• Uta Hagen's 9 questions: 

    1. Who am I? Who is your character? What details do you know about them? What are their likes and dislikes? What do you know about their family? What is their personality? Do they work? Are they in a relationship? 

     

    1. What time is it? Be specific! What time of day is it? What time of year is it? What is significant about the time of day and the time of year? 

     

    1. Where am I? What room is your character in? Are they at home or in another place? What area of the world are they in? Are they in a place where they feel comfortable or uncomfortable? What is significant about the place?

     

    1. What surrounds me? This has to do with the environment. What is the environment surrounding your character? For example, is it snowing and your character hates winter? Are they in a sterile environment? Are they surrounded by objects that bring them joy? Are there people surrounding them that make them comfortable or uncomfortable? 

     

    1. What are the given circumstances? Think about your character in terms of where they’ve come from (what has happened to them), where they are now (what is happening to them), and where they are going (what may happen to them). 

     

    1. What are my relationships? There are lots of ways to take this question. It can be family, friends, and romantic relationships, but it can also be the relationship to specific objects in the character’s life. It can be a relationship to place. It can be a relationship to a specific event. For example, if your character is a runner, they might have a relationship with a specific race they have won or lost. 

     

    1. What do I want? What does your character want in the moment? What do they want in the long run? 

     

    1. What is in my way? What are the obstacles to getting what they want? 


    9. What do I do to get what I want? What actions does your character take? What tactics do they use?

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