I’m towards the end of the first draft of my novel and you’ve got me thinking about the protag. He hasn’t got any particular flaws but he’s not that brilliant either, could being simply very ordinary compared to those around him be a flaw or just make him dull? Oh well, there’s always the rewrite . . .

Twilight Zone is a childhood favorite of mine. I used to watch that, Amazing Stories, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Those were the days of good TV!!! That and Three’s Company and Looney Tunes. Latchkey kid here. Don’t go crying for me LV.

That’s a really funny thought. Gets a bit psychedelic. Not sure my brain can handle it right now after all the ice cream and carmel corn I just ate. Gosh, now my brain is running wild with ideas. Good one.

Research is essential. I guess I’m lucky in that respect. I’ve done a lot of different things and have always had this thirst for knowledge that helps. Unless I’ve experienced it or researched it to death, I’m not going to use it.

Becoming your character is an interesting feeling. Although many of my characters are based on aspects of myself, I know they’ve gone beyond that when I write a reaction that seems to have come from nowhere. It is creepy – and exciting at the same time. I agree, the “bad” things are often the most fun.

Well, for the writer anyway. I’d hate to think of what my characters would write for me should the tables be turned. Hmmm…there’s a premise in that…

Go ahead and elaborate wherever you like, just point me in the right direction when you do and I’ll be sure to go read it!

Characters are definitely a driving force. A good screenwriter adds flaws and ticks to make the character believable. I love lots of the old James Bond movies because he was always tripping and having embarrassing accidents, especially in front of sexy women, that made him believable as a person. For me, movies, actors, directors, and screenwriters fail when characters don’t have flaws, when lines are delivered flatly and nothing makes the dialog real.

It is easier to watch a plotless movie with great characters, than to watch a great plot with boring unbelievable characters.

“the character is so perfect you can’t stand it?”
Yes. I love the movie Motorcycle Diaries, but the written character of Che didn’t have any of the anger and fire that the real Che would have had in the real life situations. It was my only reproach to the movie.

Story arch and character growth are ESSENTIAL to a successful screenplay. It is noted in every screenwriting book.

Research your characters. Nothing is worse than unbelievable characters.

Your characters come to life when you fill them up with the tiny details of their life.

“become the character”
To me, this is the difference between professional creative writers and the masses. Only in the last few years after some personal traumatic experiences was I able to make the leap out of my own skin and into fully fictional characters. Before this, it was all me, me, me, which was boring. Now, it is really exciting as a writer to be able to fully separate myself from a character. It’s really fun and gets a little creepy sometimes. My co-writer and I find ourselves doing bad (fun) things we created for a characters. Eek. Now, my characters inspire me!

–RLD: Excellent points. Thanks for saying.
–Hunter: I agree re BY
–The SIMPSONS is the best fiction scripted show ever, in my book. I will do a feature post on that based on a panel discussion with the writers that I had the honor of attending.

So much to say! Aaaaah.

Inspirational post. I will be elaborating on such things back at my site (or here?!) soon.
Thanks!

Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywood’s last blog post..Interview with Student Actor Kari Lane