January 30, 2012 - Character Essentials

Over these last few blog posts, we have discussed a great detail about character. Yet, some of the most important things have been overlooked.

Create an Active Character

Don't just have your character be wishy-washy. Make them take control of the situation and handle it themselves. Nobody likes the passive types, and we all love a hero.

Would "Speed' be a great action flick if Keanu Reeves just paid Dennis Hopper the money?

"No way."

Would "The Replacements" be a so-so sports comedy if Keanu Reeves just let Gene Hackman run the team?

"No way."

Would Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure be an Excellent Adventure if Ted didn't get in the time machine?

"No way."

Keanu makes this point clear.

"Active Characters are important. . . also, johnny mnemonic is underrated."

Motivation

What do your characters want? Obviously we've all seen Maslow's Hierarchy.

Most of society follows these in order from the base up. First, we need food, then shelter, then love, etc. This is boring and too easy. An interesting character switches around their needs and puts others first. Think of it. John McClane risked his life in order to save his wife from the evil Professor Snape in Die Hard. Rather than taking from society, he gave to society in an act of unselfishness.

The Hero Pyramid

Another important thing to note is the significant dividing line that forms in the middle of the Belonging section.

When a character is "Lost in Love," it's easy to help others or to find respect within your community. But when you're "All Out of Love," other people hardly register. That's why I refer to this line as the "Air Supply Line." Their early 80s hits dabbled across the spectrum of Maslow's hierarchy.

And those are the character essentials.