Screenwriting : Help with my story by Gav Elias

You could review "V for Vendetta." See the movie, read the graphic novel and if you can get your hands on the scripts for both, do so.

Gav, You've created a difficult situation to resolve. My suggestion is to use what I call the "audience character"; this can be a single role or a shifting role (meaning that various characters pick it up depending on circumstances, scene, etc). The "audience character" exists in every film & play (not necessarily in novels since the narrative serves this purpose). You could create a series of secondary or false-primary characters that allow us to get to know your main character. These characters ask questions that the audience would ask, they go places the audience would want to go if they were in the situations you've created. Ideally, you'll reveal your MC by at least plot point 2 so that we're not struggling to make any connection. Consider watching "The Usual Suspects". Our relationship with Keiser Sose is guided and dictated by the rest of the characters and by the time he's "revealed" our expectations are dashed against the truth of the reveal. Best to you & happy writing, Aaron

Good advice above. My advice might just be rephrasing Aaron's suggestion with different labels, but here I go anyway: We don't have all the details on your story, but let's assume that the A story is the pitched battle between your Protagonist (Mr. Invisible) and an Antagonist. The actions of one or the other kick things off, and the events in the story are largely driven by the choices these two make in their battle. Now. Who says either of the two above characters has to be your Main Character? Ideally your Main Character should have a strong relationship to the Protagonist (or Antagonist), but there's no rule that says he/she can't be a third party. Check out, for example, Cronenberg's The Fly. Seth Brundle is almost certainly the Protagonist, but I'd argue that his girlfriend (I forget the character's name) played by Geena Davis is the Main Character.

Good stuff. And I was actually on the verge of watching V for Vandetta again having just nought it on DVD this morning. It is a bit weird to explain without giving away my story. Essentially, it is a few interweaving stories but this one character is the link between them all. He is a foreigner in the States but due to his profession he keeps his identity hidden and due to his lack of grasp of the Anglian language, he does not talk and does his "talking" via other means. I am just trying to work out how an anti hero who is never seen (though will be seen a few times in his outfit) and never speaks will be able to make the audience like him and root for him. It is not a comedy either, so I cannot really use comedic gestures or mannerisms to hook the audience.

Blake Snyder says we will like your hero if he Saves a Cat. I say we will like your antihero if he Kills a Rapist. Seriously. Just make his opponents very evil, those they are menacing very likable, then have your antihero defeat the bad guys in satisfying ways. (Then, at the end of the second half, have him get his butt kicked. We'll be totally on his side when he cleans up Gotham in Act 3)

An antihero main character that does not have dialog nor is visible to the audience? Sounds problematic. You're running the risk of a flat character that will not be engaging. Eventually the mask has to come off or some true sense of humanity must be revealed. What is the antihero's raison d'etre? Why should we connect with that character? Did he/she suffer some traumatic injury? Is he/she mute as a result? Does he/she use some sort of speaking device to communicate? If he/she is foreign and speaks in a different language you could utilize subtitles so only the audience knows what is being said. Perhaps your other characters serve as protagonists and your antihero serves as the catalyst. In "V for Vendetta" Natalie Portman's "Evey" served as the main character for the audience to connect with and follow. Anyway, sounds like a challenging story. Best of luck with it!

Ok, I will divulge some of it. Essentially, it it an interweaving story of a corrupt politician, a gang leader, a drug dealer caught between the two and an professional assassin brought in by the gang leader to kill the politician for a specific reason. The story will be based in LA type city and the assassin will be the anti hero. However, he is non-English speaking and as a professional assassin, will wear an 'outfit' to make him identifiable, yet keep his identity hidden. He will have a back story of being orphaned, problematic teenager, sent to prison and generally lived a life of crime but now wants to retire and this is planned to be his last job. It will all be done in a tongue in cheek, serious-ish with black comedy moments. It is the assassin character that I am struggling with. One way I have considered is to give the gang leader a wife who is drawn to the assassin's mystique and I can then use her to bring out elements of him.

Yeah, Gav, sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing more of your plot. However, from what you've described, your masked assassin doesn't quite sound like an antihero -- a central character that lacks conventional heroic attributes -- but rather more like a dark character. Forgive me, but the cold, speechless assassin has already been done to death (no pun intended). With all the comic book, superhero films and TV shows out right now the mask or costume thing feels redundant. Take a look at the Coen brothers films -- "Fargo," "No Country For Old Men." Those dark films have such unique, quirky characters. Watch Billy Bob Thornton's assassin character on the TV series "Fargo." He's fantastic. Another great assassin film was "Gross Point Blank" with John Cusack. The goal we all have is to develop fully realized characters not derivative imitations. Anyway, I'm just throwing ideas at you. I do wish you the best with your project! :)

Hmmm, I did think of exposing him and get him to talk etc. However, I was sold on the hidden identity on a silly, but valid reason. I told my friend of the idea and her initial reaction, without missing a beat, was "that's cool. He will be like The Stig (off Top Gear) of assassins and everybody loves The Stig." That got me thinking then about how anonymity strangely appeals to people if you get right. He won't be in a superhero type costume, either :) I was thinking more of every day clothing, but always has a hoodie on with the hood up, casting a shadow over his face so you never fully see it, making him 'normal' but also extraordinary in what he does. He will be the anti hero because his trade is killing, and he will kill, but ends up killing for the 'right' reason and for the good of others to create a better future without anybody knowing it was him. Hard to explain without giving it all away :)

Here's a logistic problem many writers don't think about - CASTING. before you ever sell his character to an audience, you have to sell it to an AGENT. And an actor. Who wants screen time. Wants his face shown. Wants to be able to interact, react, emote, and speak. There are very very few knowns actors who would take such a role where you're never seen, never heard, yet you're the lead in the story? It poses huge casting issues because people pay to see movie stars speak and be seen. How can an agent sell that role to his client? Sometimes you need to think about these things..

There's another recent thread where I went on a tear about killing your darlings... I'm a big fan of taking an axe to the great ideas I had before I began the writing process. By my reasoning (which many writers probably find insane), the fact that you like this idea so much is a red flag. It means you're not objective about it, and, like a bad relationship, might cling to it out of sentimental reasons even though it could make your life (i.e., your story, in this metaphor) miserable. Or it may be the genius hook that sells the script. My recommendation: spend a few days playing with the idea of a more traditional (though still shadowy, if you like) character. Try dating a nice girl your mother would approve of, in other words. If you two don't hit it off, at least you gave it a chance, and you can go back to the crazy Emo girl with the tats. But... personal experience talking... it's very easy to be infatuated with an idea that's a drag on your script. Not saying that's the case here, but I'd kick the idea around. IMHO.

Well, what sounds "cool" doesn't necessarily mean it will be compelling nor be able to work in storytelling form. Take a look at other films and TV to see what's been done, not just for inspiration but to see how you can bring some originality to the whole assassin story. Another TV series to look at is "Arrow." Again, best of luck!

Huge point, Danny.