How I make my characters feel like people
The work of creating characters that feel like real people is one of screenwriting's great challenges. Every screenwriter has their methods, but here's what I do.
As screenwriters, it’s our job to turn characters into people.
While we often wish we could instantly invent a whole person based on a subtle glance or a line swathed in subtext, the truth is, it’s much harder than that.
Humans are complex, contradicting and complicated and simply can’t be generated in an instant (sorry, AI).
This isn’t the usual post about creating character from scratch, since I feel like there is choice overload when it comes to articles, videos and books about that topic.
Instead, I’m going to share some of the things I do to give my initially skeletal characters some flesh, muscle, scars and eyelashes.
Assign them a star sign
I’m not into astrology myself, but I do constantly use the star signs to inform my characters!
What better place to find unending lists of character traits than in the descriptions of astrological signs. This is a wealth of character building because you have both the positive and the negative sides of each sign.
Another amazing bonus is that these signs often include information about compatibility with other star signs.
Do you want your characters to butt heads? Make them incompatible star signs. Looking for chemistry? Choose signs that work well together. Be sure to note how even compatible signs have a potential for conflict and use that in your story, too!
WRITING EXERCISE
Choose the star sign that best fits your character and then take a deep dive into the positive and negative characteristics associated with it. Write down whatever you feel could work for your story.
Kill your character
Who is this person you’re creating, really? Knowing them from birth (and even the circumstances that existed and lead to their birth!) to their death will give you a complete picture of their life.
I like to pretend that my character is dead and I ask myself:
What did they die of?
How old were they when they died?
Who came to the funeral?
What did those people say about them in their eulogies?
More importantly: What did the attendees whisper about them in the hall?
What are the people who didn't/couldn’t attend the funeral thinking about them?
What dreams did they leave unfulfilled?
WRITING EXERCISE
Imagine your character has just died. Write their obituary and include details about their life. Where were they born? How did their parents show them love? Who are they survived by? What did they accomplish? What challenges did they face? What would they want in lieu of flowers?
Use “characters” from your own story
Think about the people you’ve known in your life and their beliefs, their motivations and their quirks.
As screenwriters, we’re constantly observing and analyzing behaviours and what seems to drive people. Use your lived experience to fill out your characters.
WRITING EXERCISE
Think of a person from your life that is/was similar to your character. Write down that person’s personality in as much detail as possible, including quirks, things they said to you, etc. Use some of that detail to flesh our your character.
Fill out a personality test on their behalf
This has always been one of my go-to’s when I’m cooking up new characters. There are so many personality quizzes online. I don’t even limit myself to “official” personality tests, like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (though these 16 personalities can really be helpful when creating character too!).
I’m talkin’ Tell Me Your Favorite Reality TV Shows And I'll Tell You What Kind Of Friend You Are.
WRITING EXERCISE
Find a personality test that you think works for your story and fill it out as your character. Use the results to further inform their dialogue and actions.
Journal as your character
I find journaling as my characters to be so helpful in understanding the inner workings of their minds and their specific POVs.
It’s not even just about the words that they write. Do they have a hard time expressing themselves? How do they format their journal? What does their handwriting look like? All of these details are as important for revealing who they truly are.
WRITING EXERCISE
Write a journal entry as your character while they are still in their ordinary world of Act 1. What is their life like? What are their worries and dreams? What did they do today? Now write a second journal entry AFTER the inciting incident. How has everything changed? What does your character want now? What is their emotional state? Let this knowledge of their inner life inform their actions in the script.
Ask yourself “What if…”
Putting your characters in real-life situations is an excellent way to learn who they are. I like to come up with a list of scenarios and ask myself how each character would act in that situation. Some examples are, what if they…
…got the wrong order brought to them in a restaurant?
…found out they only had three weeks to live?
…discovered their long-term partner had a secret gambling addiction?
… were told they were adopted?
… realized they’d double booked themselves on a Friday night?
… were asked a question they didn’t feel comfortable answering? etc.
Their reactions can reveal so much about who they are as a fully-realized person.
Find your character’s “shadow self”
This is a brand new one for me and I can’t wait to use it.
recently posted a piece about discovering the unique ways in which each one of us are annoying (mine is never knowing when to shut up). She references in her post the Jungian idea of the “shadow self”.It was this quote that really got me thinking about character: “A former therapist once gave me this exercise: Describe your ideal self—the qualities you’d most like to embody—in five words. Then, to find your shadow self, locate the opposing qualities of each one. The shadow self describes the parts of ourselves we most ardently reject and repress.”
WRITING EXERCISE
Write out your character’s top 5 positive traits. This is who they are on the surface (related to their “want”). Then write the traits that are in direct opposition to the first 5. This is what characterizes their “shadow self” (tied to their “need”).
I’ve linked the post below and you should definitely read the whole thing.
Now, what I really what to know is what methods do YOU use to flesh our YOUR characters? Post them in the comments below and I can start adding them to the above list!
These are really useful, lesser-spotted character tips, thanks Lauren!
The shadow self one is so good. I’ve been doing something VERY similar to this without that context or framing. Thanks for sharing!