i was wondering- what makes a good character? ive read all the how-to's and things on this site, just wondering what everyone on here thought and how they go about making a new character.
i've had a go at making up some of my own but they fall flat or when i look back arent really that much of a character.
...i blaim writer block...
and the fact that i'm new to comdey writing. but hey, gotta start somewhere and i love great characters in comedy, just dont know how to go about making my own!
Rightly or wrongly, most of my characters are amalgams of 2 or 3 people I know. Either that or the me I always wanted to be. That could be the wine talking.
I don't put any conscious thought into any character I create. I just tend to tune in to the voices in my head and write them down. That isn't much help.
On a straightforward level a writer needs to be thinking about what their characters want and how their own flaws could prevent them from getting it. Basil Fawlty wants peace but can't stop himself from blowing up. David Brent wants to be liked but has a chronic lack of self awareness at what a dick he truly is.
When you read some other sitcoms the characters often seem to melt into each other. To prevent that clear goals and attitudes are needed for each personality to the extent that you know what their reaction is going to be to the situations you place them in.
And the whole package needs to be considered. Character is only revealed through action and interaction so it would be a bit limp having one blazing personality surrounded by a bunch of dullards.
If you've written more than one thing it might be worth sticking characters from other things together and seeing what happens. Once these people are strong in your mind then writing can often be a case of just sitting back and letting them talk to each other.
When I am creating characters i also use little tit-bits of people i know, sometimes someone i may have only met briefly. Looks like Ablurga is given us all some fine advise on this.
In extreme circumstances, I've done two things to create characters.
1) Think of a stereotype (say a copper) list all the famous copper roles, (Dixon / DC Meadows etc), list their characteristics and then completely reverse the list by thinking of all the antonyms. This gives a stereotypical reversal and should be relatively unique when compared with others of the genre.
2) For one complex story I totally reversed the normal situation of characters driving the plot. I already had a plot planned out in detail, I then created the characters that were necessary to make that plot happen. For example, one of them had to be devious and a thief because an item was to be stolen halfway through. The plot determined the characteristics.
Other things that may help:
a) Flaws, strengths, traits, mannerisms, physical looks, collect a list and then try random mix'n'match and see if anything really takes off. Most important is the 'way' they speak. Voice is the best way to quickly indicate character. Go to a cafe and listen to people speak, what are they saying? What are they REALLY saying behind the words? How do they say it? Why did they use that word? I use 'truly' a lot. Is it because I'm actually covering a lie or because I'm concerned with letting people know this is the real person (and not my net identity) speaking for once? Words and the choice of words are hard to master but totally key to character. Vicki Pollard would never be the same person if she said "yes but no but yes..." instead of "Yeah but ..."
b) Take a person you know and bolt on / remove characteristics from the laundry list in a). Nearly every character in fiction is someone the author knows or has met. If they say otherwise they're likely lying. We base imagination on what we know and the people we've met.
c) The greatest dynamic in fiction is what issues make characters fight, what common bonds make them stick together. Nearly every scene in fiction / narrative comedy or even a plain sketch should have a dynamic based on tension or cohesion, if it doesn't then consider dropping the scene. Analyse your favourite sitcoms, and note in each scene the point of conflict and or resolution of conflict. What in the character caused the conflict or bonding together? Lister and Rimmer are great examples. The tension is based on differences in hygiene, dress, ambition, self-esteem, etc. But they bond to fight common enemies that threaten those things that mean most to them (life / privacy / lifestyle etc)
Character is the bedrock of sitcom. You need them before going any further in a project. Start writing a sitcom series with vague characters that begin to shift 'boundaries' during the series progression and it probably won't get commissioned. It's odd that the genre is called Situation Comedy when it is really Character Comedy.
Ive never really conciously thought about 'creating' a character, they just generally seem to appear more or less fully formed. Which is no help to anyone wanting tips. I think the more you write a script or character, the more the character will naturally reveal about themselves. Im not really big on planning, I just start writing and see what happens. So. Yes. Absolutely no help to anyone seeking help there.
Think of a 'what if...' person and exacerbate the problem. Then you'll have a (probably unlikeable) character.
For instance, something that sparked you off and made you giggle on the bus/train once that somebody did or you thought of. So, what if somebody refused to pay for their ticket on the train using ridiculous reasons that were utter nonsense (make sure this is funny in some way otherwise you're writing a dramatic character rather than a funny one). Then place them in lots of situations where their characters would come out and think what they'd say. Your character will come out as you think more about it and eventually you'll have a sense of what they'd say/do in different situations.
Hope this helps
Dan
thanks everyone!
feeling inspired now!