When we write fiction, we need to get inside our characters’ beings. When we write memoir, we need to learn more about our own character as well as the character of people who have influenced our experience. But sometimes we need a pathway to find fresh material. Here are 20 exercises for getting to know our characters and enhance our writing.

1. Have your character address a letter to a beloved friend. Have the character write about the circumstances in his or her life that led to the letter writing and why it feels good to let the recipient know about these things.

2. Have your character address a letter to a despised enemy. Have the character write about the circumstances in his or her life that led to the letter writing and why it feels good to let the recipient know about these things.

3. List the names of things and people in your character’s lives. Chose one and create words by rearranging the letters. Next do a freewrite about ways the words connect to your story’s subject matter. If a character lives in Los Angeles for instance, you might find the words: sloe, angels, log, lane, less, loan, gas, leg, gale, gel, goes, eagle, sell, legal. You might write about the meaning in “sloe: a dark fruit.” You might write what the character thinks about LA’s “beautiful people” keying off the word “gel.” You might write about angels: depicted in the movies, placed around the city as a public art program, the ones doing humanitarian work, and the daily ones the character might meet of every color, faith, and background.

3. Write your character’s journal entries during a difficult time. Let them talk freely about the others in their lives and what their thoughts and next steps will be.

4. Imagine your character’s baby-book — what does it look like? What information is in it? Who kept it? How well was it kept? Where does it reside right now?

5. Imagine your character’s safety deposit box at the bank. How big is it? What is in it? How often does the character go to it?

6. Give your character a physical address. Write about the neighborhood and the character’s relationship to the people, yards, stores, buildings and streets.

7. Give your character a hobby. Describe the ways in which the character delves into it–the supplies, the magazines and books, the membership groups, the work do on hobby, the people met and places visited.

8. Imagine something your character brushes past everyday and barely notices. Write about the moment the character takes notice.

9. What emotional development does your character require? To grow up? To take responsibility? To turn her back on those bringing her down? To be true to herself? What circumstance can test her metal? Write a scene in which the character fails to make the required change.

10. What emotional development does your character require? To grow up? To take responsibility? To turn her back on those bringing her down? To be true to herself? What circumstance can test her metal? Write a scene in which the character succeeds in making the required change.

11. Who is the most moral person in your character’s life? Write a speech from that character to your character.

12. Who is the most amoral person in your character’s life? Write a speech that person might make to your character.

13. How does your character resemble someone you know? Change at least three things to make this character her own person.

14. How would you describe your characters’ personality? Is she a risk taker or risk adverse? An optimist or a pessimist? Shy or outgoing? Brave or cowardly? Confident or insecure? Write examples from her behavior that let you know this.

15. What would others label your character? A princess, a geek, a joiner, a leader, a bully, a loser, a success? Write what others see that makes them choose the label.

16. What secret is your character keeping from someone? How does this dictate the behavior of the character around that person?

17. What does your character love? What does your character dislike?

18. Who are your character’s family? Where do they live? What do they do?

19. Who are your character’s friends? Where do they live? How do they connect with each other?

20. What is in your character’s closet or purse or backpack or school locker or desk or car? Describe the contents and what the character thinks of them.

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It wouldn’t surprise me if some of these prompts have led you to create new chapters or personal essays. Let us know by adding a comment telling us how doing any of these exercises worked for you.