Character Development Questions — Michael Scofield

Curious about Michael Scofield? He’s a deep character with a lot of layers that are begging to be explored. 

Questions based on this ask meme

What position does your character sleep in? ( i.e; stomach, side, back, etc. ) Describe why they do this — optional.

• While in prison, Michael slept on his back or side – this was the least vulnerable position for him to sleep in
• At home, Michael sleeps on his side or his stomach, as this is the most comfortable for him after being on guard 24/7 for so long.

Does your character have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual? etc.

• Michael is missing two toes due to a prison incident, as well as having a large burn scar on his right shoulder blade. There are other scars that he received while in prison. (Stabbings, burns, etc)

Does your character have an accent? What does it sound like?

• Michael has a general american accent, generalized around a Midwest accent. Says things like “outta” instead of “out of,” “gotta” rather than “got to/have to.” He also carries many of the typical Midwest slang and colloquialisms that are popular in the Great Lakes/Chicago area.

Do they have any verbal tics? Do they have trouble pronouncing certain words or getting their thoughts across clearly?

• When there is a lot of emotion stirring within Michael, he can tend to have more outbursts. He can also be very quiet if he’s calculating something in specific detail. 

What are their chief tension areas?

• Michael’s primary tension area is in his neck & hands.

If you were to pick one song — and only one song — to describe your character, what would it be and why?

• “Save Me” – by Remy Zero

How does your character perceive themselves? Positive? Negative? Neutral?

• Michael sees himself as an overall good person, but sometimes even the best people have to do bad or hurtful things to get where they need to be.

Are they a quick thinker or do they need time to sort through their thoughts?

• Both. Michael was diagnosed with something known as low latent inhibition, meaning while one person sees a doorknob as a doorknob, Michael sees the doorknob for every single part, even the ones the naked eye cannot see.
• He’s a quick thinker most of the time, but when the plan he had set doesn’t go exactly as he had planned and set up, he needs time to think and sort through things.

Does your character dream or are their nights filled with an empty blackness?

• If he dreams, it’s usually a nightmare of some sort. Fox River changed him, causing more trauma on an already traumatized person. Usually the dream/nightmare consists of losing someone he loves while he is helpless and can’t do anything to aid them.

 Describe a dream they’ve had or a night they couldn’t sleep and what they did to preoccupy their time.

• There were many sleepless nights while Michael was incarcerated. He spent them planning and re-planning the escape, making sure every minute detail was fully planned for. When the original plan backfired, he would pace his cell, trying to figure out a new plan.
• After his nightmares, he can never fall back asleep, so he thinks about time with Lincoln and LJ before everything happened. He reminisces on the good memories they had together.

If they had a choice, would they prefer a subway or a bus for public transportation?

• Train, because there is less stimuli for his LLI to get fixated on, and he can put some headphones on, pull a hat down over his eyes, and have some control of the stimuli.

What do they think of creation? Do they believe in evolution or do they believe in God? What is their religion like?

• Michael is a Christian, but it’s not prominent in his life. While at Fox River, he attended chapel as a time to see his brother. He speaks about God occasionally, but isn’t really much of a church-goer or a man of prayer.

Describe 5 unusual characteristics your muse has.

• Creative Genius, due to his low latent inhibition & high IQ
• unflappable determination
• taciturn
• Stoic
• teetering on the edge of psychosis

Have they ever been so overwhelmed they had to stop and take a break from something?

• Sometimes the amount of incoming stimuli is too much, and Michael’s brain powers down for him, saving him from falling into complete psychosis.
• Rarely, Michael notices that he’s overwhelmed and can take a step away from things and let himself cool down and be in a quiet place.

Are they a team player or do they prefer to be solo?

• Michael has only known being on his own or with his brother. He prefers to go things alone, but when faced with certain situations, he can be a team player.
• Being a team player is actually one of his faults, because he puts others before himself, making huge sacrifices to help others, and is often more concerned with other people’s welfare than his own.

Can they multi-task or must they focus on one subject at a time?

• Yes. He can to do both, but if there is a lot of incoming stimuli (pretty much always), he must only focus on one thing at a time

What are their best school subjects? What are their worst? List five of each.

• Best
• Math
• Physics
• History
• Architecture
• Art
• Worst
• Science
• Home Economics
• Economics
• Music
• Gym

Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? How do they handle big crowds of people?

• Introvert. Michael doesn’t do well in crowds, so he tries to stay close to the edge of larger crowds. During Rec time at Fox River, you could usually find him alone, somewhere along the perimeter of the fence. During block time in Gen Pop, Michael typically stayed in his cell unless he absolutely needed to talk to someone.

Are they a leader, do they prefer to follow, or would they rather just stay on the sidelines altogether?

• Michael prefers to lead, because he knows if he doesn’t, shit won’t get done properly.
• He also knows when to delegate tasks to other people and when it’s appropriate to sit on the sidelines and/or follow.

If your character was suddenly challenged, would they rather run away or stay and fight?

• Depends on the situation, honestly. Michael feels a great deal of pain and suffering from those around him, and he has a severely low sense of self-worth, meaning he will let himself get beat to a pulp. The only time he fights back is when threats have been made to his family, or a family member or close friend is relying on him to stay alive.

If your character was allowed to murder one person without any consequences, who would that person be and why?

• Michael is not one to murder. The memories would haunt him and torture him for all of his life. I think even if he had the chance, he still wouldn’t take it.

Your character has been granted 3 wishes; what would they wish for and why?

1. Happiness and health for his friends & family
2. A relationship with his parents
3. (to be determined)

Does your character trust people right off the bat or does it take them some time to warm up to someone?

• Michael trusts very few, especially when it comes to his safety and the safety of those he cares deeply about. He also can lead people to believe that he’s trustworthy, when in reality Michael can be pretty untrustworthy at times.

Do they prefer romance or affection? What is the quickest way to your character’s heart?

• Michael has been touched starved nearly his entire life, so when he shows affection, it’s huge for him. The quickest way to his heart is through words of affirmation and positive physical touch. If a touch is unwanted, unwarranted, or unexpected, Michael will pull away.

Does your character have any enemies? If so, who and why?

• Due to his time in prison and the connections he made (or lack thereof), Michael has racked up his fair share of enemies. Some in the Chicago Mob, some because he somehow wronged them while in prison.

Do they have any weird bedroom habits? Any unusual kinks?

How does your character prepare for bed? Do they sleep at all or can they stay awake for days on end without trouble?

• Michael follows a usual routine when getting ready for bed. This routine helps him to have some semblance of control in his otherwise hectic life. The routine usually starts with brushing his teeth, washing his face, and changing into pajamas before crawling into bed and reading until he starts to feel drowsy. Then, inevitably, he puts his book away and is wide awake, tossing and turning for another hour or more with his racing thoughts before he actually falls asleep.

If your character had one thing to say to their parents before they died, what would it be?

• Michael would hug his mom, and tell her how much he loves her. With his Dad he would just want to ensure him that he forgave him.

Are they afraid of death? Do they have any regrets?

• Michael fears death just as much as the next person, but he also doesn’t care about it. I think he fears the pain before death more than death itself.

Does your character get restless when things are too quiet or do they favour solitude and silence? Why?

• Michael longs for solitude & silence. When he’s surrounded by others, the voices, sounds, and movements can be too stimulating for him. If he’s in a group and leaves suddenly, he’s taking the steps to remove himself from the situation and stop himself from overstimulation.

Finally; if your character was forced to eat one thing for the rest of their life, what would they choose and why?

• Honestly, as silly as it is, i think it would be cornbread. There’s something about the simple food that he enjoys so much. It’s sweet, but salty.