This year’s frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars, The Shape of Water, is released in UK cinemas today. Though I’m yet to see it, I’ve heard nothing but good things about this unconventional love story, directed by Guillermo Del Toro.
Del Toro is well known for his love of movie monsters, and since his films feature so many fantastical creatures, he always does his best to make sure they evoke sympathy. His Monsters are often more human than the other characters in his films. It’s a trick he learned from classics like King Kong and Frankenstein. In yet another excellent video essay from Patrick H Willems, whose work we’ve shared here before, this underappreciated form of characterization is covered in more detail:
Even if your “monster” is more like the Xenomorph from the Alien movies, and less of a sympathy-evoking character like the Fishman in The Shape of Water, it’s important to treat your otherworldly antagonist with the same amount of respect you’d give a human antagonist.
If you’re on Pinterest, why not follow my Pinterest board full of useful writing advice? It will be updated weekly, so you can keep track if you ever need an excellent video essay or some relevant advice about problems you are facing. You can always drop me a line at [email protected] with the subject “Ask Laurie” and I will do my best to answer it. I might even include it in an upcoming edition of Writing Advice Wednesday!
]]>I hope you’ve been enjoying Writing Advice Wednesday for the last few months, It’s exercises like this that form part of my One Hour Screenwriter course, which will help you write an entire feature film script in 22 weeks. You can purchase it at the shop here. You can also read testimonies here that show my methods have worked for a variety of writers.
This week, it’s time to really let loose…
Describe what makes you explode
Write about something that makes you furious. It can be a work situation, a political issue, a personal dispute with someone, an aggravating annoyance of modern life, an unreasonable demand made upon you, an infuriating relationship or anything else that raises your blood pressure and makes you want to scream!
Take seven minutes and describe as completely as you can the source of your ire and outrage.
Is your anger generated by a specific person? What does he or she look like? What exactly does the person say or do to drive you mad? Describe the physical circumstances of the dispute or bad blood between you. Be as specific as you can.
Is your anger generated by an issue, situation, or annoyance of modern life? What is it about those circumstances that is so
unfair, unreasonable, outrageous or personally offensive?
How does your anger about this make you feel? Does some kind of fear trigger your anger? Be as florid and passionate as you can.
Now take seven minutes to argue and rage from the opposite point of view. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes or on the other side of the issue.
Describe yourself or the situation from the opposing perspective. Be as detailed and cutting as you can.
Make just as strong a case why you are totally wrong, misguided, insensitive or uncomprehending of their position or situation.
Discuss in detail why you are deluded, naïve, selfish, stubborn, shallow or ungrateful. Be as passionate and as convincing as you can.
Great writers argue just as ardently for their villains as they do for their heroes. Even though the villain may be wrong, destructive or deluded, he or she must have a strong personal rationale for all actions and choices.
Explore what fear might be driving the antagonist’s behavior or position. Be zealous on his or her behalf. Suspend your judgment and personal opinion and really try to see the world from your antagonist’s point of view.
Write down all the reasons why your antagonist believes he or she is justified in taking action against your character.
Outline in as much detail as possible your antagonist’s rationale. Describe why your antagonist truly believes he or she is right.
Video Essay of the Week
Speaking of antagonists, Lessons from the Screenplay reminds us of one of the best examples in recent memory:
Let me know what you think of this week’s writing exercise by emailing me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you as we go forward with more of these writing exercises. Next week, you’ll find out just how much a simple conversation can reveal…
Until then, remember- all you need to do is Get Started and Keep Going!
– Laurie
What better time than Halloween week to discuss fear- an important part of my Character Map eBook. Below is a short excerpt.
The Character’s Fear
There are nine specific types of fears which can drive characters’ actions.
At the deepest root of all these fears is: How the character believes he or she is or might become unloved or unlovable.
The character asks: “What must I hide or deny so that others will love and/or accept me? If others knew who I really am they would surely turn surely away from me.” This is the secret doubt or dread the character must face in order to live in his or her true self (instead of the false self of the mask). The character’s fear is that deep anxiety, worry, self-doubt of inner shame that prevents the character from making a Leap of Faith toward the true self. Indeed, it is only possible to be truly loved by taking the chance to be one’s self.
Indeed, it is only possible to be truly loved by taking the chance to be one’s self. It is only through honesty, openness, and vulnerability that intimacy can be built. Without such intimacy, there can be no real love.
Fear and Shame
A character’s fear is the greatest burden he or she carries. It is the yoke the character cannot escape. It defines the secret shame that character never wants to face or acknowledge. It is the unspoken reason the character truly believes he or she is (or could be) a disappointment or disgrace to others (and therefore could be or become unloved or un-loveable).
It is the unspoken reason the character truly believes he or she is (or could be) a disappointment or disgrace to others (and therefore could be or become unloved or un-loveable).
What secret fault or failing does your character hide? Does he or she ask— Am I unworthy of love? Will I ever deserve love? What must I do to win or work for love? What do I have to do to prove I am loveable? Will I always do or say the wrong thing? Am I such a failure or disappointment that I will never be loved?
Choose one of these questions and force your character to confront this issue in all his or her dealings with others— and especially with the antagonist. Force your character to risk everything in facing the fear behind the question. Unless your character faces his or her fear or secret shame, your character will never be free. Your character will constantly be forced to cling the mask and seek its “protection.” A character that hides a secret shame will never be able to live a truly authentic life. As long as that fear and shame exist.
Fear Drives All Conflict
Whenever you are having trouble with a scene, a sequence or an act, ask yourself— How is the character’s fear manifesting itself in this situation? How is the character denying, avoiding, camouflaging or hiding the fear? How is the character trying to cope with or manage the fear? How is the fear tempting the character to get into trouble? How is the character facing the fear? Or, how is the character surrendering to or personally manifesting the fear?
You can purchase The Character Map at the ETB store for more insights in creating a three-dimensional, engaging character that will help you craft the best character you can.
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