Character breakdown list?

[Telly]

There was a cool list of questions a writer asks himself about his character and I can't seem to find it. I think I even posted it here once. It was something like 50 questions to answer about your character. It was a pretty cool tool. Anyone have a link to it or have the list handy they can share? Thanks!

[DavidK]

Re: character breakdown list?

I remember that. Wasn't too long ago. Don't know where it is - I saw it somewhere else online, the original source maybe. Don't know where that is either. I realize this isn't a particularly useful answer, unless you're wondering if your brain is damaged and you imagined the list.

[Telly]

Re: character breakdown list?

It really was a cool list, I hope someone has it or knows where we can find it. Thanks again guys.

[MJ Scribe]

Re: character breakdown list?

If memory serves me right, thought I read where the questions were
incorporated in a scriptwriting software program. But I don't have it either
so I can't be sure.

But, I did find a lengthy list of questions at place called writingclass and I
think it incorporates what you may have seen. Gotham Writer's Workshop,
Character Questionaires 1 and 2

http://www.writingclasses.com/Inform...php/PageID/106

It may not be the same, but it's gotta be close. Hope this helps...

[Telly]

Re: character breakdown list?

Found it!

http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...ad.php?t=56347

[MJ Scribe]

Re: character breakdown list?

thanks for citing it. and to think you even posted it in that other thread first...

[snwrist]

Re: character breakdown list?

Very nice. Thanks for this, Telly.

[Knaight]

Re: character breakdown list?

There was a cool list of questions a writer asks himself

Misogynist.

[Done Deal Pro]

Re: Character breakdown list?

There is also a version in our EXAMPLES section on the main site: http://www.donedealpro.com/members/d...&section_id=13

[Telly]

Re: Character breakdown list?

Thanks, Will. Some interesting questions. I wonder how knowing if your character was born via c-section or naturally would affect the way you write his actions. It's the number one question no less. Interesting.

[MJ Scribe]

Re: Character breakdown list?

it's where I started from on mine...

[jamypac]

Re: Character breakdown list?

I see you found the list, but I thought I'd pass this link along anyway:

http://home.mchsi.com/~webclass/characterization.htm

There was a cool list of questions a writer asks himself about his character and I can't seem to find it. I think I even posted it here once. It was something like 50 questions to answer about your character. It was a pretty cool tool. Anyone have a link to it or have the list handy they can share? Thanks!

[chilldivine]

Re: Character breakdown list?

A lot of really useful questions in all of these links, but one that threw me was the one about hair colour and eye colour. I'll descibe a general physical type as far as is relevant to the character, but surely it's a waste of time to get so specific about something like eye colour?

Of course you would specify if it is going to be somehow relevant to the character or a plot point, maybe if their colouring was very different to the rest of their family, or their cultural heritage was particularly important. But otherwise, it seems to me a waste of time to specify green eyes as opposed to brown - surely that's just going to be ignored at casting anyway? Thoughts?

[Telly]

Re: Character breakdown list?

Hey chilldivine, I don't think these questions were meant to be taken so seriously or literally for that matter, or at least I don't perceive them this way. I just take a handful, maybe a dozen questions that I find intriguing or will help me get to know my subject and I try to answer them. I mean, don't worry about the eyes if you don't want too. Who cares, the idea is to get to know your subjects and learn a little along the way about how they might react in any given scenario. Then when it comes to fade-in, you feel more comfortable about your characters objectives.

Like anything else, it's just another innocuous tool, not to be taken so seriously. It's just there to give you some leverage heading into your script.

Good luck.

[chilldivine]

Re: Character breakdown list?

Thanks Telly. I probably wasn't very clear in my initial post, but I do appreciate these questions are not law - I'm more curious about thoughts generally on getting very specific about a character's appearance.

I've read some scripts in which the characters' physical appearances are described very clearly which is great when I read as I can picture them in my head, but on the other hand it strikes me as a practical problem (or simply just pointless) when it comes to casting.

I suppose it comes back to the question of whether we're writing for the reader in the first instance, or writing a potentially working script, which has undoubtedly been discussed a million times here!