Video 3: How to write interesting characters

Character is one of the most important parts of a show, and there are some useful techniques to get you thinking more deeply about how to write great characters. 

Ideally, you’ll want to create characters that the audience either wants to be or be with. What can we think about to get us there? 

Questions to ask: 

• What are the character’s strengths? What are they good at? Why would you be grateful to be with them in a difficult situation? 

• Who does the character want you to think they are? How does that differ from who they are internally? 

• How does the main character self sabotage when under pressure?  

• How does the character change? How are they at the start of the series, and how are they at the end of the series? 

• What is the character worried about deep down? 

• What is the character most afraid of? 

• What is the journey your main character is embarking on? How does that impact them? 

When writing characters, it’s really worth asking these questions so your idea feels like it is driven by a character making a blend of both good and bad choices -- not by external events pushing them around. We need to invest in characters who are active (not passive) in their own personal stories. The whole world of the show should feel like a projection of the lead character’s psyche. 

Once you have found a character that you’re passionate about introducing to the world, this type of investigation should help you write them in a full, layered way.