Writing Great Characters
Penguin June 24th, 2009
ScriptForSale has 3 videos has an interesting take on writing great characters. I personally like defining who my characters are before doing any plotting. I just find that it’s easier for me.
The video talks about 3 ways to discover your character
- Creating them, by using a profile before you start any writing
- Creating the profile as you write
- Pitch the character to a friend and have them fill in the profile
The Character Profile consists of 4 required elements:
- role in the story
- age & description
- core traits – how the character presents themselves
- character subtext
The core traits are broken down into 4 categories:
- external
- emotional
- intellectual
- subtext
There are also 7 optional elements that compliment the required elements.
- flaw
- character arc
- world view
- want/need
- motto (saying, catch phrase)
- mission/agenda
- what makes the character unique
I personally always have a flaw that comes from their want/need. This is how I establish the character’s motivation.
Nice simple template that gives you a starting position.
You can find the videos below.
Via: Filmmaker IQ
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