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PR Isfeld

The Shadow Knows: 31 questions to get to know the dark side of your characters
The Shadow Knows: 31 questions to get to know the dark side of your characters
  • PR Isfeld
  • Writing

It begins with a character, all I can do is trot along behind him trying to put down what he says and does.”

–William Faulkner

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Are you having trouble bringing your characters to life? Try exploring your dark side with some of these questions:

  1. What is their most shameful memory? Why?
  2. Are there any emotions that bring out their worst side? Any they are afraid of or try to avoid? Why?
  3. What would they like people to say about them? What could someone say that bothers them?
  4. When was the last time they played like a kid? What was the game? Who was there?
  5. Have they argued with anyone recently? Who and what was the argument about? Is that kind of argument, with that person, a regular thing? Why or why not?
  6. What do they do on a rainy afternoon? Do they find quiet afternoons calming or boring?
  7. Who do they most resent at the moment? Why?
  8. Who do they most fear right now? Why? What are they doing about it?
  9. Was there a time when they gave in to fear and now regret it? Why? What happened?
  10. Did they fear anyone a year ago? Why? Are they still afraid of that person and if not, why not?
  11. Is there something they wish others could see or understand about them, without being told? Why don’t they just say it out loud?
  12. Who or what makes them feel safe? Have they ever harmed anyone else to preserve that feeling?
  13. What is their biggest fear about the future?
  14. What do they do without wanting to? Why do they keep doing it? Do they know?
  15. What would they like to tell their younger selves?
  16. How do they want people to feel when they are with them? At work? In their personal lives? Is there a difference between the two? Do they ever have trouble navigating between the two?
  17. What does forgiveness mean to them? Do they think it’s important to forgive, or be forgiven? Why or why not?
  18. Are they still angry at their parents? For what? If they haven’t let go, what is preventing them? If they have, what helped them?
  19. Do they have any siblings? Are they close? Why or why not?
  20. When did they last admire or envy someone? Why?
  21. When did they last judge someone? For what? How intense were their feelings? Do they know why?
  22. What do they spend money on that embarrasses them? Where do they scrimp that they feel guilty about?
  23. When did they last lie to someone? Why? Is it a regular thing?
  24. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?
  25. What do they most value in their friends? Do they value different things in men than in women?
  26. Do they have any obsessions?
  27. When do they most like to give advice? Have they ever given bad advice that they felt guilty about? Did they know what they were doing?
  28. Have they ever sabotaged themselves? Were they aware of it at the time, or only in retrospect? Is self-sabotage a regular thing for them and if so, under what circumstances?
  29. Are they grieving anything or anyone right now? What does that mean to them?
  30. What are their core values? Are they living in alignment with them? Where are the gaps and are they doing anything to close them? If not, why not?
  31. Where do they feel superior/inferior to their peers? Are they being honest with themselves?
Captives
A psychological mystery that explores the aftermath of a brutal abduction and the secrets that haunt the survivors.

Three years ago, Samantha Gilchrist and her friends Amanda, Kaylee and Maria forged an unbreakable bond when they survived a brutal kidnapping in Kandahar. Sam wrote a best-selling memoir about their ordeal and moved on to a great new career as a journalist and a happy relationship with Dave, a handsome intelligence officer she met in Afghanistan. Still, she can’t help wondering about the reasons behind their capture.

On their way to Maria’s remote Gatineau cottage to commemorate the anniversary of their escape and rescue, Sam and Kaylee hear news reports about a missing Afghan diplomat. Then, they think they see Ali, their former interpreter and the mastermind behind the hostage-taking, who was supposed to have died during their rescue. When Amanda’s lifeless body is found the next morning, the friends’ suspicions lead them down a dangerous path that uncovers dark secrets and hidden motives.

The narrative alternates between the present day and the version of events presented in Sam’s memoir, as she and her friends struggle with their grief over the loss of Amanda and lingering trauma and jealousy over their differing fortunes in the aftermath of the kidnapping. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Sam starts to question everything she thought she knew about her friends, her lover, and herself, not just in the past, but in the here and now. 

Full of suspense, complex characters, and unexpected twists, Captives will cause fans of mystery and psychological thrillers to make irresponsible decisions about their sleep. 

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