I’ve been spending the past few years getting my doctorate degree in creative writing with the thesis Breaking the Curse: Retelling a Folk Fairy Tale to Explore Trauma and Healing in Novels for Young People. During my research, I came across Donna Jackson Nakazawa’s brilliant book Childhood Disrupted. She included a resilience questionnaire, which I have adapted here for creative writers to use in their character development process.
I recommend taking this questionnaire alongside the Adverse Childhood Experiences quiz.
Resilience Questionnaire
My character believes that their mother loves them.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
My character believes that their father loves them.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
Other people help my character’s mother and father take care of them and those people seem to love my character.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
When my character was an infant, someone in their family enjoyed playing with them, and my character enjoyed it, too.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
There are relatives in my character’s family who make them feel better if they are sad or worried.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
Neighbors or my character’s friends’ parents seem to like them.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
There are teachers, coaches, youth leaders, or ministers who want to help my character.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
Someone in my character’s family cares about how they are doing in school.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
My character’s family, neighbors, and friends talk often about making their lives better.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
My character has rules in their house and are expected to keep them.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
When my character feels really bad, they can almost always find someone they trust to talk to.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
People notice that my character is capable and can get things done.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
My character is independent and a go-getter.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
My character believes that life is what you make it.
- Definitely True
- Probably True
- Not Sure
- Probably Not True
- Definitely Not True
What’s your character’s score?
How many of these 14 protective factors did your character have as a child and youth? (How many of the 14 were circled “Definitely True” or “Probably True”?) _______
Will this change by the end of the story?
Writing prompts
Choose the prompt that speaks to you:
- A safe adult in your character’s life.
- A time your character acted from their resiliency instead of their trauma.
- A conversation between your character and a safe person about their trauma.
References
Nakazawa, Donna Jackson. Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal. Atria Books, 2016.
