Here’s some questions you might like to ask about them…?
What is your characters first name/last name ? Do they have a middle name ?
How old are they ?
Where were they born ?
What were their father and mother’s names ?
Were there parents married when they were born ?
How was their childhood – calm, disrupted, traumatic ?
Where did they grow up ? Where did they go to school ?
Who was there best friend at school ? Were they bullied ? Did they get good marks ?
With whom did they have their first kiss ?
Are they gay/straight ?
Are they married/single/divorced ?
If they are married or in a relationship what is their partner’s name/age/background ?
Do they have children ? What are there names/ages ?
Are they in love/lust ?
Where do they live now ?
Do they live in a house/apartment/share house ? Do they rent or own ?
How big is their mortgage ?
What is their occupation ?
How do they feel about their work – happy, sad, dis-satisfied, angry ? Why ?
How much money do they have in the bank ? Are they in debt ?
Do they worry about money/have financial pressure ?
What is their main motivation for getting up in the morning ?
What do they think about when they go to sleep at night ?
How do they feel about their life in general – happy, sad, dis-satisfied, angry ? Why ?
Do they dream/have nightmares – what are they about ?
What are the good points about your character ? What are their bad points ?
Have they travelled, if so to which country ?
Who do they admire/respect ? Who do they hate ? Who disgusts them ?
What do they want out of life ? What do they want most in the whole world ?
What do they feel passionate about ?
What are their secret dreams/fantasies ? What are they terrified of ?
What makes them happy/sad/angry ?
Do they believe in God ? What religion are they ? Do they believe in the afterlife ?
Do they go to Church/ play sport ? What are their hobbies/past times ?
Are they a member of any social or community groups or organizations ?
What do they think about politics ? Who do they vote for ?
Remember – character is the link to dialogue. If you know your characters you’ll know what they are going to say. Who your characters are will affect every word they speak.
You are looking for what your character’s feel intensely about because in that intensity is the seed of your drama.