1. No, that is up to you - and in this case, most likely up to her as well if you feel like she might already be capable of making these decisions. If it feels bad then it's usually better to not do it.
2. Well, in a way you could say it's sort of passive forcing as you would probably be passively imposing or visualizing at that point if you're just doing it to be polite rather than trying your hardest to see them. Listing it as forcing or a forcing activity would sound a bit silly due to how small of a gesture it is, though it most likely is a part of your overall passive or active imposition. It's not a bad thing to do when no one is watching though, as it is you treating them as a real person which tends to lead to good results.
3. Just do whatever you have done this far, though if you're doing some kind of personality forcing then at this point you might as well stop doing that. Tell her that you are only giving her suggestions if you change something and that she can change them herself if she wants to, you're not trying to force her into anything. Keep narrating and see if you get some responses. Also keep an open mind and remember that if something suddenly changes, it's possible that it was her.
Bonus answer:
I use her as my "muse" for video game and tabletop characters, who all tend to be very close to her.
Start being a bit more creative instead of being a one trick pony with copies. You sound like someone who is a bore to roleplay with if all your characters end up being more or less the same, come on! Mix it up a little already, try something you would have never done before and see how much fun you can have by doing something new. I'd be pretty freaked out if someone kept making copies of me to play pretend with, too.
