yourself questions such as ‘if my character were an animal/song/building/food item, what would they be?’ Imagine a character in her mid 40’s who’s a schoolteacher. Her class loves her because she’s a bit odd and quirky. Now answer these questions:

If my character were an animal what would she be and why?

If my character were a song, what would it be and why?

Why: Creative writing prompts that involve asking questions about imaginary people help to create a more concrete idea of them in your mind’s eye. Even if your reader doesn’t know every little thing about your character, you should have a very deep understanding of them yourself so that, if they’re faced with a specific situation, you will already have some intuition as to how they will react.

21. A dramatic incident

Prompt: Begin an opening sentence with a character having died. For example, Faulkner begins his acclaimed story ‘A Rose for Emily’ thus:

When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant–a combined gardener and cook–had seen in at least ten years. William Faulkner, ‘A Rose for Emily’. Available online here .

Why: Dramatic story openings that leave things unanswered pull the reader in. How exactly was Miss Emily a monument? Why is she so intriguing to the town and why had nobody seen the inside of her house? How did she die? Faulkner leaves many questions to answer in the course of the story.

22. A narrator’s regret

Prompt: Begin a story with the words ‘If I’d known then what I know now, I never would have…’ Continue the opening for up to 500 words.

Why: Conditionals (if, would, could, etc.) create a question in the reader: ‘Then what?’ Beginning a story with a character talking about having grown or acquired new knowledge in some way makes it clear to the reader that there has been momentous change of some kind, and change is what creates story.

23. An uncommon birth

Prompt: Begin a story ‘I was born…’ Many classic novels that are bildungsromans (stories about coming of age) follow this format (e.g. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie).

Why: Great characters have history and can remember (and are driven to some extent by) important life events. You don’t have to give your character’s life history from the day they were born. But write a list for each character in your novel about important events in their life, even if we only meet them when they are in their thirties.

24. A strange action

Prompt: Begin a story with a surprising or unusual action. For example, ‘I rushed around the house in terror, turning every tap on full’.

Why: The mundane and everyday can happen in the course of your novel. But keep the most mundane parts of your book for any part but the beginning. An unusual or inexplicable action as an opening creates curiosity.

25. An encompassing idea

Prompt: Write a first line that encompasses the whole of a story idea. For example, the first line of The Lord of the Rings written this way could be ‘I had been to Mount Doom and back, and everything in the Shire had changed.’ This great exercise was suggested by Joe Bunting of The Write Practice in his post on writing great first lines .

Why: Being able to condense your story into a single line is a good skill to have. It’s often best to write the first line of your novel once you have finished your first draft, too, and once you have all the details of plot you’ll be especially able to find an opening that encompasses the central ideas your book covers.

26. A marriage day

Prompt: Imagine a character describing her wedding day. Describe how she and her future spouse walk down the aisle and how she feels about the occasion, all in the present tense and first person plural (‘we’). Then rewrite the passage in the future tense (‘We will’).

Why: Different tenses and moods have interesting effects (e.g. the subjunctive mood is used to describe hypothetical situations – ‘if I had been president, I would have…’). Rewriting an important event in the future tense can show a character’s longing or the castles in the sky they are building. Writing the above scenario this way can be very effective if you will later show how the event did not go to plan at all. It will let you create a contrast between expectation and reality and this element of surprise is a satisfying component of storytelling.

27. A revelation

Prompt: Your character is a high school student who has just sat his exams.

Describe the exams he has completed in the recent past tense (e.g. ‘Yesterday, I wrote history and my pen ran out of ink in the middle of the French Revolution’).

Now rewrite the piece in the past perfect (past perfect tense shows actions that are complete, e.g. ‘I had walked to the exam venue at 8:00 am.’) End the rewrite with a revelation that came on the last day (for example, the entire class had to re-sit the exam because there was a mix-up with question papers).

Why: Past perfect tense is useful for creating anticipation, because it shows something happened before something else . The reader says to herself ‘I see that all these actions have been completed, so what are they leading to?’ Mastering past perfect will help you create a more complex sense of time and chronology in your novel.

28. An interview

Prompt: Describe a character waiting nervously outside a venue for a job interview. Describe what they are worried they will be asked and in what ways they feel prepared. Write in recent past tense, ending with ‘the door opened’. After this, rewrite the same scene in the present progressive tense (beginning ‘I am sitting outside….’ and ending ‘the door opens…’)

Why: It is important to be consistent with tense in a single section of your book or scene, unless transitions between tenses are logical and easy to follow (for example, a character shifting from sharing a memory to describing a present action). Mastering ‘present progressive tense’ (the tense using present participles that shows immediate, current action) will help you create active scenes that unfold in front of the reader.

29. A five-year plan

Prompt: Describe a character making plans for where they will be in life when they reach 30. Make several uses of the future perfect tense that indicates an action that will be complete in the future (e.g. ‘I will have finished studying’).

Why: Characters, like real people, project themselves into the future, imagining when certain tasks or undertakings will be finished and what their achievements will look like. Future perfect tense shows that the narrator’s current situation has a definite end-point, making it clear that your character is in a state of transition. This helps to create a sense of both shorter time and longer time scales in your novel.

30. An unexpected visitor

Prompt: Begin a story about an unexpected visit with the words ‘I had not been expecting anyone, but…’ Use the past perfect progressive tense (‘I had been [working/walking/thinking/waiting/missing]’) at least two more times in the exercise.

Why: The past perfect progressive tense is used to describe a continuous action that was completed in the past. It’s useful for writing about interruptions because there is an implied ‘but’ or ‘when something else happened’. For example ‘I had been reclining by the pool with my eyes closed when I heard an unfamiliar voice.’

31. An imperfect copy

Prompt: Open a favorite book to a random page and pick a paragraph. Copy out the paragraph but change every adjective to a synonym. Compare the two versions and note any differences in connotations. For example ‘green’ describes the color, but ‘verdant’ describes the green of lush vegetation or grasslands specifically.

Why: When you rewrite, finding more descriptive alternatives for words that perhaps aren’t carrying enough weight will make your writing more vivid.

32. A marathon

Prompt: Write a scene where your main character is running a competitive marathon. Describe her progress and feelings as she nears the finish line. The first time around, use adverbs (e.g. ‘I ran quickly around the bend in the road’), then rewrite using descriptive verbs instead of verb-plus-adverb (e.g. ‘I hurtled/sprinted’, instead of ‘I ran quickly’).

Why: Adverbs tell the reader how an action is performed, while active verbs show that specific quality of action more imaginatively.

33. A synonymous exchange

Prompt: Write a scene between two characters who are out on a date at a restaurant. They mirror each other’s gestures from time to time in a subconscious display of affinity. For the first pass, use the same words for these gestures (e.g. ‘She smiled at me as she returned from the restroom and I smiled back.’) The second time around, take all the double words (e.g. ‘smiled’ and ‘smiled’) and replace one with a synonym so there is less repetition.

Why: Sometimes it is hard not repeating the same word in short succession or you do so intentionally for effect. Yet using the same describing words within a short space of time for different objects or actions can feel amateurish and repetitive to readers. Use this exercise to practice creating variation and to expand your repertoire of useful synonyms.

34. A precocious child

Prompt: Write a scene in which your main character is talking with a precocious child who uses big words a lot (such as ‘precocious’, meaning showing certain abilities or interests at a younger age than the norm). Then go through the scene and find the shortest possible alternative for every longer word. An alternative to ‘precocious’ could be ‘clever’.

Why: Learning to simplify your writing and strip it down to its most basic meanings is important for becoming a good editor. Before you can write great ornate prose, you need to have a good sense of how to write simply and sparingly.

35. A letter

Prompt: Write a scene in the passive voice, where a character receives bad news in a letter and describes being given the letter and reading it. For example, ‘The letter was given to me yesterday.’ Then rewrite the whole scene in the active voice, where the character is in the subject position: ‘I received a letter yesterday.’

Why: A lot has been written about using active voice rather than passive voice. Passive voice can be used intentionally to create the impression that a character is fairly passive in their life and pushed and pulled by others. Generally, though, active characters are interesting to read about because we have a sense of their actions being purposeful and driven by some or other immediate goal, and that creates stakes that arouse interest.

36. A newsworthy hook

Prompt: Go to Google search and click on ‘news’, then type in a single word. It can be the name of a place, a colour, a job description. Then use the first line of the top result to begin a story and continue for 500 words. For example, for ‘purple’ the current result is ‘Jimi Hendrix would have been perfectly comfortable with the purple haze of uncertainty that surrounds many of the Liberal government’s most pressing agenda items.’ Granted, it would be an odd story, but you could write speculative fiction about Jimi Hendrix returning from the dead to be a guitar-playing political commentator.

Why: News articles are a great source of story ideas, from the ordinary to the bizarre.

37. A chance find

Prompt: Open a favourite novel to a random page. Use the first 5-7 words of the first complete sentence to begin writing a story. For example, from Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-up Bird Chronicle: ‘I was going to beat him…’

Why: Other writers’ books are filled with great turns of phrase. A single image or action can spark your imagination and start off an interesting story.

38. An autocomplete

Prompt: Go to Google search and start typing in a phrase beginning ‘What if’. Look in the auto-complete suggestions that pop up (for ‘what if everyone was’ a suggestion is ‘what if everyone was vegan’). Write a story opening up to 500 words long that explores this idea in greater detail.

Why: Many great stories and novels branch out from a simple premise. For example, C.S. Lewis’ great fantasy novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe starts from the question ‘what if there were another world where animals could talk and we could reach it through secret portals?’

39. A blind stroke of luck

Prompt: Open a dictionary to a random page five times, close your eyes and land your finger on a random word. Write each of the five down and try to combine them into a story idea. For example, for ‘alternative’, ‘full’, ‘discovery’, ‘critic’ and ‘original’, you could come up with ‘A critic obsessed with Kafka makes a discovery – a drawer full of alternative original drafts of stories that seem to give a cryptic message.’

Why: Using random techniques can jog your creativity and help you find curious combinations of subject matter you’d never normally dream of writing about.

40. A song to start it all

Prompt: Take a playlist on a music streaming service or your own device and select shuffle.

Press play and use the words of the title as either the opening of a story or to create the main idea. For example, the words ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (the title of a song by the band Joy Division) could be words a character thinks in a story about an unhappy love affair.

Why: Songs are great sources of writing inspiration because they are often ambiguous and allow us to fill in the gaps using our own imaginations.

Create eventful plots

41. a great win.

Prompt: Write a scene in which a person wins the lottery. Describe their excitement and the lead-up to claiming their ticket, and the moment that they find out that they got the date of the draw wrong and didn’t win anything after all.

Why: The ‘reversal of fortune’ is a common ingredient of tragedy and drama. Practice writing about reversals of fortune to improve at creating the rising and falling action of dramatic moments in your stories’ plots.

42. A prophecy

Prompt: Write a scene in which a prophet comes to a village and shares a premonition that throws the townspeople into turmoil. Describe how a main character decides to set about resolving the situation.

Why: The catalyst for your story, the inciting event that sets it in motion, needs to create tension (whether between characters or within one character) that begs resolution. This exercise will help you practice creating action-centered story beginnings.

43. A betrayal

Prompt: Write a scene in which two old friends have a fight that threatens to dissolve their friendship for good. It could be a fight over a clash of values or a personal betrayal. Towards the end, show that there is a glimmer of hope that they will reconcile.

Why: Conflict (whether internal or between characters) is the lifeblood of great plots. If everything is easy and straightforward for your characters, the stakes are low and the reader invests less emotionally.

44. An adoption

Prompt: A woman has been searching for her birth mother for years because there are important questions she needs to ask her. She’s finally found the right address and has made contact, and the woman has invited her over. Start with ‘She rings the bell’ and describe their interaction for about 500 words.

Why: Climactic plot moments are opportunities to create suspense and resolution. Isolating and practicing writing moments of plot revelation will help you handle moments of truth creatively and assuredly.

45. A new piece of evidence

Prompt: A detective has been on the hunt for a notorious killer for years. He’s finally tracked him down to a hideout and the detective manages to cuff and arrest him. But while combing through the killer’s hideout, the detective makes a shocking discovery that opens a whole new chapter. Write an ending for this story that also suggests the beginning of a new plot line.

Why: Writing a book series is challenging, and knowing how to create new arcs even as you resolve major ones helps to keep readers invested in seeing what your protagonist will face next.

46. A late pardon

Prompt: A man imprisoned wrongly for a crime is released after 20 years. He’s lost touch with his family. Describe his surprise homecoming in 500 words or less.

Why: Dramatic stories that carry a lot of emotional weight need to be resolved satisfyingly. If your protagonist has suffered immensely, the ultimate deliverance should read as comparatively immense. This exercise will help you find dramatic story endings for dramatic beginnings.

47. A better ending

Prompt: Take a novel that had an ending you found unsatisfying. Rewrite the ending and change elements so that you’re happy with the outcome.

Why: Sometimes writers make choices that upset us. We finish thinking ‘there was so much promise, and then they went and did that ‘. So practice writing endings that satisfy your expectations of a book so that you are best equipped to satisfy your readers’ own.

48. An educated guess

Prompt: Read the first paragraph of a short story or novel, then close the book and write a final paragraph.

Why: Many story openings give a clear sense of what the general themes and preoccupations of the book are. It’s important that the opening and closing of your book resonate with each other, so practice writing these two parts together as an exercise.

49. A top-rated finale

Prompt: Take a favorite television series or movie. Make up your own ending based on what you can remember of the plot line and characters.

Why: Using TV shows and movies as inspiration is effective because screenwriters are especially well-versed in strong beginnings and openings. Practicing an exercise like this will help you think like a screenwriter in how you craft compelling story endings.

50. A blank slate

Prompt: Create your own prompt for writing a story ending and post it in the comments below

Why: Coming up with prompts is a valuable creative exercise in itself.

Find daily writing prompts with exercises to practice literary devices and craft.

Try easy, step-by-step prompts that will help you outline your novel and support to see you through the challenging first draft.

Daily writing prompts: 365 ways to practice craft
Character archetypes: How to enrich your novel's cast
Creating your own budget MFA in Creative Writing
Tags writing exercises , writing inspiration , writing prompts

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

13 replies on “50 creative writing prompts to enrich your craft”

This is an amazing list! I love the fact that you listed a “why” after each exercise, it really helps to focus the mind. I’ve included a link to this post in my latest blog post on https://elisabethannewritesthings.wordpress.com/ I hope you don’t mind! If you do, let me know and I will take it down, but I thought it would be great to share it with other people.

Thanks, Elisabeth. Not at all, I’m glad you liked it and grateful for the mention. B.

[…] you are struggling to come up with ideas to write about daily, these great writing prompts will inspire you and maybe take your writing in a new […]

Writing prompts has a great significance. It helps the readers come to know the goal of writing the article.A single word, a single line even a picture can be the writing prompts.So, we should be more creative to write a writing prompts.It must be clear, concise and focused.Nowadays, many paper writing service, online writing schools help us to learn writing prompts. Here you have shared fifty real life example of writing prompts. These examples must help us to write a great prompt. Thank you for sharing.

Hi Cody, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for reading!

I wrote a short story based on the first one, and I didn’t follow it exactly but I am really happy with it. I plan on having my friends edit it. I love the why it helps me understand what the point of it is besides just typing words. Thankyou

It’s a pleasure, Emilie. I’m glad you found it inspiring. Good luck with your story!

There are some amazing ideas here! So glad I found this list, you’ve really got me thinking! Thank you 🙂

I loved the prompts as well as the structure of your post! It certainly gave me some food for thought…I was wondering if there’s some way to get feedback on what I write using these prompts, though…is that possible?

Thank you Ananya, I’m glad you enjoyed this article!

You can share pieces for feedback from peers in our members-only writing groups. You can sign up here: https://www.nownovel.com/users/sign_up

Fantastic. Thank you.

It’s a pleasure, Tinka, thank you for reading!

[…] Look no further than http://www.nownovel.com/blog/50-creative-writing-prompts/ […]

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How to Develop a Fictional Character: 6 Tips for Writing Great Characters

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Last updated: Sep 8, 2021 • 8 min read

Whether we’re discussing Hamlet or Harry Potter , the best stories are not just about an interesting series of events: they’re about characters. While a mastery of plot can help you develop exciting twists and turns, great character development draws readers in by giving them strong characters with whom they can identify.

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Home / Book Writing / 17 Character Development Exercises for Writers

17 Character Development Exercises for Writers

Character development exercises are short forms of deliberate practice to improve your writing skills and round out your characters.

They are typically not used in the final novel, but are little extras that help you understand the personalities that you are writing.

Because for some of us, nailing down that perfect character can be hard. And to help with that, we’ve assembled 17 different exercises to improve your characters.

Why character exercises are important
A list of 17 different exercises that you can implement today
Examples and advice to improve your characters

Why Are Character Development Exercises Important?
Exercise #1: Write a FULL Description
Exercise #2: Play Dress Up
Exercise #3: Write a Description Scene Through the Character’s Eyes
Exercise #4: Practice Showing Emotion
Exercise #5: Write a “Slice of Life” Episode
Exercise #6: Write Other People Gossiping About Your Character
Exercise #7: Write a Progression Short Story
Exercise #8: Draw the Character
Exercise #9: Create a Character Profile
Exercise #10: Conduct a Character Interview
Exercise #11: Play the “Why” Game
Exercise #12: Create a Character Based on Someone You Know
Exercise #13: Imagine What Happens Before and After the Novel
Exercise #14: Put Them in Horrible Situations (Muahahahahah)
Exercise #15: Create a Timeline
Exercise #16: Do a Little Fan-fiction
Exercise #17: Use Character Writing Prompts

So why use a character development exercise in the first place?

This may be a valid question, especially for authors like myself, who just want to dive into the writing and let the characters unfold as I write.

But honestly, a little work up front can save you a load of headache afterward.

Running through a handful of these exercises will help you to:

Understand your character’s emotions
Give you practice writing in their voice and from their point of view
Find out what sets them apart from other characters
Flesh them out to create round and dynamic characters
Establish the relationship between your characters and the setting, or other characters
Deliberate practice of the process to create complex and well-written characters

In short, it’s a great way to deliberately practice writing and reduces the need to go back and do extensive revisions on your characters.

That said, this might not be the best thing to do if you’re a pantser and just want to dive in and discover your characters along the way. But it can be a great tool in your author tool belt.

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So without further ado, here are 17 of our best picks for character development exercises.

Exercise #1 : Write a FULL Description

When it comes to writing characters, most of us focus on the facial features, things like hair color, eye color, etc.

A great way to begin getting to know your character is to do a full description of them. In a book, we might not do this to the extent you might in a creative writing exercise, which is why it’s good to practice here.

Here are some things to consider:

Skin/hair/eye color
Do they have any warts or moles?
What is their hair style?
What is their build?
Do they have any scars, tattoos, etc.
What is their general complexion. Is their skin smooth and silky, rough and calloused, or even bruised and battered?
What default facial expression do they have?
What does he/she smell like?

Exercise #2 : Play Dress Up

What we choose to wear says a lot about a person. Someone wearing an extravagant French-style outfit from the 18th century will give you a completely different impression than a cut business suit from the 21st century.

The problem is that most authors, when they’re writing about their characters, often forget to add a lot of detail about the clothes they are wearing. It’s easy to see these things in your mind and forget that your readers don’t see what you see. They see what you write.

One way to help overcome this oversight is to continue the exercise above, but focus on clothing.

And don’t just focus on any one type, because your protagonist will most likely use several types of clothing throughout the course of your novel. Here are just some examples:

Travel clothing
Clothes for a night on the town
Clothes for wilderness survival
Combat wear

Exercise #3 : Write a Description Scene Through the Character’s Eyes

Ideally, every character should experience the same thing differently, depending on their background, their wants and desires, and their tastes.

Additionally, great prose is often written from the perspective of the character making the observation.

For example, let’s say you have two people, one who has grown up in a desert their whole life, where water is scarce, and the other who grew up in a place where water was plentiful.

Imagine these two people on a hot day, observing a third person splashing water on their face. If you’re writing from the first character’s perspective, you could describe this as “and the man took a handful of water and wasted it on his face.” The second person might describe it this way, “I watched as the man poured the cool liquid and splashed it all over his face. I wish I were him right now.”

Do you see the difference there? In one, the character sees using water in one way as a waste, and for the other, it’s something to be sought after.

Exercise #4 : Practice Showing Emotion

We’ve all heard the adage to “show, don’t tell,” but what does this really look like for most characters?

This is something that really only comes with practice. Once you’ve done it enough times, you’ll recognize instances where you’re saying things like “he felt hungry,” and can replace them with something like “He winced and put a hand to his stomach as it growled, and he swallowed hard.”

Character emotion is one of these areas where showing rather than telling can really enhance your novel.

Exercise #5 : Write a “Slice of Life” Episode

There are a lot of scenes in a book, and most of them have a purpose. That said, there are many scenes that probably occur in that character’s life, but that we don’t talk about because they’re not important for the story.

However, you as the author should have an idea of what happens in these less important moments.

Some examples of a “slice of life” episode might include:

Having dinner with family
Going to the bathroom
The morning routine
A conversation with a co-worker
Late-night conversations with a spouse
Cooking a meal
Going on vacation
Playing with their kids
Coming home a little too drunk
Visiting a museum

Exercise #6 : Write Other People Gossiping About Your Character

Very often, we learn more from others about ourselves that we might not have known on our own. Others can provide unique perspectives, and in some cases expose huge biases (on both sides).

For example, a proud character might not realize that he/she is proud, but it’s easy for an outside observer to spot this.

Exercise #7 : Write a Progression Short Story

In real life, people change a lot, and characters should change in stories too (most of the time).

A great way to show this is to write a short story that examines the character at different parts of her/his life. You can focus on key moments in their life, but you could also just follow exercise #5 and focus on a few more everyday events.

The purpose of this exercise is to show how that person may have changed. Do they view the world differently as a working adult, vs as a teenager? A child? An elderly person?

What about before or after experiencing some kind of trauma?

Exercise #8 : Draw the Character

I’ll be honest, I’m not an artist. But I am a visual person, and getting some solid visuals of the character can be a huge boost in helping me understand them.

If you’re like me and really have no design skills , then finding a few photos is fine.

I’d recommend several photos though, since one might not be enough. You could have some for their face and general appearance, one for their clothes and how they look, etc.

If you know a program like Photoshop, you could even crop these together to get an even better sense of what you character looks like.

This is a great exercise for understanding the feel of a character, which is often harder to put into words.

Exercise #9 : Create a Character Profile

Imagine you work for the FBI, and you have to draft up a dossier about your character. What might that look like?

Fortunately, we’ve done a whole article about this topic, so you should definitely check that out, and also don’t forget to pick up our character profile template, which can easily help you through this process.

If you want a thorough process to identify the character’s appearance, personality, background, and more, this is the way to go.

The best aspects to focus on are the flaws, motivations, and fears of your character. What prompts them to action? Understanding these things will help you get at the core of your character’s personality traits.

Exercise #10 : Conduct a Character Interview

Imagine you sat in a darkened room, across the table from you is your character. You can ask them anything, they won’t be offended, and they will understand the question.

What do you ask them about?

Writing a character interview is almost like writing yourself into a short story where you get to personally meet your character and ask them questions.

This is huge for helping you understand the character’s voice, but also a good strategy for building solid character backstory and character traits.

To help, we’ve already assembled over 200 character development questions that can aid you in this process.

Exercise #11 : Play the “Why” Game

This goes along with the idea of an interview, but sometimes in order to dig really deep into the motivations of your character, you’ve got to ask why.

Is your character aggressive? Ask them why.

From there you might find out that his mother shouted at him as a kid, and he saw his parents fight a lot. Ask why.

You might learn that his father had a drinking problem and it meant that his mother took it out on him. Ask why.

From there, it might come out that his father had lost a lot of money in a business deal, leading him to turn to drink.

I hope you get the idea. The more you ask why, the more you’ll dig deeper into your character’s past, and the better you will understand them.

Exercise #12 : Create a Character Based on Someone You Know

This can be a little dangerous, because to be honest, most of the people we know are not that interesting. And we also want to avoid lawsuits for defamation if the comparison is too obvious.

That said, the people we know can be a huge inspiration to pick and choose ideas to incorporate into your characters.

For example, my own father and uncle have a really fun way of talking to each other. They’re always ribbing on each other and calling eachother weird, made-up names. You can tell that they love each other, but it’s an uncommon way of showing it.

This might make a good relationship between two people in a book.

Exercise #13 : Imagine What Happens Before and After the Novel

The writer is mostly concerned with what happens during the plot of her novel. But if written well, a character will feel like they exist long before and long after the pages of the book.

So it’s a good idea to try dreaming up what happens to these characters in that time.

It can be dramatic, or it can be mundane. Impactful, or ordinary. It doesn’t matter much. All that matters is that you have a past and future in mind for that character (unless you plan to kill them off of course).

And who knows, you might even come up with some good ideas for other books involving those characters.

Exercise #14 : Put Them in Horrible Situations (Muahahahahah)

I’ve heard it said that you should basically put your characters through hell in a story, and never let up.

While this is good advice, it’s not always practical. That said, putting your characters through the meat-grinder is a great way to learn how they react to conflict.

These scenarios don’t have to be trials you will actually use in your novel. These are just different ways to put your character in pain and see how they react (I know I sound like a very unethical scientist, don't @ me).

Here are some possibilities:

The loss of a loved one
A diagnosis of cancer
The loss of a limb
Getting tortured
Breaking up with the love of their life
Losing everything they own
Being betrayed by a friend

Exercise #15 : Create a Timeline

Sometimes it’s hard to keep every part of a character’s life straight. That’s where a timeline can be helpful.

A timeline is a simple list of events in the character’s life, though they can get more complex and interesting, and you can even put some design skills to work if you want.

But timelines only have to be a simple list of events. They can include events from before their birth to their death, or they can be focused on a specific period of their life.

It will depend on the character and the story you will want to tell.

Exercise #16 : Do a Little Fan-fiction

When we’re writing a story, we might not have a full grasp on it yet, and that’s where writing fan fiction can help.

Imagine your character interacting with characters from a story you already know? Imagine the ultimate crossover between your story and your favorite franchise.

For example, what Hogwarts house would your character belong in? What might it look like when he/she is sorted and interacts with other characters in that house or other characters from the Harry Potter books.

It’s a great way to lean on characters you already know, to help unveil more about the characters you’re trying to discover.

Exercise #17 : Use Character Writing Prompts

There are a bunch of character-related creative writing prompts out there, and many of them can be quite helpful in getting your brain to think outside of the box.

In theory, we could have a list much longer than 17 if we wanted to include more of these prompts, but that would end up being too much.

Instead, I recommend this post , or checking out our list of character questions to give you ideas.

Final Thoughts on Character Development Exercises

If you’ve made it far, first of all, well done.

Second of all, you might be a little overwhelmed, but don’t worry. This list is not meant to be a checklist for everything you should do to expand on your characters.

Instead, this is a handful of ideas that you can take (or leave) and use them to better understand your characters.

As you apply these exercises, I can pretty much guarantee that you will grow as a writer, become more familiar with your characters, and increase your chances of having a great dynamic character in your books.

Let us know how it goes!

Jason Hamilton

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

How to write a book using google docs, how to write dark fantasy: a guide for new authors, how to write a book using microsoft word, sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

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