Another fun exercise to flesh out your favorite characters is the 'What If' approach.
By now you should know your characters pretty well. In a way, we have decided what they were. At times, our understanding of them comes from what is not instead of what is.
The 'What If' game will help you flesh out your characters by deciding what they aren't instead of what they are.
Draw a list of your character's characteristics (the ones you discovered in previous exercises), a good 20 should do. After, ask yourself this question what if ... *characteristic* was different...
We will be looking at some examples in the film clips from "The Dark Knight".
Now, think about your own characters. Instead of answering questions about them, pose questions to yourself and the people around you. The purpose of this exercise is to get you thinking about the true nature of your character--not only what they are - you must also determine what they are not. Believe me, it is just as important to the story.
By asking these questions about your chosen characters, you get to know them better.
When it comes time to write, you must know the psychology of your characters. In doing so, they become three-dimensional to you and the reader.
