Knowing Your Character’s Biography Isn’t the Same
as Knowing How They Work
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A character can have a detailed backstory and still feel unpredictable on the page.
You know where they grew up, what happened to them, and what they want. But when the story forces them to make a difficult choice,
do you know what they would actually do?
That’s where character development gets interesting.
The Character Prediction Test puts your protagonist into five difficult situations designed to reveal the logic behind their choices.
You won’t write scenes. You’ll make decisions, and then you’ll dig into why your character would make them.
Put Your Character to the Test
The worksheet gives you five situations that force your character to choose between competing values, needs,
loyalties, and consequences.
You’ll discover what your character might do when:
Someone they love asks them to do something morally wrong.
They get exactly what they’ve always wanted—but someone they love pays the price.
They can avoid a major consequence by lying.
They desperately need help from someone they don’t trust.
They have to choose between saving themselves and saving a stranger.
The point isn’t to find the “right” answer. It’s to discover the answer that fits this character.
Then Go Deeper Than the Answers
Once you’ve worked through the five scenarios, the worksheet helps you look for the pattern underneath your character’s choices.
You’ll examine questions like:
○ What value keeps showing up in my character’s choices?
â—‹Â When two values conflict, which one usually wins?
â—‹Â What would my character never do?
â—‹Â What would have to happen for them to cross that line?
â—‹Â What are they most likely to rationalize?
And most importantly:
○ Could a reader predict these choices based on what I’ve shown them?
That’s where the test becomes more than an exercise. It becomes a way to understand your character’s decision-making logic.
You’ll Also Identify Your Character’s Lines
Every character has things they will do, and things they absolutely won’t do, until the story pushes them toward that boundary.
The Character Prediction Test gives you space to identify both sides of that line so you can see where your character’s boundaries are and where your story might eventually challenge them.
By the End of the Test, You’ll Know More Than What Your Character Does.
You’ll have a clearer sense of:
âś” The choices you can predict with confidence
âś” The choices that still feel uncertain
âś” The answers that surprised you
âś” The values your character protects most strongly
âś” The lines your character might cross
✔ The decisions you still can’t predict
That uncertainty is useful because if you can’t predict your character’s choices, you might have found an area where the character needs more development.
This Isn’t About Making Your Character “Good.”
Your character can make a terrible choice. They can lie, be selfish, betray someone, or choose themselves. There is no “right” answer. The goal is for the choice to feel like it belongs to THIS character, and for you to understand why.
Ready to Find Out How Well You Really Know Your Character?
Download the free Character Prediction Test and put your protagonist under pressure.
Five scenarios. Six character-logic questions. A clearer understanding of the person at the center of your story.
GET THE FREE CHARACTER PREDICTION TEST
About Lynnette Novak
Lynnette Novak is a literary agent and writing professional who has spent over 26 years working with authors and manuscripts.
