155 Personality Trait Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)

Ask people these 155 personality trait questions for storytelling.

I have interviewed hundreds of people about their personality traits and values. Based on the answers I received in those interviews, I have put together a list of writing prompts and questions for individual values to ask people when writing narratives. The personality traits and values series includes five categories that explore childhood, teenager, young adult, adult and senior adult years. Use these prompts and questions to help you

• Identify events and memories you can write about
• Organize and write your narrative and story
• Develop questions to ask other people about their life’s
• Organize, research and write stories about others
• Know what type of information to include in narratives and stories
• Identify memorabilia, artifacts, photos, documents to include in stories
• Develop ideas for journaling, story starters, poetry, memoirs, and more

Personality Trait Questions to Ask People

The “Personality Traits and Values” writing prompts and questions to ask people are part of the 28 articles, 108 category series entitled “7,500-plus Questions About Life to Ask People When Writing Narratives.” The prompts and questions are provided to help you look at personality traits and values from as many angles as possible when writing narratives about yourself, your family, and others. The categories and types of topics covered include:

• Childhood Personality Traits (Age 0-11). Find 31 questions and prompts. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover aspects of your personality traits and values, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Teenager Personality Traits (Age 11-18). Find 31 questions and prompts. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover aspects of your personality traits and values, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Young Adult Personality Traits (Age 18-25). Find 31 questions and prompts. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover aspects of your personality traits and values, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Adult Personality Traits (Age 25-65). Find 31 questions and prompts. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover aspects of your personality traits and values, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

• Senior Adult Personality Traits (Age 65+). Find 31 questions and prompts. Use these prompts and questions to gather and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. These questions cover aspects of your personality traits and values, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Approach each topic from the point of view of the person/lives you are writing about. You don’t have to ask every question. Review the questions and determine which ones are most appropriate to ask. I would encourage you to modify and add questions as you desire.

I have prepared a couple of other resources that will provide value in interviewing for and writing individual, personal, and family narratives: “Complete Guide for Conducting Oral History Interviews” and “Complete Guide to Writing A Personal Narrative.”

Childhood Personality Traits (Age 0-11)

Writing Prompts and Questions 

“Childhood Personality Traits (Age 0-11)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Personality Traits and Values. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. How would you describe your personality?
   • What do you think helped to shape your personality?
   • Talk about each part of your personality?
2. How would you describe your values?
   • What do you think helped to shape your values?
   • Talk about the values that are very important to you and why?
   • What values did you gain from your parents, family, friends, school, group, and religion?
3. Who were the persons/individuals that most influenced you the most?
   • Talk about each person.
   • Why are they important?
   • What did they do that made a difference in your life?
   • Did you change any part of your life because of their influence?
4. Was there ever a personality trait that you wanted to change?
   • What about the trait you wanted to change?
   • How do you go about making the change?
   • What was the outcome of making the change?
5. What values have you tried to impart to your family?
   • Why are those values important?
   • How did you teach those values?
6. How have your values evolved?
   • Can you give examples of how these values evolved?
7. How would your friends describe your personality?
8. How would your friends describe your values?
9. What type of values do you look for in others? Explain.
10. What personality traits do you look for in others? Explain.
11. How are you different in public vs. your private life? Explain.
12. What are the parts of your life that you value most?
13. What are the most important causes in your life?
    • Describe each cause.
    • How have you supported the cause?
    • What are essential memories?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts about personality traits and values.

Teenager Personality Traits (Age 11-18)

Writing Prompts and Questions

“Teenage Personality Traits (Age 11-18)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Personality Traits and Values. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. How would you describe your personality?
   • What do you think helped to shape your personality?
   • Talk about each part of your personality?
2. How would you describe your values?
   • What do you think helped to shape your values?
   • Talk about the values that are very important to you and why?
   • What values did you gain from your parents, family, friends, school, group, and religion?
3. Who were the persons/individuals that most influenced you the most?
   • Talk about each person.
   • Why are they important?
   • What did they do that made a difference in your life?
   • Did you change any part of your life because of their influence?
   4. Was there ever a personality trait that you wanted to change?
   • What about the trait you wanted to change?
   • How do you go about making the change?
   • What was the outcome of making the change?
4. What values have you tried to impart to your family?
   • Why are those values important?
   • How did you teach those values?
5. How have your values evolved?
   • Can you give examples of how these values evolved?
6. How would your friends describe your personality?
7. How would your friends describe your values?
8. What type of values do you look for in others? Explain.
9. What personality traits do you look for in others? Explain.
10. How are you different in public vs. your private life? Explain.
11. What are the parts of your life that you value most?
12. What are the most important causes in your life?
    • Describe each cause.
    • How have you supported the cause?
    • What are essential memories?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about personality traits and values.

Young Personality Traits (Age 18-25)

Writing Prompts and Questions 

“Young Adult Personality Traits (Age 18-25)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Personality Traits and Values. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. How would you describe your personality?
   • What do you think helped to shape your personality?
   • Talk about each part of your personality?
2. How would you describe your values?
   • What do you think helped to shape your values?
   • Talk about the values that are very important to you and why?
   • What values did you gain from your parents, family, friends, school, group, and religion?
3. Who were the persons/individuals that most influenced you the most?
   • Talk about each person.
   • Why are they important?
   • What did they do that made a difference in your life?
   • Did you change any part of your life because of their influence?
   4. Was there ever a personality trait that you wanted to change?
   • What about the trait you wanted to change?
   • How do you go about making the change?
   • What was the outcome of making the change?
4. What values have you tried to impart to your family?
   • Why are those values important?
   • How did you teach those values?
5. How have your values evolved?
   • Can you give examples of how these values evolved?
6. How would your friends describe your personality?
7. How would your friends describe your values?
8. What type of values do you look for in others? Explain.
9. What personality traits do you look for in others? Explain.
10. How are you different in public vs. your private life? Explain.
11. What are the parts of your life that you value most?
12. What are the most important causes in your life?
    • Describe each cause.
    • How have you supported the cause?
    • What are essential memories?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about personality traits and values.

Adult Personality Traits (Age 24-65)

Writing Prompts and Questions 

“Adult Personality Traits (Age 25-45)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Personality Traits and Values. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. How would you describe your personality?
   • What do you think helped to shape your personality?
   • Talk about each part of your personality?
2. How would you describe your values?
   • What do you think helped to shape your values?
   • Talk about the values that are very important to you and why?
   • What values did you gain from your parents, family, friends, school, group, and religion?
3. Who were the persons/individuals that most influenced you the most?
   • Talk about each person.
   • Why are they important?
   • What did they do that made a difference in your life?
   • Did you change any part of your life because of their influence?
4. Was there ever a personality trait that you wanted to change?
   • What about the trait you wanted to change?
   • How do you go about making the change?
   • What was the outcome of making the change?
5. What values have you tried to impart to your family?
   • Why are those values important?
   • How did you teach those values?
6. How have your values evolved?
   • Can you give examples of how these values evolved?
7. How would your friends describe your personality?
8. How would your friends describe your values?
9. What type of values do you look for in others? Explain.
10. What personality traits do you look for in others? Explain.
11. How are you different in public vs. your private life? Explain.
12. What are the parts of your life that you value most?
13. What are the most important causes in your life?
    • Describe each cause.
    • How have you supported the cause?
    • What are essential memories?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about personality traits and values.

Senior Adult Personality Traits (Age 65+)

Writing Prompts and Questions 

“Senior Adult Personality Traits (Age 65+)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Personality Traits and Values. Use these questions to ask, gather, and organize information to help you write narratives about yourself, your family, and others. If you are writing about a deceased person, think of the questions as if you were the person answering the questions.

1. How would you describe your personality?
   • What do you think helped to shape your personality?
   • Talk about each part of your personality?
2. How would you describe your values?
   • What do you think helped to shape your values?
   • Talk about the values that are very important to you and why?
   • What values did you gain from your parents, family, friends, school, group, and religion?
3. Who were the persons/individuals that most influenced you the most?
   • Talk about each person.
   • Why are they important?
   • What did they do that made a difference in your life?
   • Did you change any part of your life because of their influence?
4. Was there ever a personality trait that you wanted to change?
   • What about the trait you wanted to change?
   • How do you go about making the change?
   • What was the outcome of making the change?
5. What values have you tried to impart to your family?
   • Why are those values important?
   • How did you teach those values?
6. How have your values evolved?
   • Can you give examples of how these values evolved?
7. How would your friends describe your personality?
8. How would your friends describe your values?
9. What type of values do you look for in others? Explain.
10. What personality traits do you look for in others? Explain.
11. How are you different in public vs. your private life? Explain.
12. What are the parts of your life that you value most?
13. What are the most important causes in your life?
    • Describe each cause.
    • How have you supported the cause?
    • What are essential memories?

Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about personality traits and values.