Three questions to ask your characters (MC blogfest)

Keep collecting your favorite posts on writing for Writing Wednesday next week!

When I saw Jeannie’s guest post on author Elizabeth Mueller’s blog (another friend!), I knew I had to play along. Normally I’m reluctant to post much about my works (aside from excerpts that have done well in contests), but I’m making an exception today. It’s just three questions, right? And since I’m still working on falling back in love with my story, this seems like a fun opportunity. Plus it’s just three questions.

The character I’m playing with today is Frank Walters. He served in the Office of Strategic Services in World War II and when the story takes place, just after the war, he’s with the Central Intelligence Group (predecessor of the CIA). Physically, he’s based loosely on my husband’s grandfather Walter, who was in the Navy in WWII, pictured here. (Somehow we ended up with his WWII scrapbook. He traveled the whole world during the war, with pictures and postcards from Hawaii, Scotland, Iceland, Morocco, the South Pacific, and I know he served in Japan, too.)

And over to Frank:

What is your greatest fear?

Losing myself to the job. The peace might not be as assured as the general public would like to believe, but I’m here to keep things from falling apart again. At the same time, I need to prove something to myself—that we’ll prevail. That I’m on the right side. That we’re the right side because of our principles, and we don’t have to undermine those principles to do it.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

I don’t know. Standing up for someone who’s weak. Doing the right thing when it’s hard. It takes a lot of those little things like that to make it worth it—and just one failure to wipe it all out.

What is your biggest regret?

After the war, we had custody of a bunch of the Nazis’ POWs, including some Soviets. Some secret deal at one of the Big Three conferences included one little stipulation that we must’ve bowed to: all Soviets would be returned to the USSR.

Some of these men said they’d never even been to the Soviet Union. Some of them had come from there, and they couldn’t bear the thought of going back to the constant terror. After surviving a Nazi concentration camp, they’d be labeled as traitors and German spies. Maybe sent to Soviet labor camps. Maybe executed.

They begged us not to return them, to shoot them instead. Some of them even killed themselves before we handed them over.

But I followed orders. I sent grown men—and boys—begging, screaming and crying for mercy . . . to the slaughter.


Aaand back to me. Of these, question #3 was the only one I’d really worked on in depth before. #1 was there but this helped me refine and crystallize it a little. #2 was by far the most challenging. Isn’t that odd? Shouldn’t it be easier to think of something we’re proud of?

What do you think? What would your characters say? Which question would be hardest for you?

14 thoughts on “Three questions to ask your characters (MC blogfest)”

  1. #2 was hard for me, but it’s also hard for me to answer for myself, let alone my MC. Very interesting. My grandfather has pictures and a scrapbook from WWII, as well, and it’s fascinating going through those. The answer to #3 is terribly sad and something I didn’t know about. Great interview!

  2. For me question 2 was the hardest. Then again my MC is 18 and doesn’t feel like he’s had many accomplishments. Great answers from your MC.

  3. How wonderful that Walter inspired your MC. He sounds like a gracious hero, someone that makes me feel safe at night for sure. *sigh* The last answer gave me chills. The biggest accomplishment was hardest for me to answer since Winter has struggled since the death of her father.

    Thanks for participating, friend! 😉

    ?.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.?
    Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
    YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!

  4. Your character is a strong person, who has seen much and hidden much. It must have been hard for him to keep all that to himself. Looking forward to your book.

  5. Intense! Especially loved #3. Walter sounds like a great character. I love that you’re basing him off a real man’s scrapbook, what a fantastic resource for the imagination!

  6. A very powerful character.

    His answers are so natural and BELIEVABLE. The accomplishment answer is amazing and the regrets one was heart wrenching.

    Well done. An extremely real man after a horrific war.

  7. Here’s an idea: What if Walter’s greatest fear is that one of those Soviet POW’s would come back to find and kill him.

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