What was his biggest disappointment? When he was a child, did anything especially memorable happen—good or bad—that he has never been able to forget? If so, how has it affected his adulthood? What did he always say he wanted to be when he "grew up"? Did he have a hero?
Did he have more disagreements with one brother or sister than with the others? Was he ever seriously injured? Was he liked by the neighbors? Did he have a pet that he still remembers fondly? Did he have a secret hiding place?
What happened while he was going to school or college that, in turn, had a profound effect on him? Was the character an outstanding, good, fair, or poor student? Did he study hard or hardly enough? Did he learn quickly, or did things come hard for him? Did he finish high school or college—and if he did not, why not? What subject gave him the most trouble? Which subject gave him the least trouble?
Was he popular in school, or did others barely notice him? Was there a particular teacher or professor he liked or disliked, and why? Did he ever get into any trouble while going to school or college? If so, what was it and who else was involved? Did he attend social or athletic functions such as dances and football games? Did he belong to a fraternity or sorority?
Did he grow up in one town and go to one school, or did he have to attend several different schools? If he attended college, did he live away from home? If so, where was it and what were some of his experiences?
Did they give him a nickname in school? If so, was it one of affection or derision? (See Chapter 11 for more about nicknames.)
Has the character failed at anything? Has he, for instance, failed to live up to others' expectations? Neglected to fulfill a promise he made? Reneged on an obligation? Let down a friend? Permitted a wonderful opportunity to pass him by? Has the failure instilled within him a measure of guilt, regret, loss, disappointment, bitterness, or resignation? Moreover, does the character see it as a failure, or is that how the other characters in the story see it? While a failure to do something usually produces a negative result, is it possible that his failure to do something produced a positive result?
Is there anything important that should be known about the character's parents? His brothers or sisters? His aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, or ancestors? Is there something about one of them that the character cannot forget, or which he respects or disrespects? Because of what has happened in the past, does he feel emotionally closer to one relative than to any of the others?
How have the values, attitudes, struggles, social status, education, or lifestyle of his immediate or extended family affected him? Were his relatives strict? Lenient? Thrifty? Overindulgent? Always working? Frequent churchgoers? Friendly with the neighbors? Law-breakers or law-abiders? Politically active or inactive?
Why does he feel close to them, or detached? Is he ashamed or proud of them? Was there a death in the family that was particularly troubling to him?
Who was the character's first great love, and at what point in the character's life did it take place? Was it a childhood crush, or did it occur during adulthood? Did the character marry that person? If not, why not? Did he ever love someone that he now wishes he had married?
If the character was or is married, is it necessary to know the circumstances leading up to the character's marriage? For example, was it arranged by the character's parents? Was it a «shotgun" wedding, following an unwanted pregnancy? Was the match one of convenience, or was it the culmination of what was viewed as pure love?
Did the marriage produce any children? If so, did the birth of a son or daughter have a profound impact on the character's life? As a parent, is he strict, lenient, affectionate, or distant? Had he not produced children, how might his life have been different?
Has the character or the character's spouse ever had an extramarital affair? If so, what is known about the affair? Have there been any repercussions? Is guilt a part of the equation?
Has the character been divorced? If so, why didn't the marriage work out? Was one of the parties more at fault than the other, or is that just how the character sees it?
Has the character ever been in the military? If so, was he drafted or did he enlist? Was he a part of the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines? What rank did he achieve? Where was he stationed? In what way did his military experience change him? Was he patriotic or just doing his job?
Has he ever been in a war? Was he ever wounded? Did he see any of his buddies get killed? If he has been in armed conflict, in what way has that had an impact upon his life? Did something happen that he never talks about, and is it something that he unsuccessfully tries to put out of his mind?
Is there someone he remembers with affection or disdain? Did he hate the discipline or did it fail to bother him? Did his experience alter his opinion about the role of the military in a civilized society?
In what way has trouble been a factor in the character's background? Has he witnessed the death of someone he cared about? Has either he or a member of his family experienced a serious illness, lost a limb, or suffered in some way? Has his life been threatened in any way, and did the experience have an effect on his thinking?
Has he had a first-hand, life-altering encounter with poverty, war, drought, prejudice, deception, danger, failure, injustice, revenge, imprisonment, secrecy, greed, ignorance, defeat, carelessness, ingratitude, sorcery?
Has the character ever lost a job? Has he been the victim of a fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, or some other disaster? Did someone steal something from him? Did he lose something of great value belonging to either him or someone else? Has he ever been the victim of any sort of crime?
Did the misfortune change the way he looked at life in general, or did it turn the knob on something quite specific? Is it something he could have prevented, or was it beyond his control?
Looking over the character's background, would you say that money, for the most part, has successfully eluded him, or has it somehow always found a way into his pocket?
Was the character born into a family that had little money, and has he since maintained the family tradition? Has he always scratched for a living? Has he always been the person who is full of big dreams and little prospects? Like the kid in front of the candy store, has he always been on the outside, looking in? When he gets a little money, does something invariably come along and take it away? Is he a borrower? If so, does he have a history of not paying back what he owes? Is he someone who usually makes bad investments?
Does his background reflect someone who has established a pattern for saving his money? Has he bought insurance policies or made astute investments in the stock market? Or has he been regularly «bailed out" by his family? Has he never appreciated the value of a buck?
Has geography had an impact upon the character's life? How has he been shaped by the places where he has lived, and the cities, villages, or countries he has visited? What kinds of experiences did he have in any of those places that he now views with either affection or distaste? Is there one place he simply cannot forget? If so, why?
Regarding one of the houses or apartments where he lived, does he still remember it with affection or dislike? Has he been awed by the mountains, the ocean, the big city, the desert, the tropics, the jungle? What memorable travels has he experienced by bus, boat, train, car, plane, motorcycle, wagon, or donkey cart?
What influence has the character's home town had upon his life? How has it stamped him? Has it sent him into the world as one prepared or unprepared?
In what way has politics had an influence on the character's life? Was he, for example, born into a family who held fast to the principles of a certain political party, and has he since come to see himself as a believer in that party as well? Has he ever changed his political allegiance? If so, why?
Looking at the terrain ofthe character's life, does it seem shaped by rightwing or left-wing thinking, or by a centrist philosophy? Has he usually gone along with the crowd, or is he a renegade?
Did a certain political event—
e.g.,
a particular election, a scandal, an investigation, an assassination—affect his life? Has he ever become personally involved in supporting a winning or losing candidate, and how did the experience shape him? Has any candidate deeply disappointed him? Did the fact that his favorite political candidate lost an election embitter him?
Did he ever consider running for political office himself? Has he failed to vote in any election because he has no interest in the democratic process or because he does not understand the importance of his small contribution?
Reputation is a valid background category, though it exists solely in the minds of the other characters and thus may have no basis whatsoever in truth. If, as they say, a character's reputation precedes him, it is the writer's prerogative to determine how much of it is valid.
What has the character done, or allegedly done, that may cause others to form an opinion of him before he even enters the story? Has the truth about his background been greatly distorted? If so, is the character himself aware of that distortion? How does the character's reputation threaten or embolden others? If the character is fully aware of his reputation, does he use it to his advantage, even though he knows some or all of it is not true?
Has something happened in the character's past that proved to be a major turning point in his life? If so, what was it? How old was he? Who else was involved? Where did it happen? How did it happen? How did it turn him in a different direction? In the end, in what way did it change him?
Mind you, whatever this turning point might be, it must have great significance. If the character has the insight to be able to identify it, his thinking
after
it happened must be considerably different from his thinking
before
it happened, even though a considerable amount of time may pass before he can truly assess its impact. And if the
direction
of his life has not been substantially altered because of it, there should at least be a dramatic shift in his
emotional
outlook.
For example, was his life changed because he once experienced a great injustice? Has he been the victim of rejection, ridicule, selfishness, envy, neglect, or failure? Was something either taken from him or given to him, which in turn had a major impact on the way he saw things in the world? Did he see something that he has never been able to forget? Did he either lose something or leave something behind, the absence of which has been devastating? Was he the beneficiary of a timeless love that ended, unexpectedly, in tragedy? Did he submit when he should have disobeyed, or permit something that he should have forbidden?
While most turning points in the background of a character may have been imperceptible when they first occurred, only through the binoculars of hindsight—or through the information the author surreptitiously passes on to the reader or viewer—does it become clear that a life has been redirected, for better or for worse.
What kinds of jobs has the character had, or has he held just one for many years? Has his employment been in the same general discipline, or in a variety of fields? Did he like any of his past jobs? Hate any of them? Have his past jobs placed little demand on his true capabilities, or has at least one of them required more than he is able to give? Has he ever been fired? Laid Been part of a labor strike? Has there been a job that he wanted badly, but didn't get?
Has he always dreamed of having his own business someday? If the character has been self-employed in the past, what kind of business did he run? Did he like it or dislike it? Was it successful or unsuccessful? Did something happen to cause him to lose it? Did he start the business from scratch? Inherit it? Invest in a partnership? How many people did he employ, if any? Who were his competitors? What was his worst experience? What was his best?
Has the character always enjoyed working (perhaps even been called a workaholic), or has he always lived for weekends, vacations, and holidays? Does he just do what is expected of him and no more, or does he get involved in extra things while on the job?
Did he ever have a boss whom he greatly respected or disrespected? Did he ever have a conflict with a co-worker or an employee? If
so,
what was it about and what were the repercussions?
What has he learned from his jobs that can be seen as valuable? In his mind, of what has he been deprived during his years of employment?
(For more on jobs, see Chapter 12.)
While busily instilling internal and external traits, fears, desires, strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes into a character, perhaps the author may want to step back for a moment and let the character have a say. Doing so may provide some extra insight.
Suppose a character proclaims, the
sole
decision-maker in this company. All I do is give it to the legal department for their review." Such a claim suggests that the character may be indulging in a bit of self-deception, for if he was truly the only decision-maker he wouldn't let any legal experts crimp his style. Embedded in that statement might also be such traits as caution, reliance, and pomposity—any of which the writer may use to full advantage as he develops his character.
Sometimes you can present and destroy a character's self-assessment in a single sentence. Example:
Jack Smart prided himself on his ability to make quick, independent decisions—each of which came layered with countless coffee-drenched committee meetings attended by those who, like miners, labored in the lower echelon of management with only their computer screens providing them light.