The always entertaining Dominic Carter demonstrates his insight into characterization. Gather ’round the campfire, kids, and read….
by Dominic Carter
I read a lot of screenplays from writers of all abilities and the one thing I often find these screenplays lack are credible character arcs.
Story seems to be the main obsession for most writers. More often than not they focus entirely on their fantastically imaginative stories but populate them with cliched or uninteresting characters we’ve seen a million times before. It’s no wonder then that writers are puzzled and frustrated as to why their screenplays don’t get the attention they expect. So how can you ensure your characters match the ambition of your story ideas?
By asking yourself the following questions about your character. If you can’t answer all of these questions about your character then you really don’t know who they are. And if you don’t know who your characters are how do you expect your audience to know?
Character Flaws: What is your character’s major flaw? What is it about him/her/it that makes them absolutely the very worst person to be going on this journey?
In LIAR LIAR, Fletcher lies to everyone, his clients, his colleagues, judges and even his son. It’s not only his job to lie, but it’s also the core of who he is. He’s a born liar. So when his son wishes that his dad can’t lie for one whole day, Fletcher has to find another way to win the case he’s presenting in court….