Interviewing Your Character

The technique of character interviewing is a very powerful tool in developing characters in fiction writing. The secret to its success is being loose enough, critic-free enough, to go with the creative flow and let be born whatever will be born. You might want to spend time visualizing the character in your mind’s eye. You need not visualize the character’s physical presence absolutely—I never have a photo perfect picture of my characters; rather, go for a walk or sit in a quiet place and feel yourself opening to the character’s presence, allow the character’s energy to rise up within you.

Get a sense of the character as he or she appears. Sense the energy, hear the voice, let the interview take on a life of its own. If nothing comes to you right away, don’t push it. Instead, go for a walk, or while you’re doing some mindless task, or just before falling asleep, ask for a character to come forth. Take whatever comes. Don’t worry. Don’t second guess. Play the character. Sense the energy.

Coming Soon on the Blog: 50 Interviewing Questions

Let Emily Interview Your Characters: Explore How

Or a TeleSeminar on Interviewing Characters