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BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE
(Or, at least avoiding dead ones)
My Fellow Writers,
For the past couple of weeks, I've been talking a bit about how to avoid mediocrity in choose a premise and in breaking a story. This week, I'd like to discuss character.
We've all heard a ton of theories about how to write character. Some suggest writing a whole life history for characters, others think that it's good to imagine the ideal actor for the role, or to imagine the traits of someone you know. These are all valid techniques, and I go to all of them and a hundred more when I'm trying to bring a character to life.
Ideally, you've have a memorable character that simultaneously transcends and embodies the story. If your characters are already amazing, stop reading here, since I'm only going to talk about some of the common mistakes in screenplay characterizations.
Probably the most common shortcoming in characters are those whose actions are determined entirely by the plot, and not by any inherent character traits. The character is dragged through various emotions because of what's happened around him or her, but never responds in any consistent or distinctive manner. I can't understate how often this mistake is made. The reason it happens is that writers have a plot they want to get through. And sometimes, they'll come to a tough spot, and they'll have their character do what takes the story from point A to point B in the most convenient fashion.
Well, I'm here to tell you that you'll never get away with this. Any experienced reader will sense when something is being done out of convenience. And if your character is just responding to the plot or other characters in a generic way, that character will never be more than just a plot device.
This relates closely to another common shortcoming in character - lack of originality. I have yet to meet two people who are as identical as any two of the stock buddy-movie cops out there. Certainly, you have to create something in your characters that will be identifiable, but if characters feel like they're movie characters, then you've already lost. This can also happen when you give heroes too many outlandish qualities (e.g., a quantum physicist who is also a world-class rock-climber, and a billionaire).
In short, try to contain and focus the emotions of your characters. Really pay attention to the traits of real people. And, most importantly, when you're writing your script, don't let yourself get away with an easy or convenient choice. Keep your characters' distinctive personalities and traits ever-present in the story, and you'll go a long way toward bringing them to life.
Next week, I'll talk about dialogue. For now, I have to go write some of it.
Monologuing,
Grady
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