Alright, let me ask you a question. What's the hardest part of screenwriting? Is it building the plot? Crafting the theme? Maintaining story structure?

In my opinion, it's developing characters. Without characters, there's no story. And everything else in the screenplay doesn't matter because the audience needs something to connect to. Knowing this, I put all my efforts into creating the best characters possible. I spent years reading books, watching YouTube videos, and scavenging the internet for character-building advice. After two years of doing this, I noticed something odd. Some of the advice I found was unrealistic or contradictory. For example, I saw people saying things like the MC must be perfect; villains are supposed to be despised, but when I turned on the TV, I'd find loveable villains and main characters who weren't perfect.

Eventually, I realized that there are tons of character-building myths. Here are three that all writers should be aware of.

Myth 1: Characters Must Be "Human"

This doesn't mean that they have to physically be human, but that they should have relatable human qualities. I've read countless screenwriting books that defend this myth like Gospal, and I did too. I'd fill out pages and pages of character templates. I'd write down all the tiny details and even start from the day they were born. Once I had all this info on paper, I'd write the most complex and perplexing characters possible. When I got feedback, people would say my characters confused them, and they came off as unbelievable.

The Truth: Characters Must Be Unpredictably Predictable.

On the surface, telling writers to make their characters human sounds like a fantastic idea. Humans have flaws, assets, hobbies, and interesting quirks that could easily transfer into a strong character, but we tend to forget that characters aren't human. Their sole purpose is to mimic humanity so people can feel connected to the story. When you create a character, think of their basic personality and who they are in simple terms. Once you establish their dominant traits, you can include other facets of their personality that make them unique. I'm not saying don't do extensive research on your characters or avoid writing detailed character templates, but it's important to know what you should and shouldn't add to your script. Only use information necessary to the story.

Myth 2: Don't Get Inspiration From Other Writers

As writers, we work hard to create fresh and original content. We're also terrified of others stealing our ideas and, in some rare cases, stealing the ideas from others. It's a complex issue. Writers fear having their ideas stolen, so they don't show their work to others. They also fear indirectly stealing other people's ideas, but to have plots and concepts to work with, they need to look at other people's ideas. It's a never-ending cycle that breeds uncertainty.

The Truth: Be Inspired By Others; Just Don't Copy.

Telling writers not to copy from others is like telling a construction worker not to use a blueprint. Every idea comes from somewhere. There's nothing in this world that's 100 percent original. Even the most unique concepts come from people brainstorming on other people's work. The problem occurs when it's painfully obvious they're copying another author. It's perfectly fine to be inspired by other people's work; don't copy it. Find ways to increase your creativity and be inspired by theirs.

Myth 3: Protagonists Must Be "Good"

When I was younger, I was a die-hard fan of the Boondocks. In my eyes, The Boondocks was the greatest show I've ever seen. The characters were hilarious, and each story was unique in its own way. One thing that made the show stand out was the themes and the way it handled the topic of being black in America. There were a lot of characters in the Boondocks; some were meant to root for, and some were meant to be despised. I realized I adored the villains by analyzing the show and studying the characters. The villains could do the most insane, outlandish stuff, but I still loved them; sometimes, I liked the villains more than the traditional 'good' characters. This was strange because people always tell writers that people love good characters and despise evil ones.

The Truth: Good & Evil Is Subjective & Depends On The Story's Context.

The general advice is that characters, especially the lead, must be good, or else the audience won't like them. In reality, people love imperfect characters as long as they're entertaining and relatable. Also, good and bad depends on the context of a story. I'll give an example: If a character in a war zombie movie acts mean and aggressive towards strangers, they get a pass, but if that same character harms a random person while in a kid's TV show, their reputation changes. In short, good or evil in writing is subjective.

Creating well-written characters is like a balancing act, especially when you receive advice that potentially hinders your work, but if you stand by the context of your story, your next draft will be a breeze.

What unhelpful or pointless writing tips have you gotten or seen online? Why were those tips unhelpful?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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