Character Card Prompts:

Even if the prompt suggests a one word response, don’t do it. You should either:

  • Explain why they chose the response.
  • Tell a quick story about why they chose that response.

Focus on developing your character!

  1. What do you like to do in your spare time?
  2. What was the last thing you purchased?
  3. What is your favorite holiday?
  4. What is your favorite day of the week?
  5. If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be?
  6. What do you like to do to relax?
  7. Are you a saver or a spender?
  8. Do you play any instruments?
  9. What was your favorite children’s book?
  10. What is your first childhood memory?
  11. What type of kid were you (e.g. spoiled, rebellious, well-behaved, quiet, obnoxious...)?
  12. What is one thing you miss about being a kid?
  13. What did you want to grow up to be when you were younger?
  14. Where did (do) you go to school?
  15. What was (is) your favorite subject?
  16. What was (is) your least favorite subject?
  17. What's the first thing you do after school/work?
  18. Were you the class clown or teacher's pet?
  19. What do you do for a living?
  20. What is your dream job?
  21. If you had $10 million, would you still be working/going to school?
  22. What was your least favorite job that you've ever had?
  23. Have you ever been fired?
  24. Do you believe in soul mates?
  25. Do you believe in love at first sight?
  26. Who was the last person you called?
  27. Would you rather be rich and never find true love or be poor and find true love?
  28. Who is your favorite athlete?
  29. How often do you exercise?
  30. What is your favorite sports team?
  31. Do you play any sports?
  32. Where was the last place you went on vacation?
  33. Where do you plan on going for your next vacation?
  34. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
  35. What countries have you traveled to?
  36. What was your worst vacation experience?
  37. What is your favorite drink?
  38. What is your favorite food?
  39. What is your favorite meal of the day?
  40. Are there any foods that you dislike or will not eat?
  41. Are there any foods that you would like to try?
  42. What is your favorite restaurant?
  43. What is your favorite pizza topping?
  44. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
  45. What did you have for dinner last night?
  46. What is the signature dish that you cook?
  47. Who is your favorite actor?
  48. What is your favorite movie of all time?
  49. What was the worst movie you've ever seen?
  50. What is your favorite TV show?
  51. What was the last movie you've seen?
  52. What type of music do you like to listen to?
  53. Who is your favorite music artist?
  54. What was the last book you read?
  55. What is your favourite book?
  56. If you were an entry in the dictionary, what word would you be?
  57. Who do you look up to?
  58. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
  59. What are you scared of?
  60. What is the best piece of advice you've received?
  61. What do your parents do for a living?
  62. What is your biggest regret?
  63. What is your most embarrassing moment?
  64. What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
  65. What are some of your short-term goals?
  66. What are some of your long-term goals?
  67. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
  68. Tell me about your first car.
  69. Do you drink coffee or tea?
  70. If you could have any super power, what would it be?
  71. If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one item, what would it be?
  72. Do you believe in luck?
  73. Do you play video games?
  74. Do you believe people are inherently good?
  75. How often do you shower?
  76. What is your favorite board game?
  77. What is your favorite charity?
  78. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
  79. Do you prefer cats or dogs?
  80. Would you prefer to live in the city or a rural area?
  81. What is your favorite season?
  82. Do you speak any other languages?
  83. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
  84. What is the best thing that happened to you during the past week?
  85. What is the worst thing that happened to you during the past week?
  86. Do you sing in the shower?
  87. What is the most valuable thing that you own?
  88. What would you do if you only had 24 hours left to live?
  89. Think about how your character may react differently if they lived in a place like New York City as opposed to a place like Kelowna. Use places that you have been to because the best reference in fictional writing is you.
  90. What is your character's theme song? This one may be tricky and it sounds pointless, but it's a lot of fun and you can get a lot of great ideas from doing it.
  91. Your character comes upon a fork in a road and has no idea where to go. How does he/she feel? Which road does he/she take and why?
  92. Your character is being lectured by someone in a position of authority, how do they react?
  93. What does your character most love to do when he/she has free time? Why?
  94. Is there anything that makes your character feel safe? Something comforting? Describe what it is and why it makes them feel safe?
  95. Describe the following things from your character's point of view. A meadow. A crowded room. An empty room. The room where they spent their childhood. Their current house or living area. A city. A farm.
  96. Being in touch with the things you are passionate about help you write deeper more meaningful stories. Create a list of five things you love, now pick one thing and have a character like it as well. Write one page on this loved object from your character's point of view, make sure to change it up a little so that the character's view of the object is slightly different from yours.
  97. Now, write a list of ten things you hate. Have one of your characters like that thing you hate. This will expand your ability to see things from someone else's point of view. Write one page.
  98. Memories are a major force in our lives; we are our memories. Have your character make a journal entry about a particularly vivid memory she/he has. Make it as real and vivid for the reader.
  99. Your character has a certain deep-held belief about life. This belief may be based on religion, on something he learned from his parents, or on his own experience. Decide what this belief is and where it came from. In your story, something happens to the character that seems incompatible with this belief. How does your character react? Write the story.
  100. What type of pet(s) does your character have?
  101. Where does he/she work or go to school?
  102. Where did he/she go to school or work before?
  103. Why did he/she leave his/her previous place of work or school?
  104. Is your character a lovable person or a kind of mean person? Explain why.
  105. Describe the person your character used to be in love with.
  106. Explain why your character is not in love with them anymore.
  107. Describe your character’s new love interest or explain why they don’t have one.
  108. Describe your character’s biggest enemy.
  109. Explain how your character ended up with this enemy.
  110. What is your character really good at? Explain why.
  111. What is his/her most embarrassing moment?
  112. What was your character’s happiest moment in life (so far)?
  113. What is your character’s saddest moment in life (so far)?
  114. What is your character scared of?
  115. What is the one thing in the world your character would do anything to avoid? Why?
  116. What has your character already done to avoid this? What do you see him/her doing in the future to avoid it?
  117. What is the one thing in the world your character would do anything in the world to have? Why? What has the character already done to try to obtain it? What does he/she hope to try in the future?
  118. What makes your character different from the people around him/her?

  119. What is important about your character (how would your character like to be described)?