Character development...

I'm working on writing something, I got the timeline/plot all figured out and now before I start actually writing this screenplay, I'd like to develop the characters (Well, at least the two main ones for now)...

Does anyone have any advice for character development? It's not really something I'd like to approach lightly considering this might turn into a movie I'd love to do sometime in the future and everything I've ever taken seriously as a writer had no characters involved (songs) and the few screenplays I have written have been extremely short or spoofs so they really didn't require much development...

The first aspect of the character I focus on is their features, what they look like. After I have that down pat in my head and written down descriptively, I decide their personality, and their role in the novel overall, how much they will appear, if they are a main character or a background one. And the last thing is the name, which HAS to come naturally to me, or it will feel just not very close to my heart.

But uh.. yeah that's all I've got for now. But if you wanna ask me anything you can. I think Unit will be the best one to ask though.

That's good advice! Do you do that for every character?

Yeah, I'm hoping he'll come in here! He'll have excellent advice, no doubt!

melissa052 wrote:That's good advice! Do you do that for every character?

Yeah, I'm hoping he'll come in here! He'll have excellent advice, no doubt!

I'm glad it helped, and yes I do (: Characters mean the world to me.

He probably will!

First off you need to make sure the characters change over time. Think of Batman Begins. Bruce Wayne starts off as a guy trying to seek justice for his parents death. When he fails and has a confrontation with the Mob Boss dude he goes around the world trying to understand the mind of a criminal. Which leads him to the League of Shadows. There is a defining moment. Whether or not to take the life of a criminal. Whether or not it can be seen as justified. Its here that he first discovers his One Rule: To Not Kill.

You can give all of your characters great backgrounds, all the funny quirks, and mannerisims you want. However you need to make sure they change over the course of the story. Moments in their life that change them.

Take Whats Eating Gilbert Grape as another example. At the end of the movie he has changed. Before he didn't mind and would help young kids sneak a peek at his mother. He didn't care. But at the end of the movie, he does care. In fact that was the entire point of burning down the house, cremating his mother. So that she wouldn't become a joke.

The key thing is. You need to make sure your characters grow over the course of the story. If they remain the same as they were from start to finish, then its going to suck.

But before you can change your character over the course of the story you need a character to start off with.

So who is your character? What are they like? Do they have any fears? Are they a cold person are they an emotional person? Basicly, what kind of personality do they have?

It also helps to think about their background. Where did they grow up? But most importantly what kind of relationship do they have with their family? If they had an abusive father, then that will help shape the character.

Sorry I wish I could help you further. But... well I feel like I have no idea what I am saying.

But I would recommend looking up Character Development in google and reading up on it.

Thanks, Unit! That helps SO much, makes me actually think... I will definitely have a busy night tonight!

pinkcupcake wrote:The first aspect of the character I focus on is their features, what they look like. After I have that down pat in my head and written down descriptively, I decide their personality, and their role in the novel overall, how much they will appear, if they are a main character or a background one. And the last thing is the name, which HAS to come naturally to me, or it will feel just not very close to my heart.

But uh.. yeah that's all I've got for now. But if you wanna ask me anything you can. I think Unit will be the best one to ask though.

But that's the thing. This is with novels. With screenplays it's another game since it's more like a skeleton with a few organs and some skin attached. And then when it gets more transplants with the visions of casting directors,actors ,producers and so on until you have the whole complete project.

Mel the best I can advise you is to start reading screenplays for yourself. I am sure they are quite a few online.


If you are looking for a series here are some moe amteur type of scripts done by fans but who still have potential

http://virtual-mutant.mzp-tv.co.uk/sa/samain.html
http://www.mzp-tv.co.uk/


Also this forum is dedicated to script writing so it may help

http://www.mzp-tv.co.uk/forum/index.php

--

When I write, the main character is usually me. I put in a few of my personality traits and physical features, but for the plot, I write about a fantasy or fear I have.

Or I write about one of my mortal enemies. I take the one thing I hate most about someone and exaggerate it. A lot. So they're the bad guy.