There are so many different aspects to your screenplay that will guarantee its success. A compelling story is one such aspect, but without interesting characters, the story will just fall flat. Here are some tips to help you write the best characters possible, and bring that story to life.

1. Make The Lead A Likable Person

You may want to avoid this, as trying to make a character likable can often make the story dull and uninteresting. After all, if there's no one creating conflict, then the story isn't interesting. However, you want the audience to be rooting for that character. As such, they need to be relatable in some way.

There are lots of different ways that you can write a main character to be likable. Showing them doing something positive early on will help audiences warm up to them. Making them witty and charming also works.

Remember that while you want your character to be likable, of course, they don't have to be perfect. A character can be shown to be good by doing selfless acts, but they can also be a criminal that steals from others. You can make them complicated, but there needs to be something there that will make an audience like them.

2. Build Up A Realistic Characterization

The character of anyone in your script is who they are on the inside. What makes them who they are? Are they someone who has good or bad intentions? When you know who they are on the inside, that can tell you a lot about who they are as a person.

For example, you can have a character that's very much driven by their need to be seen as a success. When you know that about them, you'll see that perhaps they drive a sports car, flash their credit card in restaurants and stores, and talk a lot about the deals they make. These are the results of their characterization.

This is important in writing a character, as it tells you who they are and what they may do in any given situation. That makes them much more vibrant as a character too, as one who hasn't been well characterized will feel flat and lifeless.

3. Give The Characters Breathing Room

In the last tip, you saw how giving the character their own voice and personality helps them become believable. When writing your screenplay, you may want to give the character breathing room, to see what they do. It's easy to have everything planned out before you even write the first page, but that can lead to a story that feels rote, and the characters won't seem as though they have any agency at all.

Instead, step back and see what your character would do in a given situation. If faced with danger, will they run away? Scream? Stop and fight? If you've built the character up using the above tips, you'll know what they'll do. In some cases, they may even surprise you.

For example, say you have a character who currently works in a bank, but dreams of being a superhero. He goes home to an empty apartment every day, and his best friend is someone who's very successful. That makes him feel rather inadequate, but he's never voiced that out loud. Now, but him in a scene where a bank robber comes in and tries to hold him up. What will he do? In this case, he may fight the robber and subdue them, becoming the hero he always wanted to be. Maybe he'll duck and cower, and he'll feel as though he missed his chance to become that hero. You won't know until you put him into the scene.

When writing in this way, you'll see that the characters feel very dynamic. It gives the characters the chance to feel real and interesting, and you'll get a lot more out of any scene you put them in.

4. Create Strong Dialogue

Dialogue is so important in a screenplay, as it tells you so much about a character. For example, an accent will tell you where they're from, their vocabulary will reveal how educated they are, and how much they speak will tell you if they're more introverted or extroverted. As such, a good section of dialogue can tell you a lot about a character, without you having to go into lots of exposition.

When creating dialogue, remember that you don't have to add lots of it to show the viewer everything about the character. It's not about volume, but quality. A small scene where the character takes their car to the car wash will tell you more than exposition, if it's done right.

Many screenwriters say that you should be able to cover the character's names on a script, and still be able to tell who's talking. Everyone should have their own voice and manner of speaking, and that should come across on the page.

5. Think Like The Actor

Once your screenplay is picked up and filming starts, actors will have to take the words on the page and start bringing that character into reality. As such, you'll need to keep this in mind as you write. Actors are often said to have to find their motivation for a scene. As the writer, look for this too. What is it that's driving the character at that moment? What happened on the last page, and how does that affect them now?

If you do this, then you can create a stronger character that has a lot of life and interest to them. Starting to consider their motivation on the page means you'll get a much better final product.

There are lots of ways that you can create strong characters in your screenplay. These are just how a few basic tips, but if you start with these you'll be on your way. Create them as real people with their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and you'll be able to create characters that audiences love.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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