When given a script, movie actors study their one character, going deep into his or her psyche until they look, talk, and act like the character in the script, not like themselves.
Beginning writers don’t always know to do that. Or we may not understand the importance of taking the time. We need to understand what happens if we don’t—that all our characters tend to act and talk like us, reflecting our own personality. Our plots are too simple, one-sided, and predictable. Our characters are shallow, too easily agreeing with one another, because they seem to have the same worldview.
Great writers must do a lot of work to become the different characters in their stories. They don’t get to focus on only the personality of the hero. They also have to become a different person in the villain, the supporting character, and other prominent characters. Either in their minds or on paper, they make detailed records of character differences in history, personality, phobias, flaws, failures—their different faith, fear, and fantasies—their different internal and external goals.
Although time-consuming, this practice is essential to make your characters seem real, obviously in conflict, because in the action and dialogue readers sense the different personalities and opposing goals. Even a best buddy should require some convincing before he’s willing to go along with the hero’s plan.
For a sample Character Chart, Click Here.
For information on different personality types: Click Here.
For different ways we look and act: Click Here.
