Ask The Scriptsmith

Q.I've read that writing profiles of the characters in a script is a good idea, but don't understand why this is really necessary. 7/21/08

A.While it's true that developing character biographies is an optional exercise, it can help give your characters more authenticity and dimension.

If you've ever gotten the comment that your characters are under-developed, or that their actions are inconsistent, writing a backstory for each of them can be an extremely useful tool. Start at the beginning. Where was the character born, where did s/he grow up, any siblings? Big family or small? Was it a close-knit family or are they estranged? Are his/her parents living/dead/still married/divorced? Poor, middle class, wealthy? Did the family stay put, or did they move around a lot? What's the character's educational background?

Note that all these factors have an impact. Small towns are slower paced than cities, so characters who grew up in a city may be more impatient and more easily stressed than their small town brethren. Kids who move around a lot learn to make friends quickly…or become detached. We are all shaped by the circumstances in which we grew up, opportunities taken or lost.

Did the character vote in the last election? Who did he/she vote for? What are his/her interests or hobbies? If this character had to state his/her philosophy/outlook on life, what would it be? For example: Whoever has the most toys wins or Treat others as you would be treated.

Then think about how those details can be incorporated into the fabric of the scenes. For instance, the character's home/workplace should reflect their interests and habits. If family is important, then there would be photos. If reading is important, there would be stacks of books. If he's well educated, we should be able to tell by the way he expresses himself. If she's ambitious, we should be able to tell by her appearance and actions.

Also examine the character's actions in the story. Would a character with those beliefs and that set of values act as you've had them act? Would he turn his back on a friend, would she agree to something against her principles without a word of protest? The character's actions have to be believable in order to draw the audience in.

Read the previous email, Screenwriting Contests

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