Small Questions that tell Big Stories

20 small questions to deeply explore your characters' personality

-Be creative! Too many “normal” answers says nothing about your character.
-Give a “because” for each question, especially when prompted with “why”.
-Don't worry about spoilers- Unless you're sharing this, just say what you need to say.

-Take as many letters, words, or paragraphs as you need to complete your answer.
-Use doodles if you like!

Q1: What Must your character do to be able to sleep comfortably?
A: "What must I do to sleep comfortably? A bed would be nice. I do live in a cave after all. I could always go down to the next cave over and bother Niles for blankets. But yeah, my room is nice for sleeping comfortably. Although, if any of my stuff is missing, I will be very upset about it."

Q2: What is your character's favorite food, and from whom do they prefer to receive it?
A: "How many times do I have to say this. Not salad. But seriously, I do like strawberries, and steak-burgers. I like it to be served by someone who is competent enough to actually serve me the food."

Q3: What is something your character is annoyed by, knowing it's a stupid thing to be annoyed by?
A: "Me? Get annoyed? Hah." "I'll have you know I'm usually the one annoying others."

Q4: Of their friends, who do they love- As in would be willing to die for- the most and why?
A: "I ain't dying. Niles would be my friend, I'm not sure if i'm even on the friend level with some other people."

Q5: Preferred form of affection to give? What about to receive? If those two are different, why?
A: "I love talking. That is my form of affection. I can get too close also, but that is just more fun."

Q6: What is something petty someone can do that will immediately turn them off from that person?
A: "That Suulkie, Princess. Everything she does."

Q7: If you answered hugs or cuddling in Q5, what's their favorite type? If you didn't, what is it about those things that they don't like?
A: "I try to give hugs but others just seem to push me away. So they don't like hugs from me it seems. I don't have anything against hugs."

Q8: Is your character extroverted or Introverted? How do they treat their social opposite?
A: "I'm 100% an extrovert. I need to be out with others. I need quality chat time."

Q9: How deeply do they evaluate the fiction they consume? What's important to them that makes something “good”?
A: "How do you mean? I don't really read that much. Mostly magazines and how to books. I take those very seriously in my matchmaking job."

Q10: What small act of kindness or charity have they been the recipient of that changed their life forever?
A: "I have not had anything like that happen to me yet. I hope it'll be special and life changing when it does happen."

Q11: Someone has just given your character 100 dollars (or currency equivalent) with no strings attached.  How would they use it, if they do?
A: "Oh hecc yeah! I can rent from Niles now!"

<Q12: If someone were to throw them a birthday party, what kind would they like? Big? Small? “No thanks”?  Who do they want there to celebrate?
A: "Aww, someone would throw me a party? How thoughtful. Any kind of party would be amazing. Make sure all the girls are invited."

Q13: The phone is ringing and it's that same telemarketer again. Not interested in the product, your character decides to pick it up anyway. What do they say/do to the salesman on the other end?
A: "No dude. For the last time, if you call me one more time I will send my blood thirsty bat cousin on you and he would bring you here where we would stick you in the underground volcano and you will never see the light of day again."

Q14: Your character is at a modern art museum, staring at a particularly incomprehensible piece. When the artist asks them what they think, what do they say and how honest is it?
A: "What the hecc is this supposed to be? I'm leaving now."

Q15: Forget Q11's 100 dollars, someone has given your character a live, well behaved beaver. For free! Joy! ...What's their reaction?
A: "Uh... sup man? You uh, so you live here now huh?" . . . . "Oookay. You should leave now."

Q16: Your character has their best friend over for a night. There's just one thing- they only have one bed in the room. What's the solution they come up with? Is this even a problem?
A: "I would not like to sleep with my cousin, his wings are ginormous and uncomfortable while mine are tiny and useless. He can sleep on the floor."

Q17: For whatever reason (boredom, peer pressure, accidental stumbling), your character watched a horror movie. It was way too much. What did they do to recover from the the terror? What's changed about the way they went to bed, if they tried to sleep at all? Did they sleep alone that night?
A: "So, you know how I talk too much normally? Well, if that happened, I wouldn't shut up. I would be super annoying about it and wouldn't like anyone else get any sleep. I would stare at the door of my cave room and wait to fall asleep until the nightmare comes back and wakes me up, and then I would run to Niles's and chat him up once more, it would be an endless cycle."

Q18: Your character has been asked to house-sit for a friend. It's not much pay, but making sure their place is safe while they're gone is obviously important to them. Now your character has been given a run of the place within reason- no breaking things, no messes and no parties. Keeping their word, in what ways would your character make use of this privilege?
A: "Pssht, Niles would never let me in his house alone. Now, Rosario on the other hand. The guy is pretty simple minded, I'm sure he'd ask me. I would do a great job of protecting the house from creepers. I would also eat his food." : 3

Q19: Vacation time! Your character packs up and heads into the mountains for some camping. What things does your character pack? How rough is “roughing it”?
A: "Roughing it? Like, no money? no food? I don't think I could handle that. I would probably last like maybe two days and then I'd run home."

Q20: Your character has seen the results of these questions (that you've answered as true as you can afford). What is their reaction to the questionnaire? Would they have dared to fill this out their self?
A: "I did fill this out myself, thank you for asking. It's nice to be acknowledged."

Can't answer some of the above? Try these below!
(If you've answered the above and are just having fun, don't let me stop you)

Q: Sparing no details, what is the worst nightmare your character has ever experienced? What brought it on?
A: "I met the suulkie Princess one day when she was hanging out with the world hopper Ediz. I invited them to my humble home and apparently she did not like my attitude or personality and took Ediz and left. It wasn't a nightmare, but it was quite rude and I will never forget that."

Q: What are some phrases and sayings your character has picked up from their parents that nobody else understands? Why did they pick them up?
A: "I don't have parents... Niles is reserved, so I might have learned something from him subconsciously."

Q: All options are available to your character: What are the ideal clothes, seating, conditions, blankets, pillows, people, etc. that they would want to have themselves a wonderful nap? How are these arranged?
A: "Like a slumber party? Invite all the girls! Niles and I can set up a really awesome dinner. And once we play and eat we'll be nice and relaxed to have a lovely nap."

Q: P.j.s are a window into the soul- The most private clothing a person can own. What is your character wearing as they go to bed?
A: "I have these poofy white pants that I like to wear to bed. They are part of a whole outfit, but the pants are like super comfy for sleeping in."

Q: Just about everyone has a favorite stuffed animal from when they were kids. What is theirs, and what is it like?
A: "I stole Niles's tiny bat plush when I was little. I should return that to him."

Q: There's a bee (or stinging critter) in the house! IT NEEDS TO DIE. What does your character do to kill it?
A: "How did a bee get in my cave? Git out! I'd swat it out with a rolled up magazine."

Q: Everyone's had a hug in their life. But has your character ever given or received a platonic kiss? What was the context, and how did it go over?
A: "I have not, which is weird, considering I'm a matchmaker."

Q: Your character just woke up late! What are the few things they do before they get out of the house in a panic?
A: "Turn off laptop, grab camera, grab sketchbook, brush hair, and teeth. And then book it out the door.

Q: Your character's parents just said the curse: “I hope you have kids just like you”. What's one trait they're praying their potential children don't inherit?
A: "My kids would be awesome. I would love to see what kinds of creatures they would be made of."

Q: Your character is writing their own obituary as a thought experiment. What's in it?
A: "Oh, uh hmmm. Guido the Boi. The one, the only. He was the most awesomest dude to ever live, and everyone loved him, the end."