6. YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENTS

1. Good Script, Bad Script
2. Casting Your Characters
3. Character Questionaire
4. Creating Conflict
5. Outlining Your Script

MAKE SURE YOU DO THE READING WITH THESE HANDOUT SECTIONS !!!!

Complete the Handouts,
turn them in for a grade,
and once they are returned,
keep them in your SCRIPT WRITING PORTFOLIOS.

Developing Characters

Most people think that an exciting and well-developed plot is what makes a script good, but even the most intriguing plot won’t hold someone’s attention if the action is performed by flat, unoriginal characters. A great script is made up of compelling and complex characters. The characters are important because the audience will connect with them more than any other element of your script. You might have great setting or a genius plot twist, but in the end, it's your characters that audience members are going to love, hate, feel sorry for, cheer for, and want to throw things at.

So, the question remains: how do you go about creating compelling characters? The easiest and most interesting way to bring great characters into being is by "visualizing" them. Visualization is the process of creating a clear, strong picture of something in your mind. This means getting a strong idea of how your characters think, feel, speak, move, dress, and look. You should ask yourself how they spend their free time, what their biggest hopes and fears are, what their favorite books and movies are—basically, what makes them compelling and unique.

Creating Conflict

Ok, so you know who your characters are. Excellent. Now it is time to figure out what your characters are going to do. Most scripts are ultimately about the same thing—the journey a protagonist goes on to get what he or she wants and how they change along the way. Whether his or her goal is to get the girl or save the world, the journey is never easy, and your character will encounter many setbacks during their quest. Though they’re painful for your protagonist, these obstacles an conflicts are what will make your script exciting to read.

Outlining Your Plot

Now that your story has conflict and a catchy logline, you probably have an idea of what is going to happen in your script this April. You may know what kind of journey your protagonist will undertake, and you know what will stand in his or her way. Now it's time to take the next step and map out how everything is going to happen.

Writing an entire script from beginning to end may seem pretty daunting, but once you have a plan, it is not as hard as you think. Trust us. As you probably know, most stories break down into the same six sections that make up a plot.