Which you know if you’ve ever tried to make someone like you by being nice. You can make a story out of: A nice person diving into the nasty pool A nasty person doing laps in the nasty pool A nasty person climbing out of the nasty pool for a redeeming purpose But there is…
Read moreREVENGE CHARACTERS
CAUTION. When you create a character to settle a score with that bitter teacher or boss from the patriarchy or the douche who screwed the girl you were crushing on, remember that humanizing them is more effective than demonizing them. To really assassinate someone in a revenge character, they can’t be flat on the page…
Read moreABANDON YOUR PRIVILEGE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE
I’m not prejudiced against young, fit, good-looking white people, they have their own set of specialized problems I can’t relate to, so I wouldn’t presume. But they are only one subset of people. The joy of writing spec scripts for competitions is that you’re not bound by the market. It’s not a prize for the…
Read moreCAN MY PROTAG BE PASSIVE IF THE POINT IS THAT HE’S A PASSIVE GUY?
YOUR DAMN PASSIVE PROTAG
Your active protag needs three things: a goal, a plan and a flaw. The goal: win the prize, save the planet, find the killer. How will he get there? He will drive the bus there. The plan is the bus. His flaw is that he is the world’s worst bus driver. A passive protag gets on…
Read moreNOT FROM WHAT THEY SAY
We learn about a character from the decisions they make. #screenwriting — Namita Kabilas (@NamitaKabilas) September 25, 2013
Read moreIt is often difficult to admit that someone you love is not perfect, or to consider aspects of a person that are less than admirable. The Grim Grotto – Lemony Snicket (via maximo-c) BUT IT MAKES A GREAT SCREENPLAY!
Read moreIf your character is a Virgo, make sure people argue with her. A lot.
Read moreFIELD GUIDE TO CHEESY FEMALE CHARACTERS
THE HOT GIRLFRIEND PRIZE She waits, over there, until it is time for her to be awarded to the protagonist in recognition for his achievements. JUST THE WORLD’S BEST EVER MOMWIFE She cares so much. She gets concerned. She just wants to help. She has never needed a drink in her entire life. MISS READY,…
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