Screenwriting : Today's Wish and Creative Tip by Laurie Ashbourne

Your character doesn’t have to follow a set of heroic journey rules, but understand that breaking from tradition, doesn’t immediately make them interesting. A relatable character is more important than a unique one. To stand out for the sake making noise is not a trait that audiences will put up with for very long – this is true in life and in art. Take for instance, a recent thread in the lounge where a member had a unique idea as to how to market screenplays. This member was so sure that their idea was the best solution for the filmmaking journey (even though they had no experience in the journey) that they picked apart every sentence of every person contributing to conversation and did so with pages of misspelled, run-on sentences and quotes taken out of context. So, even if their revolutionary idea had a modicum of validity that could be tested – they had so annoyed everyone, that no one cared to entertain the idea. If your character is going to be an off-the-wall revolutionist, chances are they will piss some people off because people don’t like change they have no say in. That’s okay, in fact it’s good, because it makes for good dramatic storytelling – but what would make it better, is if the audience was privy to the lunatic’s motivations. Was he left in sewer as a baby and raised by trolls or was he left floating down a river as a baby, found and taken in by a complete stranger in a loving home? If the character is a hero, audiences won’t support them if the character doesn’t care about the consequences of their actions. Even with an anti-hero, there is something about the dark side of them creates empathy that outweighs their unpleasant personality. If the character is villain – the best villains truly believe they are the hero. So how could the maniacal revolutionary create empathy that doesn’t tune audiences out? One look at the current political landscape in the US can help frame this. Villainous characters play on fear and push buttons WITH THE THINGS THAT SCARE THEM THE MOST. The hero character learns to be bigger and not take the bait. Regardless of genre, regardless of scale. When you make the commitment to be in the film industry, even as a writer who starts in isolation, you are committing to be a part of a team – your actions have consequences just like the characters you create. If you have a creative idea, people won’t listen if you are an obstinate blowhard, even if you are because you are scared to death of failure. Don’t be an ass.