Character Development

[Creeprsuthrland]

I am currently writing the basis of a short story, as a jumping off point for a screenplay.
Now i've always been pretty OKAY at writing. I can really handle descriptive settings and sort of set the scene in writing. But i've always had such a hard time with character development. The rising and falling actions of an antihero or antogonist in the story. I can't seem to wrap my head around the characters in my story resolving and coming full circle. They sort of just stay the same throughout everything never adjusting or adapting. and i hate it! if anyone has this problem or knows of any good tips in character devolpment and progession in a story I would very much appreciate it!

 

[Quarry]

What kind of movie are you making? Is the protagonist all-powerful, hero and main character? Does he always have to be stronger and smarter? Is he ruthless? Will he kill the antagonists and the antiheroes?

 

[FantasySciFi]

Character development means pushing a character outside of their comfort zone. An exercise that sometimes help is to create a character template--what are the strengths, the weaknesses, interests/hobbies, things they dislike, etc. It helps you get closer to your characters but also serves as a tool.

Confront the hero with his weakness. He either finds a way to overcome it or is destroyed by it. The same can be true of a character's strength, incidentally--being so clever and sure that they fall into a trap. Then create an "arc" Where is the character at the start of the story? What is the opposite?

If a character starts off shy, by the end they should have confronted that shyness and had to stand up for themselves. When starting out this is a helpful tool. Over time, you will rely less on it as it becomes more intuitive in your writing. Fortunately, if you are using CeltX, it has that feature built in. You can do it on computer or index cards too.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

I think a good page one for your story is to wake up your character in theirbedroom and describe what they surround themselves with. That says a lot about your character and gives you some background about your character to work with.

Example, if someone or their family is close to them, they will keep photos of them around them.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Also, if you have never taken a class in psychology, you need to get books on psychology to create believable psychological profiles for your characters.

 

[Creeprsuthrland]

Man, These are all really good responses. Thank you guys so much haha.

Well im basing the main character as more of an introverted, person. A person who clings to the past, and his past sort of defines him seeing it everywhere he goes. And sort of the trials and tribulations that ensue during a certain period of his life. Nothing to fancy.

Just like a normal person, that is i guess is very insanley nostalgic.
I know, I know, its not much to base a character off of.
BUt thats why i need help with development.
Its still in its infancy so It could go a completly other way if i want.

But thanks for the great tips

 

[8salacious9]

Man, These are all really good responses. Thank you guys so much haha.

Well im basing the main character as more of an introverted, person. A person who clings to the past, and his past sort of defines him seeing it everywhere he goes. And sort of the trials and tribulations that ensue during a certain period of his life. Nothing to fancy.

Just like a normal person, that is i guess is very insanley nostalgic.
I know, I know, its not much to base a character off of.
BUt thats why i need help with development.
Its still in its infancy so It could go a completly other way if i want.

But thanks for the great tips

Personally I just find that character as normal to be honest, I just don't think people want to see normal people in films, they want this person to have OCD or a dark secret, or something happens to them and it turns them skitso, like they use to be so happy and confident then one day something happend so now this person is weird, depressing, secretive, has an obsession with the person that changed his/her life, I find adding random problems creates the character to be unique, I mean your not doing a documentary or basing it on someone's life, if you are then of course keep it simple and stick to the story.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Some established authors make it a point to make something stand out with their protagonist where they can be spotted out in a crowd.

That can be anything from a physical disability to an unusual physical characteristic.

 

[Tibet]

Write a brief backstory to your character...

Was his father and mother killed in a horrible accident when he was a young boy?

Was he raised in an overly protective Christian-faith home?

Was he bullied in high school, or was HE the bully?

Did he do drugs? Did he drink? Did he have any girlfriends?

You must create the "Genesis" of your character before you can decide what road he is to take.

When I create characters I think of what my Story is about first. Story is more important than Character, don't let anybody tell you different. Don't get me wrong, Character is important, but Story trumps Character. So, when I think about creating a character for my Story, I think of what kind of settings my Character is going to be put through, and then I think of a Character that would be completely uncomfortable in those settings.

"A chain-smoking alcoholic TEENAGER is sent to Catholic school"

"A stuttering King has to give a speech to his people in order to give them hope during time of war" -
The Kings Speech.

 

[SCRIPTMONK!!!]

Character arcs are relatively simple once one breaks them down.

1. The protagonist starts the story with an INTERNAL NEED (to find love or acceptance, find self-respect, open him/herself up to others, etc). The internal need is something missing from the character that keeps him/her from being a complete, satisfied, successful person.
2. However, some quality has kept the character from gaining this internal need his or her life. This is called the FATAL FLAW (selfishness, lack of confidence, questionable personal morality, to name a few examples). As long as the flaw remains, the character will fail at whatever he/she attempts and will never be able to claim the internal need he/she desperately needs.
3. Here is where plot and conflict come into play. When the character encounters conflict while pursuing the story goal (whatever it may be) the character's fatal flaw constantly causes him/her to have trouble and/or fail.
4. After sufficient struggle, the character comes to realize (consciously or unconsciously) that in order to overcome conflict and find any success, he/she must learn to CHANGE. The character reevaluates how he/she has dealt with things in the past and resolves to do things differently from now on. Not necessarily because the character wants to change, but because he/she HAS to change, or else he/she will follow the path of failure and lose the story's struggle in the end.
5. Once the character attempts to change, the flawed behavior that has held him/her back previously begins to melt away. With the fatal flaw abandoned, the door is now open for the protagonist to finally reach his/her internal need and find victory in the end.

When rewriting, you must ask yourself what are your protagonist's internal need/fatal flaw, as well as realize whether these traits are in fact demonstrated in the story. Then, the events of the plot must act as a gradual eroding force that leads the character to come to the realization he/she must change, and provide the necessities that convince the protagonist he/she MUST change to find success. This is the key to integrating plot and character arc. The story goal must be something that can only be achieved if the protagonist first changes who they are and how they see the world.

 

[wheatgrinder]

another thought (riffing on McKee or just down right ripping off!!)

Separate Character from characterization.

A lot of people spend time on characterization. This is the sum total of observable facts that can be known about a character, birth date, back story, hair color, style of clothes, manner of speech, etc.

In contrast, Character can only be revealed by the choices a person makes. This will reveal motives that are not even clear to the character..

For example, think of a smart attractive woman going for the "bad" guy that treats her like crap. The characterization of the woman is smart, attractive, capable can get any guy she wants, but her choices reveal an inner darkness that even she cant explain.

 

[Firm1]

Man, These are all really good responses. Thank you guys so much haha.

Well im basing the main character as more of an introverted, person. A person who clings to the past, and his past sort of defines him seeing it everywhere he goes. And sort of the trials and tribulations that ensue during a certain period of his life. Nothing to fancy.

Just like a normal person, that is i guess is very insanley nostalgic.
I know, I know, its not much to base a character off of.
BUt thats why i need help with development.
Its still in its infancy so It could go a completly other way if i want.

But thanks for the great tips

There's a lot of thought-processes involved when trying to develop a character. Obviously, you want him to be interesting or at least unique in some way but when it really comes down to it, its about what you want to tell your audience. The story is the medium you're using to send a deeper message to people. What that message is, defines who that character is and how he develops throughout the story.

So for instance, I'm writing a story right now that attempts to teach people about the human condition and how a normal individual can go from civil to dangerous. But, more so I'm trying to tell a story that taps into how people cope with large social digressions after they've come and gone. It deals with heavy emotions related to pain and regret.

Now, what I generally do is take this large meaning and try to think of characters that would help me articulate this to an audience. For me, I chose a cop who used to be corrupt but is now trying to move on and make a family. His arch type is good because it sort of reinforces the larger meaning by showing his personal life as an example for how an individual can deal with digressions that occurred in their life.

This is probably more confusing than helpful, but in short I would focus on the overall meaning behind the story and then try and make an interesting character who can help you express this meaning.

 

[Quarry]

It could really work if you'd develop your character using your psychology as an example. Let's say, the character is, you, stack in the situation you want him to be and having the feelings you would want to have. For example, too much bravery or strength. Just write about how yourself would be if he was grown the way your character was and if he was stack in that kind of situation.

Be careful, however. Sometimes, you like your character so much, that you make him overshadow the other characters. You have to put parts of yourself in every single one of your basic characters, so that nobody overshadows another one and luck decides who wins in the end, not you. You know what I mean. The "good" or the "me" guy doesn't always win. Are you sure you would win, if you were really in his place?

I'm not really a good adviser. You see, my script has the saddest ending you could possibly imagine, yet the main character is the one who wins.

 

[geckopelli]

Character development is one of my strong suits, and I can tell you the secret:

How much do you know about the character that is not (at least not yet) in relation to the script?

What was their childhood like?
What's the most traumatic event (previous to your story) they've ever experienced?
Stuff like that.

The more you know about a person, the more real they are to you, and the more you love or hate them, and the better you can describe them through context.
Same with characters.

I am currently writing the basis of a short story, as a jumping off point for a screenplay.
Now i've always been pretty OKAY at writing. I can really handle descriptive settings and sort of set the scene in writing. But i've always had such a hard time with character development. The rising and falling actions of an antihero or antogonist in the story. I can't seem to wrap my head around the characters in my story resolving and coming full circle. They sort of just stay the same throughout everything never adjusting or adapting. and i hate it! if anyone has this problem or knows of any good tips in character devolpment and progession in a story I would very much appreciate it!

 

[FantasySciFi]

Reading through the replies, you've received excellent advice. I would only add a couple cautionary notes. First, a screenplay does not contain a lot of detailed description. This is quite opposite most creative writing. Remember that a screenplay will be visually interpreted by other artists. What you need to convey are the details relevant to setting up the scene. Being a good novelist/short story writer can work against you as a screenwriter in that regard.

Second, be careful not to think that character development can be reduced to a formula. You don't want your central character(s) to behave stereotypically. For example, the hardened soldier who rescues the puppy/kid/etc. at a critical juncture just because "it's the right thing to do." The pause, the moral dilemma, the choice and the consequence are all bound up in what's come before. If you just drop this on the audience because "I need to show this guy/gal has a soft spot" then you often risk breaking the connection with the audience. Be cautious using behavioral memes; they often become "plot elements" rather than "character traits".

Psychologists recognize that thoughts, feelings and behaviors form a triangle of mutual effect. How I feel about someone/something influences my thoughts about them which affects how I behave towards them. If I behave as if something is true, my thinking begins to accept it, and I start to actually feel it as well. (If you've ever pretended to be sick to stay home from school, you might find your body actually starts coughing and show signs of being sick.) Apply this to your characters as well. They may have beliefs (or feelings) and must behave in a different manner. The resolution of that conflict is what needs to take place. Part of the 'drama' is the leakage of that inner conflict into the behaviors. It's not one time but ongoing. That's how the audience sees and participates in the character's development. Scrooge seeing his tombstone would not have been as significant to him or us, if we had not re-experienced the conflicts that brought him to where he was. What is your character's personal event that is the turning point that brings clarity of purpose. Most of us lack purpose or are afraid to commit to a purpose because of the awesome burden it places on us. That is what makes the hero. And that awesome burden is what can break a hero, becoming the anti-hero. Good luck.

 

[MindStudios]

One trick for practicing character development I remember from one of my teachers. When you are in a public place or on bus or something and you have a pen and paper to write. Look at the people around you and describe them. Describe their physical appearance first and then you can analyze them in different ways, you will probably give in to certain stereotypes and you have to delve into what you think their personality is like, simply from their appearance. As you keep practicing you will get better and better at describing random people and this will make it easier for you to describe your character.

This might not seem like it pertains to character development, but there are certain things in a person's appearance and demeanor that gives away their personality or maybe a bit of their past, so in this way since you know your character's past and personality, you can give them a physical presence that will subconsciously tell the reader (or viewer) what that character is like.

Also, analyzing people and personal stories from real life can give you examples of realistic reactions to certain events, so that whatever your character does isn't too far off from what the audience would expect (unless of course that's the point you are trying to make).

 

[Joe Citizen]

Character development means pushing a character outside of their comfort zone. An exercise that sometimes help is to create a character template--what are the strengths, the weaknesses, interests/hobbies, things they dislike, etc. It helps you get closer to your characters but also serves as a tool.

Confront the hero with his weakness. He either finds a way to overcome it or is destroyed by it. The same can be true of a character's strength, incidentally--being so clever and sure that they fall into a trap. Then create an "arc" Where is the character at the start of the story? What is the opposite?

If a character starts off shy, by the end they should have confronted that shyness and had to stand up for themselves.

To add to this good advice, I suggest considering your character as an idea. Is he a hardass, a poet, what's he about? Uncompromising integrity (maybe to the point of madness), service of the greater good, his own selfish needs and nothing else, will to power, what? If you can nail down who you want this guy to be in an essential sense like this, it can help you answer questions about his actions.

Mind, that's a great idea about doing character studies, I'm going to have to try that.

Well im basing the main character as more of an introverted, person. A person who clings to the past, and his past sort of defines him seeing it everywhere he goes. And sort of the trials and tribulations that ensue during a certain period of his life. Nothing to fancy.

Just like a normal person, that is i guess is very insanley nostalgic.
I know, I know, its not much to base a character off of.

Actually, that's exactly what I was talking about. You have the kernel of the character, so now you have the guide point I was referring to. I might start by wondering why he's so nostalgic; the present isn't good enough for him, so he prefers the past. Why? Did he lose his lover or loved one, his zest for life, his way, what? That will tell you a lot more about this guy, obviously.

Really good posts in this thread, btw. Fantasy's second post really resonated for me.

 

[labcoatmeerkat]

I am currently writing the basis of a short story, as a jumping off point for a screenplay.
Now i've always been pretty OKAY at writing. I can really handle descriptive settings and sort of set the scene in writing. But i've always had such a hard time with character development. The rising and falling actions of an antihero or antogonist in the story. I can't seem to wrap my head around the characters in my story resolving and coming full circle. They sort of just stay the same throughout everything never adjusting or adapting. and i hate it! if anyone has this problem or knows of any good tips in character devolpment and progession in a story I would very much appreciate it!

Not sure if someone already mentioned this, but something I have found helpful is having had either some actor training or having read some good books on acting. Or both. A good acting teacher will go on about objectives, obstacles and tactics. A good book on acting will describe methods and exercises to help develop the muscles actors need to address those objectives, obstacles, and tactics. This training (and studying), if done with conviction for a long enough time, will undoubtedly seep into your style of writing character development.

I'd recommend Stanislavksi, Michael Chekhov, and Uta Hagen -- as far as essential reading. The Poetics by Aristotle is also a must.

At the same time, I have seen good plays where the characters basically stay the same -- while the circumstances around them are what become more and more extraordinary. If done with a sure hand, this technique can be as alive as the one where the character goes through the whole arc and evolution bit.

It really just depends on what the story is that you are trying to communicate.

Hope this helps.

Jorge