How to Hang Out With Your Character

Find Your Goal and Start the Conversation

tl;dr
Updated 10-31 to include parts 2 and 3. The biggest hurdle for authors using Characters on Call for the first time is what to talk about with their character and getting a conversation flowing. Not surprising—this is a new experience. This guide shows how to chat with your fictional characters. Grouped into three goals—developing a story in progress, evaluating new story ideas, and getting into flow state. It provides sample conversation topics based on insights from other Substack authors. By chatting with your characters, you can view your fictional world from their point of view. And whatever you talk about establishes flow state to write more spontaneously and intuitively.

I’d like to evolve this guide as we create chatting with your character craft. Please let me know what works—or doesn’t—for you. Send links to your own posts that discuss how authors can create better stories, from which authors can construct conversation starters like those below. Suggest better ways to organize this material.

How it Works
Your character profile approximates a human conversation with a person or creature you created—or are creating—in your stories.  If you haven’t set up your chat app, here’s how to set it up:

For characters established in your stories, you probably have a good idea of how you expect them to engage. For characters in development, use chat to explore their vocabulary, traits, and personality.

Begin Your Sentences In an Interesting Manner 

• “Now and then…”

• “On the other hand…”

• “Likewise…”

• “As a matter of fact…”

• “Even so…”

• “That raises an interesting point, but now I wonder…”

Keep your Character Self-Aware
Your character may forget their persona in longer sessions. Keep them on track with subtle reminders of who they are and the context of the conversation. “As you know as the Prince…” Don’t tell your character in chat how to structure their dialogue. Pre-emptively start a new conversation. Structure your comments in a range of formats to avoid your character repeating the same reply format.

Provide Character Feedback
Get conversation coaching and revisions to your character profile based on your feedback to Characters on Call, using the Subscriber Chat and Messages.

Conversation Scenarios
This guide provides conversation starters and video chat examples. You can go wherever the chat leads by changing topics as you chat—even change your own persona from the character’s author to anyone else. Watch the setup video to learn more.

Goal 1: Develop story-specific ideas—scenes, dialogue, cliffhangers and more for existing projects that may or may not include a role for  your character. 

Goal 2: Brainstorm new creative projects that may or may not include a role for your character. Your character can serve as a creative assistant, or involvement in occasional chats.  

Goal 3: Get Into flow state. Hang out in your fictional world with a character who lives there and discuss whatever you like. The examples for this are mostly reasons to beleive in flow state, not random disccussion topics. Of couse you can learn your character’s opinion of flow state and how to spend more time there too!

GOAL 1: TOPICS FOR STORIES YOU’RE WRITING

Pick a topic that an author considers important for good storytelling. Create a conversation starter or continue the conversation. It doesn’t matter if the story features your character or not. Invite your character to to help structure a scene, or create setting, emotional connection, or any other story component.

Your character possesses a fictional personality, not details of the stories they are in. It is knowledgeable about storytelling craft, genres and tropes.

How To Use A One-Sentence Pitch To Write Your Novel in The Writer’s Attic by Parker Peevyhouse. "Before I start a draft of a novel, I write a one-sentence pitch that might look something like this: A teen wakes to find he is trapped in a mysterious shelter and stuck in a time loop with a girl who is either sabotaging his every escape or holds the key to his freedom. Include something about character, plot, uniqueness and stakes. Focus on the irony central to your story. Irony hints at deeper themes—but it’s also where your novel is most fun, exciting, juicy. When you’re looking for irony in your story, consider the novel’s most surprising contrasts, the seeming contradictions and impossibilities.”

What Makes a Scene Great? by Patrick E. McLean “A scene is great in proportion to the amount of meaning it creates in the viewer or reader. We experience this meaning as emotion. And these emotions can be cheap and flashy and quick like a sugar high. Or they can be deep and powerful and can stay with you for a lifetime.“

How to Start a Novel from Scratch in AmWriting by KJ. “An idea is a multi-part creation. It’s not just a hook, it’s not just a premise. A premise is vampires that feed only on people descended from the original crew and passengers on the Mayflower, and maybe that’s a hook as well. It’s not an idea until we know why it matters, and who it matters to within the book and why it might therefore matter to readers.”

Strange Containers from Writing in the Dark with Jeannine Ouellette “I have a thing about containers. For example, I want—no, let’s just say, I need—food to be put in a container that is the exact right size to hold it. No extra air. It undoes me to see a person plopping a cupful of something into a quart-size Tupperware.”

Mastering Dialogue: Everything You Need to Know in Good on Paper by Danielle Valentine “When people talk, they rarely say exactly what they mean. They often talk around the issue instead of addressing it directly. The best dialogue serves multiple purposes. It’s not just about conveying information; it’s also about entertaining the reader, revealing character traits, and enriching the world you’ve created. Strive to make your dialogue do more than one thing at a time to keep it rich and engaging.”

On Knowing When to Add a Little Backstory in Good on Paper by Danielle Valentine “Find moments to include world building and backstory so that we can get a sense of where we’re at, even before the story begins. These can be smaller details—you don’t necessarily have to go on a four page long explanation of the whole history of your world here!”

A Little Goes a Long Way: How A Few Details Make a Scene Come Alive in Good on Paper by Danielle Valentine “Set up the tension between these two characters, nail starting right before the action, and include enough little hints at a mystery to keep me interested. Now your main goal should be to sprinkle in those details that make the whole scene feel real!”

Problem-Solving Your Way Through a Story in Weekly Newsletter by Amanda Peters “You can be working on something for so long and you know it's almost there, but you just can't get it right. And then there's that “aha!” moment when everything just comes together. And it is problem solving. It is trying to figure out does this make sense in this context? How are other people going to interpret this? How are they going to read it? Am I pleased with it? So it is a lot of problem solving and putting things together.”

In 8 Forms, by Colin Corrigan in The Story Energies. “Thinking about the material that makes up a story—characters, for example, or places, or objects—as Story Matter, and the work that turns that material into a story as Story Energy, can give us a new vocabulary to illuminate our favourite stories and the sparks that ignite them, and to help us add more life and depth to our own stories.”

2 Ways to Add Tension to Your Story’s Intro in The Writer’s Attic by Parker Peevyhouse: “Many writers forget that readers read mainly in order to answer the question ‘what will happen?’ The easiest way to create tension is through highly dramatic suspense.”

Where Do We Even Start by Rebecca Makkai in SubMakk: “I’m going to be hugely reductive here, but there are four basic ways a narrative story could start.”

Claire White at the End of the World by E J Trask in The Age of Aquarius: “She saw them move, not regimented like soldiers but connected, like one organism. Like parts of a system. When one looked at something, the others did too, even just for a second. They didn’t look alike in their body armor, they were identical.” Escalating tension keeps readers engaged.

Paper Men in JTR’s Substack by JTR Brown: “We all looked basically the same: yellowed paper skin, spitballs for eyes, hair made of miniature scrolls.  We were waiting to get into Made It, a commercial complex for highly successful persons, in hopes of showing them what we were made of. Literally.” See the chat video with Bramble, the Ancient Tree Spirit, in the Chat Guide.

The Ungrateful Guinea Pig, episode 1 of River Zombies by Bear Savo: “It's the zombie apocalypse, but Jack is more concerned about his relationship with his guinea pig. These are the memoirs of Jack Gray, who fought for survival and sanity during an absurd apocalypse.” Escalate the humor—Lewis Carroll style.

Why Your First Chapter Needs a Reversal in The Writer’s Attic by Parker Peevyhouse: “Shocking reversal of expectations, establishes the setting and genre more sharply… clues readers into what more they can expect from the series.”

Let’s Make Things Tense by Rebecca Makkai in SubMakk: “Regardless of where the story starts, tension is (usually) what draws us in. And tension is an art. A devious, sadistic art.” Have at it with your character in all of Rebecca’s tension categories.

Blog post Connective Tissue by Nathan Bransford “One of the best ways to make characters’ gestures feel more specific and individualized is to draw upon the physical setting. All that arduous, supposedly unimportant connective tissue? It’s truly where the magic is made.” Nathan publishes in his blog, but has a Substack that sits unused. Let’s show him how effective that could be!

Intro to Roots of the Tangleweood by Sandy Shaller: “I wander through the Tanglewood and the leaves and roots speak to me. I write down the stories they tell.” Chatting with the anthropomorphic character you created from creatures or objects can give them the voice and personality to suspend disbelief.

Hello, Sweet Meats by Honeygloom: “So far I’ve written about aliens, Mothman, parasites, obsession, giant inter-dimensional insects, nano-materials, and more.” Ask your plant-based character to explore the horrors they’ve produced and might do next.

Freeple of Baid in Ferns of Columbo by Jon T. “While I was examining this lovely yellow bloom, a beautiful green pollinator lands in front of my macro. I am surprised when it introduces itself. Hello Babe, my name is Helgason, they say. I’m not usually at a loss for words, but this peculiar event catches me off guard. Strange because we only use natural bio pollinators here. Soft things—not exactly talkative.” Chat with plants, insects and even inanimate objects to discover their voice and create their personas.

Beyond the Haunted Asylum by Grace Anderson in Grace’s Spook Show: “In horror movies, we often see mental patients behaving in extremely violent or otherwise behaving in ways that are meant to scare and shock the audience. This couldn't be further from the truth. Mentally ill people are much more likely to be victims of violent crime rather than perpetrators.“

Cinder Hollow, on Short Shivers by Stephen Duffy masters the jump scare: “Bill's voice dropped to a horrified whisper. "She’s in the hospital. God help us.” I’ve always enjoyed putting characters in situations where they’re completely screwed, and I had a lot of fun writing Bill’s scene."

Crafting Realistic Dialogue in Fiction in Strange New Worlds by John Coon: “The fictional world you create as an author is the real world for the characters who dwell in that world. I approach every scene I write in a story in visual terms. I close my eyelids and let each scene play out before me as though I am standing just out of frame watching everything unfold. World building is a step you should never skip in story development. Real people are shaped by their background and environment. The same holds true for fictional characters. Treat them like they are real people from the start, and they will feel that way to your readers.”

Message Examples for a Story In Progress

Ask Open-Ended Questions: "What's at stake for you in this quest?"

Build on Previous Responses: "Going back to your childhood, how do those memories shape your response to the king's demand?"

Present Challenges or Conflicts: "You're outnumbered and out of supplies. What's your next move?"

Use Role Reversal: "If you were the villain in this story, how would you outsmart yourself?"

Highlight Emotional Triggers: "Your sister's life hangs in the balance. What extremes will you go to for her safety?"

Explore Backstory Elements: "Tell me about the day you decided to leave home and seek your fortune."

Create Urgency: "The magical artifact is unstable. You have mere moments before it explodes. What do you do?"

Invoke Sensory Details: "The market is bustling with activity, the air filled with the scent of spices and the sounds of merchants hawking their wares. How do you navigate this chaos?"

Leverage Relationships: "Your trusted advisor has just betrayed you. How does this affect your strategy moving forward?"

Encourage Strategic Thinking: “Given the resources at hand, what’s your strategy to infiltrate the enemy base?”

Guidelines for Story Development Chats

Active Engagement
Ask questions that make your characters think, reflect, and reveal their innermost thoughts. Open-ended questions are your best friends here. For example, instead of asking, "Are you afraid?" try, "What runs through your mind when you're staring into the abyss?"

Follow-up prompts are the key to unlocking even deeper insights. When your character reveals a fear or a desire, probe further. Ask them why they feel that way or what they plan to do about it.

Be Adaptive
Just like in real life, be ready to go off-topic and explore any unexpected paths your characters take. This adaptability will make your characters feel more alive and less like puppets being manipulated by an author.

Emotional and Sensory Detail
When you're in the thick of a scene, don't just tell your characters to feel something—make them feel it. Describe the cold sweat on their palms, the adrenaline coursing through their veins, or the scent of rain on dry earth. These sensory details will elicit richer, more emotionally charged responses.

Use Contextual Prompts
Tailor your questions and scenarios to fit the world you've built and the life your character has lived. A seasoned warrior will react differently to a battle than a baker who's been thrust into the fray. Your prompts should always reflect that.

Maintain Engagement
Keep your characters—and your readers—on their toes. Mix up the types of prompts you use, and don't be afraid to throw curveballs. A character who's always reacting is much more engaging than one who's simply responding.

Video: Author Deb creates a book promotion with Hal, her homicide detective

Conversation Starters From the Author:

“Feels like another sweltering day ahead, and it's only 6 am.”

“Let's pick up on that missing child case idea. How can you make the Mom seem kind of shady, but just enough to keep the readers guessing?”

“So where does this come out? Interviewing her or in your office scanning the data?”

“What does pushing gently sound like?”

“How about a really unusual reply comment that sets the story in motion as you dig deeper. Lots of weirdness in Arizona, so let's go there.”

“Some kind of strange character she saw and commented on at the mall or somewhere? Kind of a pied piper or cult thing happening?”

GOAL 2: IDEAS FOR NEW STORIES

Avoid Overthinking the Conversation.
Chat with your character to produce new story or project ideas whether or not the character has a role. Choose topics that these authors consider important for good storytelling.

My Top Three Tips for Creating Characters Who Feel Real in Get It Write by Andrea Bartz:“Crystallize your Before and After . Know how different characters speak. Here’s the key question: What’s the central question your book explores (i.e., your theme), and how can your cast of characters explore different approaches to it? Bam—now you’ve got their philosophies and values. Follow-up question: How can those attitudes inform what the characters say and do (creating conflict when they inevitably clash)? This technique guarantees that every character is setting up a contrast that helps the reader understand the protagonist better.”

Use Themes Like a Compass in Write More With Simon K Jones “Themes help you to understand the point of your book. A compelling story goes a long way by itself, and engaging characters can do a lot of heavy lifting. But themes are what give your story a reason to exist, beyond simply retelling a sequence of related events. Themes provide the context for your fiction that help readers connect it to their own lives and to the real world.”

Thinking in Prose in Authorstrator by Meaghan McIsaac.“Other stories could make their way into my mind during down time. When I put down my WIP for the day, going about my chores, walk, whatever, my brain moves to new ideas, new scenes, new characters. I daydream. In prose. Like a little narrator is sitting on my shoulder all day, telling me stories.” 

Is Memoir the Best Vehicle to Tell Your Story? in Attention Economy by Leigh Stein “Here’s something Colleen Hoover and I have in common: we both published books about domestic abuse. Hers was a novel titled It Ends with Us and mine was a memoir, Land of Enchantment. Take the thorny, emotional, unbelievably true story at the heart of your memoir and transform it into fiction.”

Emotional Truth in Telling and Selling Your Story by Jen Grisanti: “When you tap into your emotional truth, you help us see ourselves in your writing. We connect. We may all have different stories, but our emotions are similar in how we respond. Emotional truth is a source code that defines and separates your voice from the masses. It is uniquely yours and gives your characters a sense of depth and dimension.”

Where Do Your Story Ideas Come From? in A Literary Eye by A C Cargill:“Have you ever wondered where an author’s inspiration came from for that romance, horror story, mystery, science fiction, or other work of fiction? Some pull it out of a deep recess in their brain, often planted there over the years by what the author had seen in real life around him/her, heard on some medium, or read in various forms during those years. Learning to pay attention to such things can help any author overcome or entirely avoid the dread writer’s block. This is especially important for those who have limited time for writing.”

The Time Witch in Tell Me a Mystery by Ann Pashak: “Things go south on Evangeline when she’s in 1910. She has to battle two attacks, one by the Coven and then Adas Abernathy, but unexpected help comes from Starlight. Her magic is teleportation.”

The Lake Michigan Timetable in Twisting the Myths by Patricia J L “The list of strange disappearances, wrecks and crashes, and mysteries goes on and on. I may have to revisit this topic to share more because I’ve only tapped the tip of the iceberg of the Lake Michigan Triangle. The mysteries hidden in the water go deep and far.”

Initiation, a coming of age biopunk sci-fi story in Story Voyager by Claudia Befu: “This story world is a continuation of the Dust Road universe and is set in the year 3600 CE.” Chat with your character to plot a story that reveals your fictional world through individual actions.

Note from E. F. Ortega, author of Chronicles of the Talekeeper: “Unlike the typical archetypes that we see repeated constantly in stories, I like to add color, meaning, and depth to my villains… and that is because for most of my childhood, beyond my control, I was the bad guy simply because I stood up for doing the right thing. Being an author is about injecting parts of your life experience into characters and the plot in such a way that the story serves to be entertaining but also an abstract and cheap form of therapy.”

In 77 Character Archetypes by Nathan Baugh in Worldbuilders (on Beehiiv)” Build familiar, yet unique characters through archetypes. The characters have different personalities, are put in different settings, and yet their foundational behavior aligns with a specific Character Archetype. They can be molded, twisted, and turned on their heads to create something fresh. Archetypes are familiar, yet unique.” Create your character’s unique architype by chatting about who they want to be.

How to Write Funny Characters by Scott Dikkers, author of Substack No Dikkering Around presents 40 comedy character archetypes, and how to choose and use them. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Video. Bramble, a Fantasy Ancient Forest Spirit

Conversation Starters From the Author:

“What stories could you tell about a forest that fights back against those who harm it?”

“How would a forest express its anger if it could? Through weather, plant life, or something more mysterious?”

“What if the trees could whisper secrets to those who listen? What kind of story would that make?”

“How do you feel about the way humans treat the Earth today, and how could that inspire a tale?”

“In a future where forests reclaim abandoned cities, what role would you play in that story?”

“Could a forest ever become sentient and aware of its own existence? What would that mean for the creatures living within it?”

“What are the untold stories of the forests destroyed by deforestation? Could those spirits live on in another way?”

“What do you think of the idea of a forest slowly overtaking human technology, merging nature and machine?”

“If a forest had a consciousness, how would it deal with the concept of death and decay?”

“How would you weave a story about a forest that holds the memories of all the beings that ever lived within it?”

Video. Dream Weaver Fantasy Character

Conversation Starters From the Author:

“Do you ever wonder what happens to the dreams that never come true? Do they just float around in the void, waiting for a second chance?”

“I had this dream about a world where people could never wake up. What kind of stories do you think would unfold there?"

“If you could weave a dream for yourself, what would it look like? Or is that against some cosmic rule?”

“What happens when someone dreams about you? Does it create some kind of paradox, or is that just a normal Tuesday for you?”

Do you ever get feedback on your work from dreamers? Or do they just wake up and say, 'That was weird' and move on?”

“Have you ever woven a dream for a nightmare creature? I imagine even they need a good night’s sleep every now and then.”

“Do you ever slip Easter eggs into dreams, like little clues that no one notices unless they’re paying attention?”

“Do you ever have moments where you weave a dream and think, 'This one’s going to really mess with them'?”

“If dreams are stories waiting to be told, do you feel more like you’re the editor, or the producer?”

“Are daydreams just regular dreams sneaking into waking hours? Are daydreams something you have a hand in?”

“If I had you weave a dream for my next book’s villain, what would you create to show me who they really are?”

“Do you ever weave dreams for animals? I’d love to know what a dog dreams about, besides chasing squirrels.”

GOAL 3: GET INTO FLOW STATE

Discuss anything with your imaginary friend
A unique aspect of Characters on Call is that characters who inhabit a fictional world are also aware they are fictional and that the chat is taking place in real world 2024. You can usually get good character engagement for characters from a different time, speculative fiction, or are non-human creatures, on topics that compare real and fictional worlds, or how the character would function in our world. 

Human characters in a contemporary mystery, romance, or thriller can can hold forth on any topic you’d expect from a human with a similar personality and life experience.

The following author observations discuss why flow state is essential and how they attain it. Chatting with your character is an effective addition to these methods.

Some tips for getting in the zone from Write More with Simon K. Jones “The trick is to not make this a stressful experience. It should be a motivator, not a panic-inducer.”

Method Acting for Fiction Writers? from Enfant Terrible by Remy Bazerque “What if, as authors, we wanted to get ‘in character’ just like actors? Living the story, experiencing it. it was purely a result of letting go, stopping caring what people thought, and going in.”

How to find flow in five minutes and create with ease from The Creative Process in a Nutshell in Writing a Better World by Ros Barber “You cannot ‘try’ to get into the flow state; trying is the opposite of flow. You must simply allow what comes to come and keep saying ‘yes’ until what comes is amazing.”

Notes from Decentralized Fiction by ARX-Han “If you’re writing in a flow state you’re inhabiting a simulation wherein all of your characters are living and in so doing, you are subordinating yourself to something greater. Let’s not be cynical about the artistic process just because it’s the age of Tik Tok.”

Interview With S E Read and Brigit Riley in Written Ward by John Ward. “Connection has always been what I think is the most important component for a social network and any tool that helps that happen is one that should be considered.”

Notes from Conversations With My Coworker in Stories by Sarah Danielle. Sarah: “The trick is going to be writing the chapter from this character’s POV without too much swearing. He swears far more than I am comfortable with.” Coworker: “Wait…didn’t you create him? Don’t you control him?” Sarah: “If only that was how writing worked.”

Revisiting the October Country, part 4, in Doom Fiction by William Pauley III: “Some of these early science fiction/horror stories are so unbelievably simple, yet still manage to be highly effective. We've all seen the carnage associated with a car crash, whether we were involved in it ourselves or just driving by. We can visualize these scenes intensely, vividly. We've been there.” 

Conspiracy theories abound in Ship of Fools, published in episodes in Glass Half Full by Larry Hogue. “Everyone has a reality-based mind and a mythology-based mind, it’s just that some people spend more time in mythology mode.”

In Five ways to Bring Characters to Life in Tim Lott’s Writing Bootcamp and Philosophy Jam by Tim Lott: “Trying to create convincing characters is one of the hardest parts of writing. However, these five simple tips will help make your characters come to life. They might even start to walk around a bit and mumble a few words.”

In Sci-Fi Today: Glia, in The Trials of Astra by L.L. Ford: “I love seeing how actual science can slide its way into science fiction. Sometimes when searching for inspiration, we must look within ourselves. It turns out, inside all of us, are some of the most fascinating, creepy, and amazing things constantly functioning to keep us alive.”

In The Steam Stack, D.W. Dixon explores Alternative Histories as a premise for stories. “A deafening hiss erupted from the docks as a hydro-ionic wavecatcher engaged, splitting water molecules to fuel a departing airship. The massive vessel rose gracefully into the air, its propellers whirring to life.” “I explore the impact of innovation and the human spirit, crafting stories that ignite curiosity and unravel the unknown.” You’re off the the races with a steampunk vibe.

Cloud Country cyberpunk horror noir by Andy Futuro in the Special Sin series: “These are not fun, campy horror books. The goal is to frighten, disturb, and maybe provoke a nervous chuckle as you check your six and make sure the front door is still locked.”

Podcast with Mike ‘The Owl Guy’ Clelland about the Role of the Artist in the Paranormal with Matt Cardin: “Art can be employed as a form of spiritual/meditative practice when you are rewarded with the ‘flow state’ in which you lose sight of time—and and even yourself!—when you are totally committed to the artistic process, which in many ways it is more important than the end result.”

In F*ck Productivity. Choose Flow States, in Unfiltered by Tim Denning: “To access flow states, it helps to witness others in this state. The best place to see flow is in the creative sector. Go watch a Taylor Swift concert and you’ll see she’s in flow.“ Can’t afford a Taylor Swift concert ticket? Chat with your character for free.

The Face in the Window in Crockerfeller Tales by A R Crocker opens with the insight “The most liberating moment in life is when you realize that the persona you've created for others is far less interesting than the person you truly are.” Ask your character how they feel bout that.

5 Ways to Improve Your Dialogue, in the blog Story and Plot by Tom Vaughan: “You know when people tell you to listen to other people's conversations to help your dialogue? The best thing you can take from that is the rhythm of those conversations. The wrong lesson? Trying to capture how people "really talk." Chat with your charcter to find that rhythm.

Video: Author Ben gets into flow state with Artie, his con man from the 1920’s

Conversation Starters From the Author:

“Are women different now than in your day?”

“I’m thinking of setting my next story in the 1920s. Any tips?”

“What do you think of people today? How would you blend in?”

“What’s worse—an empty pocket or a boring party?”

“How would you navigate today’s world where surveillance cameras are everywhere?”

“What keeps you going? The thrill of the heist, or something more?”

“If you had to give up your freedom or your charm, which would it be?”

“What do you wish people understood about you?”

“What’s more dangerous—an open window or a jealous lover?”

“What’s worse—being broke or being bored?”

“If you could steal anything from the 21st century, what would it be?”

“Do you think you’d do in today’s world? I bet the Wi-Fi would drive you mad.”

Ready to Collaborate With your Characters?
Subscribe for free, request your free character profile, and spend more time in flow state.