What a character interview project is
In an interview-a-character project, one student (or the whole class) writes questions for a character from a book, and then someone answers them in the character’s voice, using what the book tells us about that character. It can be written, recorded or performed live.
The activity asks students to do several things at once: recall details, infer feelings and motives, and write from another person’s point of view. Because answers have to be consistent with the book, it is a good way to check understanding without a conventional test.
In writing circles the term “character interview” has a second meaning: a writer interviews their own invented character to learn more about them. We cover that briefly near the end.
Steps for the classroom
- Choose the character. Pick a main or important supporting character. Students may choose their own, or you may assign different characters to a group so interviews can be compared.
- Gather evidence while reading. Students collect notes on what the character says, does, wants and fears, with page numbers where possible (see annotation categories for books for ways to mark the text). A simple chart with columns for “what the text says” and “what I think it shows” works well.
- Write the questions. Aim for eight to ten, a mix of factual (“Where did you grow up?”) and deeper (“What was the hardest decision you made?”).
- Draft the answers. The answers should use details from the book, written in first person, in a voice that sounds like the character.
- Rehearse or revise. Partners can practice, or students can swap drafts and check for details that do not fit the book.
- Present. Students perform, record or hand in the interview.
- Reflect. Students write briefly about what they learned about the character by speaking as them.
If your class is new to the book, our guide to introducing a book to students can help set up the early reading.
Sample questions
Good questions go beyond yes-or-no answers. Here are examples that can be adapted to nearly any story:
- Can you describe yourself in three words, and why those?
- What is the most important thing you want?
- What was the hardest moment of your story? How did you feel?
- Who do you trust most? Who do you trust least?
- What is something you did that you regret, or are proud of?
- How have you changed since the beginning?
- What would you say to the author, or to the reader?
- What do other characters get wrong about you?
For more open-ended questions that apply to any text, see our list of reading response questions for any book.
A short example
This example uses an invented story, so it does not depend on any specific book. Imagine a character named Mara, a girl who moves to a new town and joins the school newspaper.
Interviewer: Mara, what was the hardest part of moving? Mara: Leaving my best friend behind. I kept checking my phone at lunch, hoping she’d message, but the first week was very quiet.
Interviewer: What made you join the newspaper? Mara: I wasn’t sure I fit in anywhere, but I liked writing. The editor said I could start by covering the lunch menu, which sounded boring, but it gave me a reason to talk to people.
Interviewer: How have you changed? Mara: I used to wait for others to speak first. Now I ask questions, even when my voice shakes a little.
Notice what makes this work: each answer refers to a specific moment from “the book,” shows feelings, and sounds like a person. When students use a real book, ask them to point to a page that supports each answer.
Format options
- Written Q&A: a magazine-style or newspaper-style interview.
- Live role play: one student interviews another in character; the class acts as audience.
- Audio or video: recorded as a podcast or talk-show segment.
- Hot seat: the character sits in front of the class and answers questions from classmates on the spot.
- Digital template: many classrooms use slide or storybook tools to add images and speech bubbles.
Assessing the project
A short rubric is usually enough:
- Accuracy: answers match events and details in the book.
- Depth: shows motives and feelings, not just facts.
- Voice: sounds like the character.
- Evidence: at least a few answers can be tied to specific moments.
- Presentation: clear writing or speaking.
If you use this as one of several choices, see our list of independent reading book projects for alternatives.
For writers: interviewing your own characters
Fiction writers sometimes interview their own characters to find out what drives them. A few common prompts: What is your biggest fear? What do you want most? What do you hide from others? What would change your mind? Students writing their own stories can use the same questions. Answers do not need to appear in the final story; they simply help the writer know the character.
A note on the “5 C’s of interviewing”
You may come across lists called the “5 C’s” of interviewing in business or journalism contexts. There is no single standard version, so we do not rely on one here. For a character interview, a useful checklist is simpler: be clear, be curious, be courteous, use the text as evidence, and stay in character.