Writing Fiction and Screenwriting Neil Workshops Character It’s not the charm, quirky sense of humour or engaging idiosyncrasies you dream up for your character that ultimately defines who they are, but the conflict resulting from the goals they have and the choices we see them make in pursuit of those goals. It’s not enough for you decide your characters’ personality traits, you have to find ways to realise these in the story that you tell. Your characters are totally defined by what you show them doing. Characters do things It's hard to care about a character that plays a passive role in their own story, so make your central characters as active as possible. Characters try They pursue goals. They are motivated and have motives. Characters engage us If they don’t, you got problems. Characters feel real Characters should be believable, even if they are in an incredible situation. No matter how mainstream or unusual your idea may be, we have to believe in them. Characters seduce us We should empathise and even identify with the main characters, even if we don't necessarily like them.

homepage