Questions of Character, Part 2

I know, I should have wrote this weeks ago. I got caught up in the editing of Dust and Roses and the story is shifting around. sequence of events are fluid. My main antagonist is a bit more ... antagonistic, and Sara is putting her feet down on what her goal is. I thought Bee's character would be a journey into darkness, but Sara's is as well. Maybe even more so. I had to get out and walk around today for a couple of hours. I had to get out of the zone. Debbie was at the farmer's market with a friend. I hope nobody heard me yelling at the ceiling.

Anyway, I finished with Sara's "date night" revision, wrote a fun little bit I will have to share with an old friend, fill a small gap, then it's on the second big disaster of the book; Black Sunday.

So, this is the second part of a list of question an author can use to develop their characters or a genealogist can adopt as a way to look into the life and times of their own ancestors.

20. What were the social and headline events that most affected this person? What local, state, or national events made the biggest impression on his life?
21. What were his manners like. Who did he most admire? Who were his heroes? Who did he hate/can't stand?
22. Who were his friends? What type of people did he like?
23. What did he like most about his partner? What did he like the least?
24. What social groups and activities did he attend? What role does he play in these groups? Leadeer, follower, clown, detached observer?
25. Any hobbies or areas of interest?
26. What are his tastes? What types of clothes does he wear, how does he wear them? The state of his home, the make and condition of his vehicle?

27. How did he meet his spouse? How does he relate to her?
28. What are his weaknesses? Self destructive habits? Things he deliberately did different or wrong.
29. Is he holding onto something in the past? Does he hold grudges? Can he forgive?
30. Is he a parent? What is his parental style? How does he treat his children? Does he pick favorites? On what basis? Why? How do the children react to his parenting style?
31. How does he react to stressful situations? Angry, aggressively, passively, evasively?
32. Does he drink, smoke, take drugs?
33. What is the state of his health? How well does he take care of himself?
34. Does he feel self-righteous, revengeful, contemptuous?
35. Does he realize his own errors and short comings? How well does he take direction or criticism?
36. How does he take pain and suffering? How does he react when he sees it in others?
37. What is his imagination like? Does he day dream, worry, talk about the past?
38. Is he negative or positive when facing new challenges? Hostile, suspicious, scared?
39. Does he ridicule? What does he find stupid?
40. Describe his sense of humor? Favorite jokes?
41. Is he aware of his own weaknesses? Is he self-aware? How does he feel about himself?
42. What does he want the most out of life? What would he sacrifice to get it?
43. What is his deepest secret? What would happen if it came out?
44. What is his biggest wish? What would he do to get it?
45. Is he responsible, pragmatic, all action, can he think on his feet?
46. How does he feel about his height and weight? How does he walk, stand, eat?
47. Describe his mannerisms and gestures, controlled or impulsive?
48. Energetic or sluggish?
49. Describe his voice, tempo, dialect, way of speech?
50. Type of facial expression; sour, happy, cheerful?
51. What gadgets, things, possessions does he always have with him?

Some of these things questions would be of little interest to a genealogist, probably. But most of these questions can be observational or asked in an interview to get a subject's life story. These questions have meaning to me because part of the theme to "Dust and Roses" is remembrance. Remembering the people of the past, not as names on a ledger or census form, but as living, breathing people with hopes, fears, passions, and desires.

When it comes to being human, we are very much the same as those who came before us. Time after time we are re-learning the same things over and over again. Each age thinks it is the enlightened age.

We are not there yet.