What's In A Name? How Character Names Reveal Character Traits

Too many rookie screenwriters start out with “million-dollar” ideas and big-budget concepts, but with only vague notions on their characters. Unless you're writing a biopic or something “Based on a True Story”, you need to spend time getting to know your characters. A major part of that process is choosing names for your characters.

Expectant parents often research, debate and argue over their child's name for months before its birth. Shouldn't you spend as much time thinking about how to name your “babies” in your script?

Character Name Generator
A fun place to start is the “Character Name Generator”. This site gives you a form to select your character's gender, ethnicity and birth decade. The page generates a name, personality type and random psychological profile according to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). While the data here may not fit your initial ideas for your character, it does provide a useful starting point.

First Names
Keep in mind that your character's parents choose their child's name for specific reasons. Also remember that your character may choose to use a different form of his or her given name, while showing discomfort at other forms. The stuffy aristocrat named “Arthur” may flinch at being called “Art” or “Artie”. Each form of a given name can also reflect an aspect of your character's personality.  For instance,“Richard” is all business, but “Richie” is the life of the party, and “Rick” is a hit with the ladies.

Nicknames
Just as your character doesn't choose his given name, he also should not get to choose his nickname. Nicknames can come from a wide range of sources, some welcome and some less so. The character's reaction to their nickname can reveal aspects of that character to the audience. One famous example shows how Henry Jones, Jr., had a stronger childhood bond with the family dog than he did with his absentee father, so he took the dog's name as his own: Indiana.

Family Names
A character's family name can also reveal facets of his personality, as family names often contain aspects of that family's history. A working-class family may have a name that suggests hard work, such as Baker, Carter, or Miller. Names taken from British cities and counties can suggest an upper-class background, such as Essex, Somerset, or Warrington. A family name tied to an identifiable ethnic group or nationality can give your character a historical and traditional background that can serve as either a place of comfort or a source of conflict.

Names as Shorthand
As unfortunate as it sounds, readers, producers, and agents will make snap judgments about your characters based on their names. If you choose to name your ass-kicking action hero “Myron Kaufmann” and your cowardly accountant “Ace Hardcastle”, you'll have a harder time selling your script. Think about the first impression that your character's name gives to an audience, then you can choose either to go with that expectation or cut across the grain for more impact.

About Story Into Screenplay
Story Into Screenplay offers one-on-one consulting, either in person at our Houston location or through online sessions. We can work with you in developing your story structure and finding the unique facets that can turn your idea into a script that grabs the attention of agents, producers and directors.

Contact us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com for more information. You can also check out out us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch videos on our YouTube channel.

John Truby on the Importance of Screenplay Structure

When it comes to story structure, no one has a better grasp on the concept than legendary screenwriting teacher John Truby. His best-selling book, The Anatomy of Story, is one of the essential books in any aspiring screenwriter's library. Truby has worked as a script consultant on hundreds of projects and his screenwriting classes routinely sell out.

In a recent teleconference sponsored by the International Screenwriters' Association, Truby shared some of his ideas on story structure and how its uses can benefit writers without confining their creativity.

Premise vs. Story
Truby remarked that one of the habits of rookie writers is their tendency to go straight from dreaming up their premise to writing up script pages. After the initial surge of inspiration wears off, these writers find themselves stuck with a few pages, but no coherent story.

“They get 15 to 20 pages into their script, then they hit a brick wall,” Truby said. “This is largely because they didn't do their structure homework. In order to tell a story that can last for 90 to 100 minutes, you must have a strong structural foundation.”

Dancing to the Beats
While most newbie screenwriters have read about the classic “three-act structure”, this format often does not provide the writer with enough guidance to see the story through from beginning to end. Professional screenwriters are also acutely aware of story “beats”. A story beat defines the turning points that occur in most narratives.

Some screenplay structures, such as Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet and Jacob Kruger's Seven-Act Structure, offer one-size-fits-all approaches to developing story beats. Truby's lessons not only provide a useful structure for all types of stories, but he also delves into the story beats unique to specific genres.

Doing the Twist
At this point, you may ask, “If every story uses the same structure, how do I make my story stand out?” As with any creative endeavor, you must first learn the rules before you can understand the most effective way to break them. The difference lies in your ability to adapt the story beats to your own purposes.

“Professional writers,” Truby remarked, “find that good structure shows you which creative leaps work and which ones are outside the scope of the story.”

Know Your Outcome
How many times have you left the house, turned on your car, and started driving down the road, with absolutely no idea where you were going or how you would get there? For your sake (and mine and everyone else's on the road), the answer should be, “Never!”

How many times have you sat at your computer, opened your screenwriting software and started writing down words, with absolutely no idea where your story was going or how you would finish it? For many rookie writers, the answer is, “All the time!”

“You can't hit the target unless you see the bull's eye,” Truby said in his recent Q&A session. “You have to know your ending first. All events in that script must lead to that ending.”

For more information on John Truby's classes, visit the John Truby Master Class site. You can also pick up The Anatomy of Story at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and The Writers Store.

While Truby's classes are among the best in the industry, many writers benefit more from a more individualized approach. Story Into Screenplay offers one-on-one consulting, either in person at our Houston location or through online sessions.

We can work with you in developing your story structure and finding the unique facets that can turn your idea into a script that grabs the attention of agents, producers and directors. Contact us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com for more information. You can also check out out us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch videos on our YouTube channel.

Dear "Producers": Pay Your "Fare" Share

A cab driver picks up a man in a suit.
The man gives the driver the address of a large downtown office building.
The cab driver asks his passenger if he has business downtown.
The passenger tells him that he's going in for a big job interview.
When they arrive, the cab driver asks for his fare.
The passenger says that he doesn't have the money to pay the cab driver now, but he promises the driver a share of his salary if he lands the job.
If you're the cab driver, what do you do?

Would you hire a cab driver if you didn't have the money to pay the fare?
Then why would you ask a screenwriter to create your script on nothing but empty promises?
Think about it.

Straight A's: 5 Ways How Strong Characters Can Launch Your Screenwriting Career

If you've read through some of the previous entries here, you'll know that I'm a big believer in the idea that strong characters form the basis for a high-quality script. Regardless of your genre, plot, theme, or setting, the measure of your ability as a screenwriter comes from how well you can create memorable characters. When you create a script that has powerful characters who overcome tremendous obstacles while pursuing meaningful goals, you'll earn a lot more than straight “A”s in your next screenwriting class.

Awards
One important way for you to get attention for your script is to win awards from screenwriting contests. Industry professionals are always looking for the best available scripts, and screenplay contests are valuable resources for agents, producers and directors who are looking for top-notch writers. Your ability to develop multi-dimensional characters can mean the difference between a script the contest judges can't stop reading and one they can't stop reading fast enough.

Agents
Contrary to the popular belief among many new screenwriters, an agent's job is less about nurturing you as an artist and more about selling your talents as a product. A major reason that new screenwriters don't land an agent is that an agent needs a quality product to show off the writer's skills. When you create characters that compel readers to turn the page to see what happens to them next, you've made a product that agents will find irresistible and will give their utmost efforts to sell to producers.

Angel Investors
An “angel investor” provides the start-up capital for a new business in exchange for a portion of the equity. These investors often look for high-risk, high-reward opportunities. While the practice of angel investment started with Broadway plays nearly a century ago, independent films have also attracted their share of angel investors. A script with strong characters can attract angel investors, as many of these investors will often see the characters as reflections of their own adventurous personalities.

Actors
Actors are constantly seeking out that star-making role, whether they're new to Hollywood, on the comeback trail, or looking to break the chains of typecasting. Why did Matthew McConaughey, star of such rom-com bombs as Failure to Launch, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and The Wedding Planner, accept a “minuscule” paycheck of $200,000 for the lead role in Dallas Buyers Club? In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said that he “got (his) self-satisfaction” from the role. If your characters can give A-list actors the “self-satisfaction” they're looking for in a role, your success is all but assured.

Audiences
If you ask an audience what a movie is about, you probably won't get answers like, “love conquers all” or “war is hell” or “conformity is a prison.” You're more likely to get answers like, “it's about a washed-up boxer who gets a shot at the title” or “it's about a girl who fights her oppressive government with a bow and arrow” or “it's about a woman who fights back against her abusive husband.” Audiences don't pay to see messages or themes or platitudes. They pay to see characters. Make them want to pay to see yours.

If you want to write a script that will earn you these “A”s, contact us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com. We can work with you in building your characters, developing your story ideas, and fleshing out your concepts through in-person and online consultations tailored to your needs. Check us out on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel.

Why Do We Write Screenplays?

If you're reading this, you must have an interest in screenwriting. You could be an aspiring writer who's never written a script, or an experienced writer with several films under your belt. You could be a director looking for a writer to develop your ideas, or you're a producer who's looking for a writer to create a product you can sell to investors. You might be an actor looking for insights into how scripts are created, or just a film fan who wants a deeper understanding of the screenwriting process.

In any case, you may have contemplated the question of “why do writers write screenplays?” Out of all the possible creative endeavors, why do writers choose to sit in front a screen, open up our word processing software, and bash our heads into the keyboards until our brains spill out? Why do screenwriters choose to isolate ourselves from friends, family and fun, only to write out words that very few people will ever read? The reasons for such self-inflicted torture can be as varied as the scripts sitting on the shelves of the hundreds of Hollywood production offices, but most of them boil down to a select few.

“I want to be rich and/or famous!”
If you chose to get into screenwriting to be seen on red carpets, trade jokes with Jimmy Fallon, and get the VIP treatment at the hottest clubs, you're barking up the wrong tree. Unlike the world of live theatre, in which the playwright is royalty, the film industry ranks screenwriters below directors, producers, actors, crew members, craft service workers and janitors. Also, for those of you who think your “million-dollar idea” for a script will be your ticket to a Beverly Hills address, go back to the first entry of this blog to quickly disabuse yourself of that notion.

“I want to tell the world that ...”
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the “fame-seeking” writer is the “message” writer. If the intentions behind your script are to deliver a message that will change the world, take the advice of the late, great producer Samuel L. Goldwyn: “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” Save your deep philosophical musings on the nature of life, love and loss for your fanfic novel or, better yet, a bumper sticker. At least no one has to sit through reading a long, boring, self-indulgent bumper sticker.

“I want to tell a story no one has heard before.”
I got three words for you: No. Such. Thing. In his book The Seven Basic Plots, Christopher Booker holds that there are as few as seven unique stories in all of literature. In Save The Cat, Blake Snyder narrows it down to ten, including “Monster In The House” and “Dude With A Problem”. Since you can't tell a unique story, you have to know how to tell an old story in a unique way. That's why you'll often need a script consultant to help you shape your concept into a story that has blends the familiar elements with your unique voice.

“I want to provoke an emotional response from the audience.”
If you're writing a comedy, you envision the audience howling with laughter. If your script is an action-packed shoot-em-up, you dream of the audience cheering the Hero when he vanquishes the Big Bad. If horror is your genre, you want to see the ticket-buyers scream, jump, and cover their eyes at the frightening images your writing has conjured before their eyes.

BINGO! Now you're getting somewhere! The reason we write for the screen is to sit in the back of the darkened theater, watch the audience, and know we're taking them on a ride through our sick and twisted imaginations. Novelists get more praise as “writers”, but they don't get the immediate feedback from the reader. Directors get awards for bringing the images to life, but those images had to come from our fevered minds. Actors get the red carpet treatment for their performances, but they'd still be waiting tables without our scripts.

So, dear fellow screenwriter, the next time you sit down at your favorite writing spot and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?”, remember that audience. They're waiting for your script to make them laugh, cry, cheer, boo, and take them on an emotional ride.

If you want to create a script that tug at the emotions of producers, directors, and agents, get in touch with us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com. We work with new and experienced screenwriters in developing their characters, story ideas, and concepts through in-person and online consultations tailored to your needs. Check out out us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel.

5 Reasons Why Screenwriters Need to Know Their Character's Favorite Food

One of the tools I use, in both my own writing and as a tool with my clients, comes from the wonderful book, The Screenplay Workbook. This book uses a two-page “Character Development Worksheet” to help readers flesh out their characters. In addition to filling out details on the character's physical description, family history and educational level, the worksheet includes lines such as “Favorite Place to Visit”, “Favorite Movie/Book”, and “Favorite Food”.

While assigning favorite foods to your characters may seem like a trivial exercise, the most useful aspect of these worksheets comes with the question that follows: Why?

• Why does your main character prefer cheesecake over chocolate?
• Why does your antagonist love Big Macs but hate filet mignon?
• Why does your love interest believe that broccoli is the Food of the Gods, while pizza is the Devil's work (besides the obvious insanity)?

Reveal Aspects of Your Character
As most screenwriting experts (including this one) will tell you, every letter of a screenplay must serve either to move the story forward or to reveal some vital aspect about your characters. For instance, you can use a specific type of beer to reveal aspects of a character's age, his upbringing, his social standing, even his political leanings. A character who sips microbrews shows to the audience that your character is either sophisticated or pretentious, while one who swigs down a twelve-pack of no-name beer shows the viewer that he's less interested in taste and more concerned about getting smashed as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Create Conflict Between Your Characters
In an earlier blog entry, we looked at conflict as the fuel for every scene in your screenplay. As your characters reveal their preferences to the audience, they can also reveal them to each other. When characters show similar preferences, they can create bonding moments in your scenes. When they show different preferences, they can create moments of conflict as those common bonds break. For example, a male character takes a date to his favorite steakhouse, only to find out she's a vegan, can lead to either a comedic “oops” moment or a full-blown debate over the ethics of meat-eating.

Destroy Your Writer's Block
Many writers who suffer from “writer's block” claim that their blocks stem from not knowing what to write next. These blocks often occur when the writer does not have a deep understanding of the characters. When you know your characters so well as to know their favorite foods, books, and movies, you create that understanding and can develop scenes from those preferences, even if they aren't used in your final script. A useful exercise to destroy writer's block can involve writing a scene around the character's first memory of Grandma's house and the smell of homemade apple pie.

Make Your Characters Memorable
From Kojak and his lollipop, to four turtles and their pizza, all the way back to Eve and the apple, food has allowed storytellers to create iconic characters. These choices can make your characters unique and can allow actors to deliver more powerful and memorable performances. The more memorable your characters are, the better the caliber of actors you will attract to your script. When top-notch actors show interest in your script, top-flight producers are more likely to want to make your script into a film.

Examine Your Own Preferences
An exploration of your characters' preferences also allows you, as a writer and a human being, to examine your own likes and dislikes. If too many of the character's preferences line up with your own or with someone close to you, you may be in danger of creating a “Mary Sue”. If you can create an interesting story behind why a character has preferences different from yours, the story can act as an avenue for you to expand your own tastes.

Now, if you'll excuse me, all this writing about food is making me hungry!

If you're hungry to create a script that producers, agents, and actors will find both delicious and nutritious, contact us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com. We work with new and experienced screenwriters in developing their characters, story ideas, and concepts through in-person and online consultations tailored to your needs. Check out out us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel.

Wants vs. Needs: How Screenwriters Approach Character Motivation

One of the biggest mistakes rookie screenwriters make is to confuse a character's needs with his goals. They think in terms of what the character “needs” to achieve instead of what he actually “wants” to accomplish. While the two components share a symbiotic relationship, you should focus on illustrating the character's needs by showing what he really wants.

Wants Are Concrete
In the earlier post where we discussed the “VOTE” method, the V stood for “Victory”. The Victory serves as the character's specific primary goal.

• The baseball player wants to win the game.
• The housewife wants to find her missing daughter.
• The detective wants to catch his wife's killer.

The character's goal should be clearly visible to the audience, in that it clues them in to what the character truly wants and how his actions take him closer to it or further away from it.

Needs Are Abstract
The final component of the VOTE method is the “E for Energy”. The Energy represents the emotional need the character fills by accomplishing the Victory.

• The baseball player needs to earn his father's respect.
• The housewife needs the love of her family.
• The detective needs revenge and closure. 

The character's need should be clear during your writing process, even if it remains hidden to the audience.

Wants Drive The Plot 
A strong understanding of a character's specific goals will also solve many problems writers encounter, including plot planning and “writer's block”. The character's desire to achieve his goals will drive him to make choices and take actions. These choices and actions will reveal the nature of the character to the audience and drive the story forward to its conclusion.

Needs Drive The Theme
Here are some common examples of themes:

• “Love conquers all.”
• “Money can't buy happiness.” 
• “It's what's inside that counts.”

Too many beginning writers worry about how to depict the “theme” in their stories. While a strong script can carry a serious message, the primary intention of your story should be to entertain the audience. When you determine what your character needs, the methods you choose in how the character meets those needs will demonstrate your theme.

Wants Are Unique
If you're worried about how to make your story stand out, give your character a unique goal.

• A washed-up boxer wants to fight the world heavyweight champion. (Rocky)
• A World War II-era super-soldier wants to adjust to life in the 21st Century. (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
• An alien female wants to kidnap and seduce hitchhikers. (Under the Skin)

Unique goals make for memorable characters and interesting stories.

Needs Are Universal
Regardless of genre, period or budget, each successful film portrays a character pursuing a universal need. The character's need can be as basic as day-to-day survival, as deep as true love, or as dark as attaining power at any cost. When you find your character's need, you have found the key to how the audience will relate to that character.

If you want a script that fulfills the wants and needs of producers and agents, contact us at StoryIntoScreenplayBlog [at] gmail [dot] com. We conduct face-to-face or online consultations with new and experienced screenwriters. You also check out out us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel.