Drawing a map of a room or a building or, in one case, a summer camp, helps me visualize my characters’ lives more completely. This post offers some reasons why.

The Allure of the Map
http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2014/01/the-allure-of-the-map.html

There are a few reasons I’m sharing this post.
First, I’ve been a sci-fi geek since I was 12, and Gibson’s Neuromancer is a classic.
Second, a writers’ group I belong to is about to begin a project pairing authors with artists to publish a book of verbal and visual art. We can only hope the words inspire art as good as some of these images.
Third, I don’t think I’m the only writer who finds it easier to tell the stories that come to my mind with vivid, if imaginary, surrounding environments.

http://io9.com/the-most-amazing-artworks-based-on-william-gibsons-neu-1507726378

OK, maybe not all 50, but answering a few may help you better understand the people on your pages. And they certainly help place them in real worlds.

50 Job Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer http://zite.to/LBq2GI

Intended to help employers find the kinds of people they want to hire, these questions could be handy to unlock the personalities of your fictional characters.
You might even consider using some in interviews for non-fiction. Develop some “signature” questions akin to Barbara Walter’s old “What kind of tree are you?”

25 Wacky Interview Questions That Work

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230931