There are a dozen ways to approach character creation. This should obviously be more than just how a character looks and speaks, although that's important, too. As a writer, you should dive deeper. What drives your character? How is your character's journey thematically tied to the story you're telling? What emotions underpin all their actions? In his video series on character development, screenwriter James A. Hurst explores two layers in his framework for building character: "misbelief" and "the wound." (The other layers are "the goal," "the gift," and "the flaw," if you'd like to check those out.)The misbelief is a lie that your character believes about themselves, other people, or the world.The wound is the origin behind that misbelief. What led to their worldview?Watch Hurst's video below, then dive into the details with us. - YouTube www.youtube.com The MisbeliefSometimes you can frame this as a story question. What is the thing that your protagonist believes that consistently challenges them throughout a story?A misbelief should be something that feels true to them, even though it's leading them down the wrong path. It's the internal logic they follow, even when it hurts them.Writer Craig Mazin poses this same idea slightly differently, but as an idea of theme. In his view, the theme of a screenplay should be something you can argue about (much like a misbelief). Finding Nemo is the example I always think of because of Mazin's insight. Mazin says that the true thematic question that the movie argues is how,...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - 3 days ago