To whom it may concern,
Below is an exercise that I came across several years ago while attending a function that held a course for writers. This exercise is taken from the booklet I received during this course. It was clearly copied from a book elsewhere and I take no credit for it.
This is an exercise for developing characters. Whether you only have a basic idea of someone or you've had this character for years, this exercise will help you to develop them by adding depth to their personas and making them seem more real. I greatly enjoyed going through it and I hope you will, too.
XX-Katydid50

An Exercise:
Take your time answering the questions below. Choose answers that create a sense of continuity in your character’s development. Try to make each answer enhance or develop your characters as unique individuals. Be as specific and as detailed as possible. (Obviously not all these questions will be applicable to your characters. For example, your character might not own a car, especially is he or she is a city dweller, so you would leave that blank.)

1. Name (Do you like their name? Hate it? Why? What does it mean to them?)

2. Age (What generation do they belong to? Baby boomers? Gen X? Y? Do they identify with that generation?)

3. Marital Status (Married? Divorced? Engaged? Committed to one person? A swinger?)

4. Home (Renter? Owner? Living with parents? Sleeping on best friend’s pull-out couch? How is it decorated? Minimalist? Cluttered? Is there any art? Specific decorations that might reveal something unique about the character? Souvenirs from travels? Gift from loved ones?)

5. Fantasies (Their dream job? Telling off that guy that dumped them their freshman year of college? Killing their boss? Making out with their favorite movie star?)

6. Style (preppy? Hipster? Conservative? Hippie? Grungy? Mod? Does your character identify with one in particular? Why? How important is it to them that they look good? Why? How much time do they spend grooming and picking out their outfit each morning?)

7. Demeanor (How would the character describe him or herself? Friendly? Shy? Outgoing? How would others describe them? Standoffish? Abrasive? Aggressive?)

8. Beliefs (Do they believe in God? If not, why? Do they belong to an organized religion? Do they pray? If not, why? Are there religious icons in their home? Are they tolerant of others with different beliefs? What are their political beliefs? Do they vote? Do they donate money to a particular cause?)

9. Most-used facial expressions and gestures (Smirk? Frown? Wince? Do they use their hands when they speak? Shrug their shoulders a lot? Are they jittery? Do they make eye contact when having a conversation?)

10. Hobbies (Kayaking? Bowling? Barhopping? Traveling to exotic locations? Do they collect Pez dispensers? Do they make beaded necklaces? Do they practice origami?)

11. Relationships (How often do they talk to their parents, siblings, grandparents? If they do not, why? Do they have a strong support system of friends? How much do they rely on their friends? How honest re they with their friends? Do they belong to a community or a close-knit group of friends? Are they popular?)

12. Favorite story to tell (What is the story their family, best friend or significant other has heard a hundred times?)

13. Obsessions (Do they work out at the gym daily? Have they seen Bruce Springsteen in concert 150 times? Have they memorized baseball stats from the last 25 yrs? Have they ever stalked an ex? A celebrity? Or stayed home from work to watch all 6 seasons of their favorite TV show in a row?)

14. Personality flaws (What would your character confess are his or her flaws? What would others list as the character’s flaws behind their back?)

15. Most prized possession (Do they own a car? What would they rescue first if their house was on fire?)

16. Occupation (Do they enjoy their job? Despise it? What is their salary? How much responsibility do they have? How do they imagine their occupation characterizes or identifies them to other people? What is their dream job?)

17. Desires (What are their desires –especially concerning the other characters in the novel or story? Do they wish their husband or wife would love them unconditionally? Or that their unrequited love would ask them on a date? That their boss would keel over during a company meeting? That a modeling agency would discover them at a shopping mall?)

18. Fears (What does the character worry about at night when they cannot sleep? What do they imagine is the worst way to die? Are there places, people, situations they avoid? What are their phobias? Do they suffer from anxiety attacks? Depression? What triggers their worries or fears?)

19. Needs (What are they unable to live without? What keeps them going? What do they need to believe about their own personality, other characters in the story, the most significant relationships, and so on, in order to survive?)

20. Secrets (What secret or secrets has the character kept from everyone, even their family and closest friends? Why?)