Why do all the characters in your screenwriting sound the same?

18. “Earl Grey, hot”: Craft characters you can believe in

When you ask people to read your script aloud, does its sound like they’re reading a dishwasher instruction manual? Or, perhaps they sound like cardboard cutouts of people rather than the real thing. This happens a lot with writers just starting out.

There’s nothing worse than characters who sound like the voice from Google Maps (unless of course the character’s a robot). This happens entirely too often, but we have some tactics to get the ball rolling for creating realistic characters.

Talk to a real, 3D, actual human being

Let’s say one of your characters is a mother. Hang out in the same room as a mother, preferably one of a similar age to your character. Listen to how she speaks to her child, how she speaks to other people when her child is present, how she speaks about her child when it’s out of the room. Ask her questions about her life and see what impact having a child has had, both positive & negative. 

You can loosely base your character on this person if you like. However, if you value your relationship, don’t reveal this. You never know how they’ll react! (If she’s a horrible person, go ahead and tell her – screw it.) If you’re struggling to create realistic characters, basing them on real people can provide a base level of authenticity to work from.

Having researched all those nuances, language traits, and actions within a person, the audience will perceive the character as real. You’ll still need to use your imagination and improve the character to make the audience care. But it’s a great start. 

Audiences like to see a bit of themselves in characters. We want to believe it is us acting as the hero – we step into their shoes. The details you inject can be the catalyst to forge that familiar connection that makes your characters relatable. 

Free association: Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream

Another trick for making your characters unique: write a few pages of free association about the character. By free association, we mean just scribbling the first things that come to your head without putting any pressure whatsoever on yourself. 

You’ll be surprised what your brain can come up with. This tip can give you a starting point for building your character. Not all of it will be gold, but there will be things in there that are useful. 

Writing nothing at all because you think every idea just sucks is unfortunately a common issue. The free association method releases your mind from any repressive self doubt trying to thwart your efforts (every writer’s antagonist!). 

Have faith in your creative mind. Grab a pen and paper, and just go nuts! You can use the free association technique whenever no matter what you do, your characters just refuse to come to life.

Homework

If you’ve paid any attention to this lesson, you know the importance of characters’ richness and depth. Clear some space in your day, ‘cause the homework for this lesson is . . . shall we say, comprehensive. When it comes to character, there’s no such thing as too much detail.

Who is your protagonist?

Open your trusty notebook or note-taking software and delineate the following about your main character:

1. First and last names
2. Precise age
3. Height
4. Hair color / straight or curly / long or short / stylish or ordinary
5. Always go to same barber, or cut it him/herself?
6. Middle name – embarrassed about it? Does it mean something?
7. Eye color
8. Foot size
9. Fat, thin or in-between? How so?
10. Confident looking in the mirror?
11. Care about his/her looks?
12. Secret physical thing proud of & ashamed of
13. Slob or tidy?
14. Clothing fashion/style? Common clothing color(s)?
15. Hat?
16. Footwear
17. Hand description
18. Personal hygiene
19. Parents alive?
20. Mother’s maiden name
21. Mother’s & father’s occupations
22. Social class
23. Wealth level & changes over lifetime & family’s before birth
24. Happy or unhappy childhood?
25. Favorite childhood toy
26. Birthplace, childhood location
27. Own room, or share?
28. Childhood bedroom wall decorations
29. Favorite place in the childhood home
30. Backyard, frontyard? Describe.
31. Any pets? Pet deaths?
32. Favorite childhood/comfort food
33. Successful at school academically, or struggle?
34. Single-sex school or mixed?
35. Mainly female or male friends?
36. Any siblings? What ages? How were the relationships?
37. Parents’ favorite sibling
38. Prefer one parent to the other?
39. Family: calm or lively? Creative?
40. Strict parents?
41. Suffered any abuse?
42. Attractive as a teenager?
43. Popular at school?
44. Best / worst subject?
45. Name of best friend
46. Age when met this friend?
47. Still friends?
48. First kiss: first & last name
49. Age at first kiss
50. Still know first kiss partner?
51. Age when virginity lost? Great / comic / letdown?
52. Age left parents’ home, destination
53. Any higher education?
54. Close to family as an adult?
55. Changed much since childhood?
56. Feelings about sex now
57. Political leanings
58. Capital punishment pro/con?
59. Vote history
60. Favorite books
61. Passions / hobbies
62. First album purchased
63. Social media use
64. First job
65. Spiritual beliefs & practices
66. Fears & phobias
67. Residential location & type
68. Own/rent?
69. Kitchen appearance
70. Culinary skills
71. Typical breakfast
72. Favorite food
73. Favorite drink (hot/cold)
74. 5 things in fridge
75. Morning or evening person?
76. Fitness level & activities
77. Health? Diseases? Disabilities?
78. Medications
79. Sleep quality / amount
80. Favorite films & TV shows
81. Heroes
82. Typical evening activities
83. Own a car? Bike? Other vehicles?
84. Bed sheet color
85. 3 adjectives a typical stranger would use to describe (first impression)
86. Areas lacking talent / skill
87. Desires for skills not possessed
88. Cunning or honest?
89. Situations for dishonesty
90. Punctuality / lateness
91. Concern level of others’ opinions (of character)
92. Diligence / laziness
93. What would this person’s recurring dream be about?
94. Travelled widely? Where? With family, friends, or alone?
95. Travel goals
96. Diet – vegetarian etc.
97. Alcohol, drug use?
98. Phone screensaver
99. Children / grandchildren / want children?
100. Romantic relationships: history, present
101. Romantic desires / goals / attitudes
102. Countryside or the city?
103. Worst failure
104. Greatest strength not aware of
105. Attitude toward money
106. Bank account? Amounts?
107. Other material wealth
108. Tend to live in the present, past, future?
109. Introvert or extrovert?
110. Sense of humor
111. Leader or follower?
112. Typical behavior at parties
113. Current friends
114. Sports? Play/watch? Competitive?
115. Musical aptitude: sing, play instrument?
116. Ambitious? How so?
117. Traits admired in others
118. Seasickness?
119. Worst habit
120. Quirky habits
121. Tan / pale / dark etc?
122. Attitude towards death
123. Ideal age of death
124. Shames
125. Attitude towards medicine, alternative medicine
126. Mismatch between self-perception & reality (intelligence, charm, ability, etc.)
127. Pajama description
128. Bath or shower?
129. Perfume / cologne / aftershave
130. Others’ behavior that triggers offense to be taken
131. Favorite charities?
132. Swimming ability
133. Wishes to be someone else?
134. Most embarrassing situation ever
135. Guilty pleasure song
136. Feel he/she deserves to be happy?
137. What causes him/her to feel vulnerable
138. What would you say to this character right now to make them believe in his/her future?

Next step 

Still awake? Then it’s time to get writing. Own the second half of act two (Act 2B)!