My problem has been in developing the characters. I'm trying to play with cliches without having my characters become them, and that's always a challenge. I'm a little worried about giving my characters personlaity quirks just for the sake of
quirkiness, because it feels like everything's already been done. So I was thinking about one of my characters, the protagonist's best friend who's a guy with no real conscience who does a shady job for a living, but a job that would get him laid with ease. I was trying to figure out his angle, how to flesh him out and give him more personality, and I remembered something Bill Martell wrote about giving your character a trait that's the opposite of their normal behavior. So I gave my guy a domineering girlfriend. What if this badass criminal who feels no guilt at all about punching some innocent guy in the face repeatedly crumbles at the slightest word from his girl? That's a quirk that adds a little comedy potential in addition to giving us a little more humanity in the guy. I'm basing him on an actor friend of mine who would never be whipped but who makes a fantastic villain, and I really hope he doesn't mind me using this picture of him. He looks exactly like my character needs to.This guy is now my favorite character in the story. My protag is going to have to get more interesting to keep up.
But then I worry that his new character quirks have probably been done too. I guess there is no real way to be completely creative. There's only 36 dramatic situations, after all, and only so many different ways people can behave. But after all this time we're still surprising each other, so I guess that's something. I can only hope my characters charm everybody else the way they're charming me.
i don't think we can worry about being totally original - like you said, there's only so many situations and ways to act. it's more important to be interesting and engaging.
ReplyDeletei always think about music. in the western scale there's only 12 notes. but man have we gotten a lot of mileage out of them!
so you're probably gonna use the same notes as everyone else, it's just how you in particular put them together.
You should read "Watchmen". From the mind of Alan Moore (V for Vendetta), it is the most subversive comic book I've ever read, and is generally considered to be the best graphic novel ever written. It also toys with our perceptions of superheroes, although perhaps in a different way than you're planning to (or maybe in the same way, I don't actually know). Anyway, I'd give it a read. I'd give it a buy, actually. But hey, that's just me.
ReplyDeleteAs for character quirks, don't worry about what's already been done. Just worry about what makes the character interesting to you. Don't forget, the actor that'll ultimately be playing the part will be bringing much of his/her own expertise to it, which'll most likely give the character a much different flavor than whatever it was you thought you were copying.
Great Blog. Very Honest. I dig your script page counter off to the side there...worth coming back just to check it's progress. It's a good idea. I, too (and who doesn't?) have a spec that I am working on. Mostly in my head but also on a bunch of post-its. Oddly, it's inspiring to see (read) that other writers go through the same junk/insecurities that I go through.
ReplyDeletegood luck on your Spec, I look forward to your bar filling in!
Best
Chris
P.S. This is my Blog...
ReplyDeletesavinoboy.blogspot.com
In case you're intersted.