The 6 key character archetypes needed to nail the perfect cast list. You’ve probably heard that you should develop a movie script’s characters using a seemingly endless array of “character archetypes,” such as the “outlaw,” “fool” or “shapeshifter.” Character archetypes in movies have been popularized in books like 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt. The […]
Protagonist and antagonist conflict: why it's between 3 characters not 2. When it comes to the protagonist and antagonist in a screenplay, aspiring screenwriters are constantly being told cliches like: • "A strong story is based on the protagonist-antagonist conflict.” • "Your protagonist and antagonist are the two most important characters in the script.” • […]
Character arc: the secret sauce to demonstrating your hero's growth. Creating a strong character arc can be a difficult and confusing enterprise for many writers. If you want to break into the industry, though, it’s vital. Well, almost always vital… James Bond doesn’t have much of a character arc. Neither does Mavis, the protagonist in […]
How to Stress-Test Your Main Character by Adding a Fatal Flaw (The following is a guest post by screenwriter and professor, Aaron Mendelsohn.) Being a stickler about a protagonist's fatal flaw is one of the key ways you'll be able to create and sustain a successful screenwriting career. If you're pretty informal about how you […]
Make screenplay character development 100x easier with this #1 hack. Do you have an incredible idea for a script, but are unsure how to make the characters feel real? Do you often get the note back that your characters feel two-dimensional? Here's a simple screenplay character development hack that most aspiring writers don’t use, but […]
Why creating a character bio isn't a great starting point (and what to do instead). You've probably heard that in order to create a great character, you should start with a character bio. Maybe you've been told to ask questions about your character like: • What do they feel about their body? • Who was their […]
Why your script characters feel "flat" and how to fix it. Have you ever been told that your script characters feel "flat"? It's a common note to receive. But we're going to show you how to stop getting it and how to write characters the smart way. After reading this post, you'll know how to flesh […]
