However, besides being the best method of establishing voice, I’ve found that having a first-person interview with your MC (especially useful if you’re writing in first person) also helps you to learn things about him/her that you hadn’t yet considered. For this reason, when crafting your interview, I recommend searching online for character interview questions someone else has come up with – this keeps you from anticipating and designing questions around what you already know about your character. That’s not the point. Answer the unexpected questions. You might be amazed what your character reveals about himself.

In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, I decided to provide the interview I conducted last night on the plane to London (I’m studying abroad this semester). Ian Blackman, the character in question, is going to be the leading man in my NaNoWriMo novel this year (again, I talked about this in my last post). I’ve left out his basic information – age, height, weight, etc. – because it’s just not as interesting as what he has to say for himself.

Feel free to steal these questions and use them with your own characters (I didn’t come up with them anyway. I don’t remember who did, but kudos to that person and if you ever stumble across this and want credit, let me know). You might just discover something useful.

Character Interview: Ian Blackman

What would you drink at a party, and how would you behave? 

Depends on my mood. A rum and coke never feels wrong, though. I’ll likely be louder if Rex is around. Otherwise, I’ll be shooting pool and keeping my mouth shut.

What would your favorite class be if you were in high school? What clique would you be in? What instrument would you play?

I like history. Some of our forefathers were completely mental. Did you ever hear about the Brooks/Sumner beatdown on the floor of the Senate? Sometimes I wish that’s how we let politicians sort out their disagreements these days. I belonged to my own clique of ‘the kid who set something on fire and maybe killed another kid.’ Delinquent, party of one. I play the harmonica, if you want to count that as an instrument.

If you met the cast of [author's favorite TV show, in this case How I Met Your Mother], who would you hang out with? Who would hate you on sight?

I think Robin and I would get along well. She seems like the sort of girl I’d want to hang out with. I don’t think Ted would like me, because I’d remind him too much of the parts of himself he secretly doesn’t like. Barney’s a bit loud. But then, so is Rex.

If you ever committed a crime, what would it be and why? If you regularly commit crimes, what crime would you NOT commit?

Look, I really don’t want to talk about the arson thing. It was an accident. Since then I’ve steered pretty clear of the whole ‘felony’ area. You can only have so many close calls before they strap you to a metal chair and fry you in your own grease like a turkey sausage.

What do you find attractive in the opposite sex, and how would you approach a potential love interest?

Well, there was Becky. Although I don’t really want to talk about her either. I don’t know that I have a type, as most girls my age have always looked at me like I might secretly be a serial killer. Some of the ones who like the bad guys have ventured my way, but when they figure out I’m not really a hardened criminal, which generally doesn’t take long, they don’t stick around. I guess I just want a girl who likes old Batman reruns, macaroni, and doesn’t ask a whole lot of questions. It’s cool if she just talks out loud. Like I’m not there. I don’t need to weigh in. I just want to hear what’s going on inside her head, because I sure don’t want to be stuck in mine.

What would you name your children, if you had a boy and a girl? Do you want children?

 God, there’s something I’ve never even thought about. I mean, the only girl with whom that was even a possibility was Becky, and Christ would we have made horrible parents. I don’t know. I mean, I find some babies cute and all, but every time someone actually hands me one, I just want to give it back. I don’t know what to do with them. If I had a boy, I think I’d name him Bruce. I don’t know what the hell I’d do with a girl.

Why did your last romantic relationship end? Have you ever been dumped, and if so, why?

 It’s like the more I really don’t want to talk about Becky, the more everybody wants to know. We had a screaming match that ended with her throwing a perfume bottle at my head. She missed, but that’s not the point. I smelled like her for three weeks. All because that son of a bitch Magnus came along, with his big  story about the volcano. Ass.

What celebrity do you think is hot? What celebrity would you want to be like?

I don’t watch a whole lot of TV or anything, but I like movies. Michelle Pfeiffer was a banging Catwoman. I hope when I’m old I get to be like Jack Nicholson. He seems like he just doesn’t give a f*** about much of anything.

What sort of offensive joke are you most likely to find funny: racial, obscene, profane, sexist, violent? What really offends you?

Being around Rex, you sort of learn to laugh at some pretty twisted sh**. Like, sh** that really shouldn’t be funny. I don’t know about me, though. Mostly I like to make fun of the things you’re not supposed to make fun of. Like the Pope, or, I don’t know. Feminists.

What is your favorite curse word? Do you swear a lot? Do you lose your temper easily?

I guess I curse a lot more than I should, but I blame Rex for that. He’s more creative than I am, though. You should hear the sh** that flies out of his mouth. I’m pretty sure he told me he would eat my firstborn because I beat him one time too many at Need for Speed. But I don’t like feeling like I can’t control my temper. I’ve hit a few people, but I don’t really like doing it.

How are you most likely to annoy someone in conversation?

By not saying anything. I like to listen to other people talk. I don’t like it when people expect me to contribute. It’s not that I’m antisocial or think I’m better than everyone else – it’s honestly because I’d rather listen to what everyone else has to say. I’m really not that interesting.

How sexually experienced are you? What sort of people have you had experience with?

For f***’s sake. Becky. Becky is the answer to everything. I mean, I kissed a girl in middle school – she was my neighbour and we were both messed up – but she’s long gone. Becky and I, we had ups and downs. Mostly I just wanted to take care of her.

What sort of car would you drive, if you could pick anything you wanted?

Besides the Batmobile? I mean the real Batmobile, not my busted up Pathfinder. That thing’s seen better days.

How much attention do you pay to your appearance? Do you bathe often, wear makeup, fix your hair constantly? Are you stylish?

I don’t know that I have a style. I guess I wear a lot of sweatshirts. But I also have a blazer. Yeah, I like that. Blazers and my beat up Chuck Taylors. I don’t really feel dressed without that stuff.

What is your opinion on homosexuality? How do you feel about drug use? Do you think your moral code should be law?

Funny you ask that. Rex and I have this sort of bit we do – mostly when we want a scuffle or just to make some stuck-up a**hole uncomfortable – where we pretend to be a gay couple. And it’s not weird. Never has been. Rex’s dads were gay. Doesn’t bother me a bit, but I’m straight. I don’t do drugs, either. I like having my head on straight. I’ve abused Adderall once or twice, but that’s not really the same. I don’t much care what everyone else gets up to. Live and let live, I guess.

Are you motivated and organized, or are you disorganized and late to everything? Do you feel like your life is in order?

What life? I can’t be late for anything if I’ve got nowhere to be. I don’t know if I have enough stuff to be disorganized. I have a lot of records. Which are alphabetized. And a lot of books. Which are not. I guess you could call it controlled chaos.

Do you sit up straight or slouch? Are you graceful? Do you enjoy formality or would you rather lounge around casually?

I mean, I’m not a ballerina, but I stand up straight. Rex says I put my hands in my pockets too much. I’ve taken a spill or two in my day, but I’m not clumsy. Again, that’s Rex. Actually, no. He’s not clumsy. He’s just careless.

How would you decorate your bedroom if you lived alone and could do whatever you wanted?

Well, I do live alone. The big wall in my room – you know, the one that doesn’t have a bed pushed up against it – is a big collage. Of everything. Newspaper clippings, magazines, the occasional celebrity. Couple of Batman posters mixed in. Just stuff I like, whatever catches my eye. There used to be a few photos, but I don’t think there are any left now.

Are you willing to speak out or do you avoid confrontation? Do you stand up for what you believe is right?

I avoid confrontation if at all possible, and I’m never going to throw the first punch, but I’ll defend myself if I have to. Usually I sort of let Rex do the swinging. He’s good at that. Not to mention, he enjoys it more than I do.

If you could keep only the things you could fit in one suitcase, what would you pack?

My records and my Batman comics. Maybe something of Becky’s. Not because I think she’s coming back, but just to remember what being happy feels like.

This interview has been edited for content. His cursing, not mine.

At any rate, I can’t even tell you how much I learned about Ian (and Rex, actually) by doing this. He told me all sorts of things. I never knew he played the harmonica, or what he liked to wear, or what was on the walls of his bedroom. But just having those little bits of information has been tremendous in crafting the sort of detailed, three-dimensional MC this sort of novel needs. Not to mention one of those questions inspired me and I scribbled five pages of notes right there on my tray table as the sun was coming up.

Maybe I’m the only one who finds this helpful, but I encourage any other writers out there to give it a shot. You never know.

And if you want to keep me on my toes, submit a few more questions for Ian in the comment section.

PS – If you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say things like ‘voice’ or ‘NaNoWriMo’, check the ‘Lingo’ tab. There are a few short definitions that might help you out.