Can you tell a good story without a round character? What does it mean to be a round character? There is a good chance most of your favorite movies and shows revolve around the unfolding of these characters. Conversely, stories without any well-developed characters tend to feel unrelatable. They don’t give the audience enough incentive to get invested in the story. In this post we will define what is a round character, and what is not, and show you some examples in film and television so that you can write your own compelling characters. These also work as a round…
Over the last few years, Hollywood has tried to reinvent its definition of the “strong female protagonist” – but the result has been mixed. Although there has been a greater representation of empowered women in Hollywood films, there has also been a dissolution of nuanced characters. All of this begs the question: how do you effectively write a female protagonist? Well, it starts with all of the tenets of effective characterization – and by analyzing the best female protagonists of all-time. We’re going to break down the best female protagonists by looking at what makes them strong and weak. By the…
When you think of the most iconic films in cinema, odds are there is a well-rounded, memorable, maybe even complex character attached to it. However, you may be surprised that many of these great films also use simple characters that lack complexity. These are flat characters. What is a flat character arc? In this article, we’ll take a look at the flat character definition, how they differ from round characters, and why writers intentionally use these characters in their stories. Continue reading What is a Flat Character — Types of Character Arcs Explained
What is a Mary Sue? This much-maligned character type is often the subject of fierce online debate, and pinning down a precise definition requires sorting through swaths of debate and disagreement. In this post, we will be explaining everything you need to know about the Mary Sue trope. We’ll get started with a definition, then examine why this type of character is so derided, look at some examples, and attempt to end things on a positive note by searching for a silver lining.Continue reading What is a Mary Sue — Character Types Explained
Mad Men is one of television's best period pieces. It not only uses the 1960s as a backdrop and setting for the show, it imbues its dialogue, story, and characters with the details of the times. Every character reflects the 1960s in one way or another. In this article, we’ll analyze how Betty Draper’s tragic character arc was developed and written to reflect the times. Be warned there are spoilers ahead. Continue reading Betty Draper: How They Wrote Mad Men’s Most Tragic Character
One step further than the antagonist, is the nemesis. Some of the most memorable characters from stories in cinema and literature are those who have challenged the heroes, characters who’s main role is to be a rivalry force. Let’s look at the impact the nemesis role can have and story and some of the best characters that have been created from it. Continue reading What Does Nemesis Mean — Definition and Examples
There’s an old film school thought experiment that asks about a character, “What does he have in his refrigerator?” In this post, we’re going to practice that experiment.We can learn plenty about who a character is from the things they say, as well as the things others say about them. But we also learn who a character is by scores of other little details in the text of the script.Now we’re going to talk about how to actually use the Breakdown Summary, along with the text of the script itself, to flesh out who a character is from the perspective…
If there’s one thing writers will agree on, it’s that character development is super critical to writing a winning script.Continue reading Character Development: Write Stronger Characters [with FREE Worksheet]
The Sitcom has been a staple in television for over 70 years, but creating a successful muti-camera all starts with the script. We're going to breakdown the anatomy of arguably the greatest sitcom script of all time: Seinfeld - The Switch.At the end you'll be able to download a FREE Seinfeld script PDF.Continue reading Writing a Sitcom Script: Analyzing Seinfeld Scripts [FREE PDF]
EPISODE 2TV WRITING & DEVELOPMENT MASTERCLASSCharacter Development:FREE Character Profile Sheet TemplateA great television show needs great characters. Unlike film, television teases out character development over several seasons. We take you through the basics, and provide a FREE character profile sheet. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE TV character development: EPISODE 2How can your character development stand out in the crowd? Think about your favorite TV shows of all time? What made you keep coming back week to week? Maybe it was Omar singing "Farmer in the dell," or Lorelei Gilmore's coffee addiction, but we think it probably had something to do with excellent character…
