Characters are the engine of your story. If the plot feels thin, it’s usually because the character isn’t doing the heavy lifting yet.
In this episode of the Script Reader Pro Podcast, Scott and Desiree build a character live on air, starting from a blank page and shaping a layered lead with history, contradictions, fears, and a clear want vs. need. Along the way, they show how real behavior (yes, even from reality TV) can sharpen your instincts for authentic choices and dialogue, and why the strongest plots emerge when you let the character lead.
You’ll learn:
- A straightforward process to develop a character from zero to three-dimensional
- How to separate what your character wants from what they truly need, and use that to power the story
- Ways to mine defining moments, fears, and secrets without resorting to clichés
- How character work naturally reveals tone and genre (and keeps you from forcing beats)
- Quick craft checks: overwriting, when wardrobe details matter, handling swearing, and why page limits exist
Think of this episode as a practical character-building workshop. By the end, you’ll have a clearer method for creating people readers care about, so the plot stops feeling arranged and starts feeling inevitable.
