Ask people these 376 physical characteristic questions for storytelling.
I have interviewed hundreds of people about their physical characteristics and decisions to improve and modify the body. Based on the answers I received in those interviews, I have put together a list of writing prompts and physical characteristics to ask people when writing narratives. The physical characteristics series includes four categories that explore youth, young adults, adults, and senior adults. 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
Writing Prompts and Questions to Ask People
The “Physical Characteristics” 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 physical characteristics from as many angles as possible when writing narratives about yourself, your family, and others. The categories and types of topics covered include:
- Youth Physical Characteristics (Age 0-18). Find 94 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 the physical features of your body, such as hair, face, teeth, hearing. Questions explore decisions made to change, help, and improve the body, such as tattoos, plastic surgery, amputation, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
- Young Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 18-25). Find 94 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 the physical features of your body, such as hair, face, teeth, hearing. Questions explore decisions made to change, help, and improve the body, such as tattoos, plastic surgery, amputation, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
- Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 25-65). Find 94 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 the physical features of your body, such as hair, face, teeth, hearing. Questions explore decisions made to change, help, and improve the body, such as tattoos, plastic surgery, amputation, including your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
- Senior Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 65+). Find 94 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 the physical features of your body, such as hair, face, teeth, hearing. Questions explore decisions made to change, help, and improve the body, such as tattoos, plastic surgery, amputation, 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.”
Youth Physical Characteristics (Age 0-18)
Physical Characteristic Questions
“Youth Physical Characteristics (Age 0-18)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Physical Characteristics. 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.
- How would you describe your physical appearance/characteristics during your youth?
• What did you like and dislike about your physical characteristics?
• Was there ever any part of your physical characteristics that you wanted to change? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of physical characteristics?
• What physical characteristics are common in your family and heritage?
• How have your physical features changed over time? - How would you describe your facial features?
• Describe your eyes, nose, and face?
• What did you like and dislike about your face?
• Did you ever have any corrective surgery on your facial features? - What did you feel about your body weight? Explain.
• Where too thin, overweight for just right? Explain.
• Did you do anything to adjust your weight? If yes, what?
• Were weight issues part of the family heritage?
• How did weight affect your image?
• What did you like most and least about your weight?
• What memories do you have about your weight?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your weight? - Did you wear glasses or other?
• How do you learn that you needed to wear glasses?
• What was the prescription like for your eyes?
• What did you think at the time?
• Did you wear contacts, glasses, have corrective surgery, or other? Explain.
• How did eye correction improve your life?
• Did you like wearing glasses or contacts? Explain.
• Do you wear glasses classes as a fashion statement? Explain.
• What memories do you have about your eye correction?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your glasses? - How would you describe your hearing?
• Was there ever a time when you thought you needed a hearing examination?
• Describe what lead up to the need for a hearing examination?
• What happened after the examination?
• How would you describe the experience?
• Did you ever need hearing aids? Explain.
• Did you ever have damage from an accident to your hearing? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of your hearing? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about hearing?
- How would you describe your dental health?
• Did you ever wear braces? Explain.
• How would you describe your dental appearance?
• What do you like and dislike about your dental appearance?
• Did you ever have a dental correction? Such as caps, dentures, others?
• What memories did you have about your teeth?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your teeth?
• Did you ever have dental damage because of sports, injury, others? - What do you remember about your hair?
• What was the color? Explain.
• How long was your hair? Explain.
• What styles did you like for your hair? Explain.
• Did you perm or color your hair? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about your hair?
• Did you do anything special with your hair for work, home, school, sports, special occasions and other events?
• What did you like most and least about your hair?
• How did you take care of your hair, such as cutting and styling?
• Did you like to style your hair? If yes, how did you learn? - Did you ever have any plastic surgery? Explain.
• What prompted you to seek plastic surgery?
• Where did you have plastic surgery?
• What prompted you to have plastic surgery?
• Describe the experience?
• What did you like and dislike about plastic surgery?
• What memories do you have?
• Would you consider the outcome to be positive? Explain? - Did you ever get a tattoo/body art?
• How old were you?
• What prompted you to seek a tattoo?
• What was your first tattoo, and where?
• Can you describe what the tattoo looks like?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of the tattoo?
• Describe why the tattoo was essential to you?
• After your first tattoo, did you have other tattoos?
• If yes, were?
• What was the meaning of the tattoos?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of each tattoo?
• Have your feelings about your tattoos changed? Explain.
• What have you liked and disliked about tattoos?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your tattoos?
• How did your family feel about your tattoos?
• Did you ever have a desire or take action to have a tattoo removed? - Have you ever had an amputation?
• What happened?
• Describe what led up to the decision to have an amputation?
• Describe the experience pre and post-amputation?
• What was the process like for learning how to adapt to the amputation?
• What have you liked or disliked about the amputation?
• How did the amputation change your life? - Was there a part of your body that you wanted to change through exercise? Explain.
• Which part of your body did you want to improve?
• What did you do?
• What was the outcome of efforts?
• What did you like and dislike? - What else would you like to discuss about your physical appearance/characteristics?
Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about physical characteristics.
Young Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 18-25)
Writing Prompts and Questions
“Young Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 18-25)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Physical Characteristics. 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.
- How would you describe your physical appearance/characteristics during your young adult years?
• What did you like and dislike about your physical characteristics?
• Was there ever any part of your physical characteristics that you wanted to change? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of physical characteristics?
• What physical characteristics are common in your family and heritage?
• How have your physical features changed over time? - How would you describe your facial features?
• Describe your eyes, nose, and face?
• What did you like and dislike about your face?
• Did you ever have any corrective surgery on your facial features? - What did you feel about your body weight? Explain.
• Where too thin, overweight for just right? Explain.
• Did you do anything to adjust your weight? If yes, what?
• Were weight issues part of the family heritage?
• How did weight affect your image?
• What did you like most and least about your weight?
• What memories do you have about your weight?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your weight? - Did you wear glasses or other?
• How do you learn that you needed to wear glasses?
• What was the prescription like for your eyes?
• What did you think at the time?
• Did you wear contacts, glasses, have corrective surgery, or other? Explain.
• How did eye correction improve your life?
• Did you like wearing glasses or contacts? Explain.
• Do you wear glasses classes as a fashion statement? Explain.
• What memories do you have about your eye correction?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your glasses? - How would you describe your hearing?
• Was there ever a time when you thought you needed a hearing examination?
• Describe what lead up to the need for a hearing examination?
• What happened after the examination?
• How would you describe the experience?
• Did you ever need hearing aids? Explain.
• Did you ever have damage from an accident to your hearing? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of your hearing? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about hearing?
- How would you describe your dental health?
• Did you ever wear braces? Explain.
• How would you describe your dental appearance?
• What do you like and dislike about your dental appearance?
• Did you ever have a dental correction? Such as caps, dentures, others?
• What memories did you have about your teeth?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your teeth?
• Did you ever have dental damage because of sports, injury, others? - What do you remember about your hair?
• What was the color? Explain.
• How long was your hair? Explain.
• What styles did you like for your hair? Explain.
• Did you perm or color your hair? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about your hair?
• Did you do anything special with your hair for work, home, school, sports, special occasions and other events?
• What did you like most and least about your hair?
• How did you take care of your hair, such as cutting and styling?
• Did you like to style your hair? If yes, how did you learn? - Did you ever have any plastic surgery? Explain.
• What prompted you to seek plastic surgery?
• Where did you have plastic surgery?
• What prompted you to have plastic surgery?
• Describe the experience?
• What did you like and dislike about plastic surgery?
• What memories do you have?
• Would you consider the outcome to be positive? Explain? - Did you ever get a tattoo/body art?
• How old were you?
• What prompted you to seek a tattoo?
• What was your first tattoo, and where?
• Can you describe what the tattoo looks like?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of the tattoo?
• Describe why the tattoo was essential to you?
• After your first tattoo, did you have other tattoos?
• If yes, were?
• What was the meaning of the tattoos?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of each tattoo?
• Have your feelings about your tattoos changed? Explain.
• What have you liked and disliked about tattoos?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your tattoos?
• How did your family feel about your tattoos?
• Did you ever have a desire or take action to have a tattoo removed? - Have you ever had an amputation?
• What happened?
• Describe what led up to the decision to have an amputation?
• Describe the experience pre and post-amputation?
• What was the process like for learning how to adapt to the amputation?
• What have you liked or disliked about the amputation?
• How did the amputation change your life? - Was there a part of your body that you wanted to change through exercise? Explain.
• Which part of your body did you want to improve?
• What did you do?
• What was the outcome of efforts?
• What did you like and dislike? - What else would you like to discuss about your physical appearance/characteristics?
Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about physical characteristics.
Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 25-65)
Writing Prompts and Questions
“Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 25-65)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Physical Characteristics. 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.
- How would you describe your physical appearance/characteristics during your adult years?
• What did you like and dislike about your physical characteristics?
• Was there ever any part of your physical characteristics that you wanted to change? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of physical characteristics?
• What physical characteristics are common in your family and heritage?
• How have your physical features changed over time? - How would you describe your facial features?
• Describe your eyes, nose, and face?
• What did you like and dislike about your face?
• Did you ever have any corrective surgery on your facial features? - What did you feel about your body weight? Explain.
• Where too thin, overweight for just right? Explain.
• Did you do anything to adjust your weight? If yes, what?
• Were weight issues part of the family heritage?
• How did weight affect your image?
• What did you like most and least about your weight?
• What memories do you have about your weight?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your weight? - Did you wear glasses or other?
• How do you learn that you needed to wear glasses?
• What was the prescription like for your eyes?
• What did you think at the time?
• Did you wear contacts, glasses, have corrective surgery, or other? Explain.
• How did eye correction improve your life?
• Did you like wearing glasses or contacts? Explain.
• Do you wear glasses classes as a fashion statement? Explain.
• What memories do you have about your eye correction?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your glasses? - How would you describe your hearing?
• Was there ever a time when you thought you needed a hearing examination?
• Describe what lead up to the need for a hearing examination?
• What happened after the examination?
• How would you describe the experience?
• Did you ever need hearing aids? Explain.
• Did you ever have damage from an accident to your hearing? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of your hearing? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about hearing?
- How would you describe your dental health?
• Did you ever wear braces? Explain.
• How would you describe your dental appearance?
• What do you like and dislike about your dental appearance?
• Did you ever have a dental correction? Such as caps, dentures, others?
• What memories did you have about your teeth?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your teeth?
• Did you ever have dental damage because of sports, injury, others? - What do you remember about your hair?
• What was the color? Explain.
• How long was your hair? Explain.
• What styles did you like for your hair? Explain.
• Did you perm or color your hair? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about your hair?
• Did you do anything special with your hair for work, home, school, sports, special occasions and other events?
• What did you like most and least about your hair?
• How did you take care of your hair, such as cutting and styling?
• Did you like to style your hair? If yes, how did you learn? - Did you ever have any plastic surgery? Explain.
• What prompted you to seek plastic surgery?
• Where did you have plastic surgery?
• What prompted you to have plastic surgery?
• Describe the experience?
• What did you like and dislike about plastic surgery?
• What memories do you have?
• Would you consider the outcome to be positive? Explain? - Did you ever get a tattoo/body art?
• How old were you?
• What prompted you to seek a tattoo?
• What was your first tattoo, and where?
• Can you describe what the tattoo looks like?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of the tattoo?
• Describe why the tattoo was essential to you?
• After your first tattoo, did you have other tattoos?
• If yes, were?
• What was the meaning of the tattoos?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of each tattoo?
• Have your feelings about your tattoos changed? Explain.
• What have you liked and disliked about tattoos?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your tattoos?
• How did your family feel about your tattoos?
• Did you ever have a desire or take action to have a tattoo removed? - Have you ever had an amputation?
• What happened?
• Describe what led up to the decision to have an amputation?
• Describe the experience pre and post-amputation?
• What was the process like for learning how to adapt to the amputation?
• What have you liked or disliked about the amputation?
• How did the amputation change your life? - Was there a part of your body that you wanted to change through exercise? Explain.
• Which part of your body did you want to improve?
• What did you do?
• What was the outcome of efforts?
• What did you like and dislike? - What else would you like to discuss about your physical appearance/characteristics?
Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about physical characteristics.
Senior Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 65+)
Writing Prompts and Questions
“Senior Adult Physical Characteristics (Age 25-65)” is part of the series for writing prompts and questions about Physical Characteristics. 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.
- How would you describe your physical appearance/characteristics during your senior adult years?
• What did you like and dislike about your physical characteristics?
• Was there ever any part of your physical characteristics that you wanted to change? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of physical characteristics?
• What physical characteristics are common in your family and heritage?
• How have your physical features changed over time? - How would you describe your facial features?
• Describe your eyes, nose, and face?
• What did you like and dislike about your face?
• Did you ever have any corrective surgery on your facial features? - What did you feel about your body weight? Explain.
• Where too thin, overweight for just right? Explain.
• Did you do anything to adjust your weight? If yes, what?
• Were weight issues part of the family heritage?
• How did weight affect your image?
• What did you like most and least about your weight?
• What memories do you have about your weight?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your weight? - Did you wear glasses or other?
• How do you learn that you needed to wear glasses?
• What was the prescription like for your eyes?
• What did you think at the time?
• Did you wear contacts, glasses, have corrective surgery, or other? Explain.
• How did eye correction improve your life?
• Did you like wearing glasses or contacts? Explain.
• Do you wear glasses classes as a fashion statement? Explain.
• What memories do you have about your eye correction?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your glasses? - How would you describe your hearing?
• Was there ever a time when you thought you needed a hearing examination?
• Describe what lead up to the need for a hearing examination?
• What happened after the examination?
• How would you describe the experience?
• Did you ever need hearing aids? Explain.
• Did you ever have damage from an accident to your hearing? Explain.
• Were you ever made fun of because of your hearing? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about hearing?
- How would you describe your dental health?
• Did you ever wear braces? Explain.
• How would you describe your dental appearance?
• What do you like and dislike about your dental appearance?
• Did you ever have a dental correction? Such as caps, dentures, others?
• What memories did you have about your teeth?
• Were you ever made fun of because of your teeth?
• Did you ever have dental damage because of sports, injury, others? - What do you remember about your hair?
• What was the color? Explain.
• How long was your hair? Explain.
• What styles did you like for your hair? Explain.
• Did you perm or color your hair? Explain.
• What did you like or dislike about your hair?
• Did you do anything special with your hair for work, home, school, sports, special occasions and other events?
• What did you like most and least about your hair?
• How did you take care of your hair, such as cutting and styling?
• Did you like to style your hair? If yes, how did you learn? - Did you ever have any plastic surgery? Explain.
• What prompted you to seek plastic surgery?
• Where did you have plastic surgery?
• What prompted you to have plastic surgery?
• Describe the experience?
• What did you like and dislike about plastic surgery?
• What memories do you have?
• Would you consider the outcome to be positive? Explain? - Did you ever get a tattoo/body art?
• How old were you?
• What prompted you to seek a tattoo?
• What was your first tattoo, and where?
• Can you describe what the tattoo looks like?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of the tattoo?
• Describe why the tattoo was essential to you?
• After your first tattoo, did you have other tattoos?
• If yes, were?
• What was the meaning of the tattoos?
• How did you decide on the design?
• What was the meaning of each tattoo?
• Have your feelings about your tattoos changed? Explain.
• What have you liked and disliked about tattoos?
• Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your tattoos?
• How did your family feel about your tattoos?
• Did you ever have a desire or take action to have a tattoo removed? - Have you ever had an amputation?
• What happened?
• Describe what led up to the decision to have an amputation?
• Describe the experience pre and post-amputation?
• What was the process like for learning how to adapt to the amputation?
• What have you liked or disliked about the amputation?
• How did the amputation change your life? - Was there a part of your body that you wanted to change through exercise? Explain.
• Which part of your body did you want to improve?
• What did you do?
• What was the outcome of efforts?
• What did you like and dislike? - What else would you like to discuss about your physical appearance/characteristics?
Click Here to return to the writing prompts and questions about physical characteristics.
