Character Questionnaire: Voice and Expression

By David Griffin Brown

Where Voice Meets POV

A character's voice is inherently linked to their point of view (POV). Voice isn’t just about verbal tics, slang, or quirks—it's the essence of how a character sees and interprets the world. Voice reflects the uniqueness of an individual in how they speak, what they choose to talk about, how they process thoughts, and how they convey their feelings. It’s about how their brain works, what their values are, how they think about the world. Even the metaphors they use should reflect this.

Voice is also a way for characters to reveal themselves: what excites them, what shocks them, and how they react to the world around them. A strong, unique character voice not only distinguishes one character from another but also immerses the reader deeply into the character's experiences. To develop a compelling character voice, you need to think about not only the words they say but also their underlying thought processes, their mannerisms, and the emotions behind their expressions.

Character Voice and Expression Questions

1. How does your character speak?
• Do they use formal or informal language?
• How has their way of speaking been influenced by the level of their education?
• How much do they read? What do they read? And how might this impact their vocabulary?
• How is their speech impacted by community or job or interests or sub-culture?
• Are they verbose, or do they speak in short, clipped sentences?
• Do they code switch? That is, do they speak differently depending on who they are talking to?
2. What topics does your character like to talk about?
• Are there certain subjects they’re passionate about or always bring up?
• What topics do they avoid or refuse to discuss?
3. How does your character think about the world?
• Do they tend to focus on small details or see the big picture?
• Are they an optimist, pessimist, realist, or a mix depending on the situation?
• How do they react internally to new situations—are they curious, anxious, excited?
4. What metaphors or comparisons does your character use?
• Do they draw from their hobbies or expertise when describing things?
• How do their metaphors reveal their personality or background?
5. How does your character express emotions verbally?
• Are they direct about their feelings, or do they hide behind humor or deflection?
• Which emotions do they more freely express? And which do they tend to conceal?
6. What are your character’s most common gestures or mannerisms?
• Do they have any nervous habits, like fidgeting or tapping their foot?
• How do their mannerisms change depending on their emotional state?
• Do they have any gesture or mannerisms that are uniquely theirs?
7. How does your character handle conflict in conversation?
• Are they confrontational, diplomatic, or do they avoid conflict altogether?
• How does their approach to conflict reflect their personality and values?
8. How does your character use humor?
• Do they try to lighten the mood, deflect serious topics, or connect with others?
• What kind of humor do they use—sarcasm, wit, slapstick, dark humor?
9. How does your character’s internal voice differ from their external voice?
• Are they more confident in their thoughts than in their words, or vice versa?
• Do they censor their thoughts before speaking, or are they impulsive?
10. How does your character’s upbringing influence their voice?
• Did they grow up in an environment where they were encouraged to speak freely, or were they taught to be reserved?
• How do these early influences shape their current way of speaking and thinking?
• What values or beliefs come through in your character’s voice? What do they care deeply about, and how does it affect what they say and how they say it?
11. How does your character’s mood affect their voice and expression?
• Do they become more talkative when they’re happy or more withdrawn when upset?
• How do their gestures and body language change with their mood?
12. How does your character respond to being misunderstood?
• Do they become frustrated, try to explain themselves, or simply give up?
• How does their reaction to misunderstanding reveal their insecurities or strengths?
13. What are your character’s unique expressions or sayings?
• Do they have a catchphrase or a particular way of saying things?
• How do these unique expressions reveal their personality or background?
14. How does your character’s voice evolve over the course of the story?
• Do they become more confident, empathetic, or assertive?
• How does this change reflect their growth or transformation as a character?

Bringing It All Together

A character's voice is one of the most powerful tools for revealing who they are, what they value, and how they see the world. But remember, voice is not just about dialogue—it’s about how your character lets the reader into their world.

Here are some more character questionnaires that may help you develop other facets of your characters:

• Character Backstory Questionnaire
• Character Psychology and Motivations Questionnaire
• Character Relationships Questionnaire
• Character Strengths and Flaws Questionnaire
• Minor Character Questionnaire

David Griffin Brown is an award-winning short fiction writer and co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. He holds a BA in anthropology from UVic and an MFA in creative writing from UBC, and his writing has been published in literary magazines such as the Malahat Review and Grain. In 2022, he was the recipient of a New Artist grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. David founded Darling Axe Editing in 2018, and as part of his Book Broker interview series, he has compiled querying advice from over 100 literary agents. He lives in Victoria, Canada, on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.