Day 1 Assignments

[Janeen Johnson]

Janeen’s Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is that after all of this time, my characters have become real enough that I can describe them in the details needed below.

Three Characters:

Morgan

Basic Character Traits:

Insecure
Curious/Eager to learn

Perfectionist — can’t leave well enough alone

Bold under pressure

Want/Need: Wants to be on an equal footing with her husband (mentally) / Needs to be seen as more than a pretty face/figure — a force to be reckoned with

Paradoxes: Feels inferior, but feels she is the right one to do something to help underdogs

Secret: She has always felt mentally inferior to her husband and a fraud for that reason

Flaw: Easily second guesses herself when anyone she considers superior (and that’s a LOT of people) criticizes something she’s done

Special: Seems to “have it all” but wants to save women and children — feels it’s her duty because she’s so lucky.

Daniel

Basic Character Traits:

Temperamental artist

Insecure

Incredibly good designer

Perfectionist

Want/Need: Wants his wife to love him / Needs his wife to be totally enthralled with him to make him feel secure

Paradoxes: Believes that he should be ultimately in charge in his home even though he can see it driving his wife to hate and fear him rather than the adoration he seeks

Secret: Will never find perfection in his relationship with his wife because he doesn’t see her as perfect.

Flaw: Gets physical when he gets angry

Special: Society’s darling while a tyrant at home

Amber

Basic Character Traits:

Loving

Gentle

Long-suffering

Fiercely protective of her kids

Want/Need: Wants the loving, kind, gentle man she married back / Needs safety for herself and her kids

Paradoxes: Still loves her husband because of what could have been, but hates him because of what is

Secret: Has set an internal limit — one act of violence against the kids and she will get them and herself to safety

Flaw: Can’t see that there is no hope of things returning to what they once were or even becoming safe.

Special: Much stronger as a mother than as a woman.

[Rob Bertrand]

Rob Bertrand’s Characters

What I learned: I learned that the first step to “seducing” A-list actors to a project is to create characters that actors fall in love with.

CHARACTER PROFILE
Annie Andrews – Protagonist

1. Basic character traits:

Whip smart, quick tempered, fragile teenager who aches for acceptance.

2. Want/Need

Wants to be left alone. Needs to forgive herself for the death of her mom.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

A people pleaser who can’t say no. / Wants to withdraw from the world.

4. Secret:

She’s confused about her sexuality and has a crush on Jocelyn.

5. Flaw:

Her temper goes off like a bomb and she often says things she doesn’t mean in anger.

6. What is special about this character?

She’s a gifted singer.

CHARACTER PROFILE
Danny Laplante – Antagonist

1. Basic character traits:

Emotionally traumatized, delusional, pathological liar, who’s desperate for love.

2. Want/Need

Wants to be with Annie no matter what. / Needs professional help.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

Wants to join a loving family. / Enjoys tormenting people with mind games.

4. Secret:

He was physically, psychologically and sexually abused by several adults in his life. Starting with his father and ending with his psychiatrist.

5. Flaw:

He is a pathological liar and only tells you what he thinks you want to hear.

6. What is special about this character?

He is a gifted burglar.

CHARACTER PROFILE
Jack Andrews – Side Character

1. Basic character traits:

Hard working, foul-mouthed, traditional father with a soft spot for his daughters.

2. Want/Need

Wants his daughters to grow up / Needs to quit drinking.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

Wants to be a better father/ Struggles with alcoholism.

4. Secret:

The reason Annie was driving the night Nora died was because he was too drunk to drive.

5. Flaw:

He can’t admit it when he’s wrong.

6. What is special about this character?

Best mechanic in town.

[John Budinscak]

Budinscak Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is:

o Even though they’re characters I know/created, I still had trouble coming up with some of the traits.

o This is a great reference point to develop dialog, subtext, etc.

o This will also give me an idea of what my characters should or should not do in given situations.

o I’m always glad we’re able to go back and update and revise our work.

Character Name: Jack

1. Basic Character Traits:

selfish

conniving

street smart

scoundrel

2. Want/Need:

Want: He wants to do only what he wants to do

Need: to be accountable

3. Paradoxes:

Jack is a me-first, me-only guy with a bit of a soft heart that can be played.

4. Secret:

Jack skimmed money from Don Vito and funded the psychic call center start-up in Terre Haute with LC.

5. Flaw:

He’s never met a bet he didn’t like.

6. Special:

Jack’s a self-taught chef who won a “Taste of New York” competition, but learned his knife skills in street fights.

Character Name: Puck

1. Basic Character Traits:

Nerdy

Insecure

Devious

Intimidated

2. Wants/Needs:

Wants: He wants to be included, not the last one picked

Needs: Attention

3. Paradoxes:

Nerdy and insecure, yet he will challenge to no end if he believes he’s correct.

4. Secret:

He’s a kleptomaniac and steals something everywhere he goes.

5. Flaw:

Even though he may be right, he quickly backs down to a physical confrontation.

6. Special:

Puck can immediately calculate the odds and payouts for bets at the craps tables … and roulette tables … and horse races, baseball games….

Character Name: Sal

1. Basic Character Traits:

manipulative

smart ass

sneaky

bit of a bully

2. Wants/Needs:

Wants: He wants to be an adult

Needs: Discipline

3. Paradoxes:

Sal is no dummy, but prefers to play that role believing he’ll get further ahead if he’s underestimated.

4. Secret:

Sal’s raided his parents’ liquor cabinet more than a few times for his friends.

5. Flaw:

He doesn’t realize the hurt he leaves behind when he bullies others (Puck).

6. Special:

Sal has a knack for writing love letters that get results and Sal’s older brother charges by the paragraph and has a waiting list of customers.

[Julia Keefer]

What I learned: Although I have lived for years as a novelist with my characters trying to finish this trilogy, I am starting to see and hear them in visual scenes, but I am not there yet.

Character Name: Bobby/Leo/BB/Betty the serial killer/rapist/arsonist

1. Basic character traits:

Clean, conscientious, conformist, organized, careful listener

2. Want/Need

What does this character want throughout this story? He wants to live on boats with more money than he has had in the past. He still likes to kill but not to rape.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

Normally he is not affected by the pain and pleasure of others but when his son is burnt in a fire he had to set, embers of guilt and sadness flicker in his unconscious.

4. Secret: He vows never to tell anyone about his crimes as a younger man.

5. Flaw:

What weakness or dysfunction does this character have that makes
them human?

6. Special: Longevity. Few serial killers enjoy freedom as long as he has in part because he changes identities with skill and commitment.

IBRAHIM’S CHARACTER PROFILE

Character Name: Ibrahim al Harbi a Saudi engineer and technologist and businessman

1. Basic character traits:
– well-spoken and polite

– ruthlessly ambitious
– religious
– super educated and accomplished

2. Want/Need:
– Wants to be a respected member of community, family etc.
– Needs to be in control with power and money

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements):
–ethics of Islam and society versus his need for power even if it is illegal or immoral

4. Secret:
– Ibrahim is sterile, so Jake has fertilized his four kids. Later, he is CEO of STEMGARCHS, a dangerous company with genocidal secrets.

5. Flaw:
– When stressed, his temper explodes out of his polite exterior like a volcano.

6. What is special about this character?
– Ibrahim is very smart and connected and has helped develop and hide the Bright Space Brain Buffet, drugs to improve mental illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases but he is not free to distribute them to everyone.

7. Subtext. Ibrahim is not scared of things and not overtly or covertly immoral till later, so he is in an even better position to do harm. He can fool the audience for a while. Nice exterior, refined, tactful, polite, smooth, discreet, with formal, educated language.

Nice exterior – Political – Withholding – Diplomatic
– Refined – Tactful – Discreet – Smooth
– Modest – Discreet – Bashful – Reserved
– Politically correct – Self-Censoring

While he is plotting:

– Manipulative – Secretive – Underhanded – Tricky
– Conspiring – Weaselly – Immoral – Sly
– Sneaky – Undercover – Scheming – Devious
– Concealing – Crafty – Treacherous – Deceitful
– Conniving – Unethical – Underhanded – Evasive
– Corrupt – Shady – Slippery – Shifty

Character Name: Litonya Lenape a Native American geologist

1. Basic character traits:
Super strong physically
Brilliant in science and technology as a geologist
Blunt talker even when it hurts her
Can be silent for hours

2. Want/Need

Litonya wants to be connected viscerally to nature through rocks, sex, love, and her men and boys.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

She loves her sons and husband but doesn’t share some of their social interests.

4. Secret:

Litonya spent seven years in jail where she learned to hate humans even more than she did when she killed her father during Sandy Storm for being a fracker. But she doesn’t keep it a secret.

5. Flaw:

Litonya lacks humor, some warmth, social skills etc.

6. Special:

Litonya is a genius geologist and the best rock climber in the country.

7. Subtext Character Traits
She surprises by blurting out truths when everyone else is lying. If she weren’t so gorgeous, she would be invisible. She is not afraid to talk but she often could care less. She doesn’t seduce, flatter, say thank you, and will tell everyone about her prison term. Her on the nose personality is a sharp contrast to other characters so she can create surprises, shock, or humor in scenes.

[Armand Petrikowski]

Armand’s characters

What I learned doing this assignment is… How a character profile can help us give our main characters a distinctive voice and identity on the page. “As you write and rewrite, you’ll be using this profile to deliver that character on the page. I’ve seen too many screenplays where every character speaks the same way. The way to solve that is by creating a precise Character Profile.”

CHARACTER PROFILES

Character Name: TYLER (THE GHOST)

1. Basic character traits:

Arrogant

Belittling

Cowardly

Sarcastic

Romantic

2. Want/Need

Tyler, the ghost, WANTS to save the college teens from being murdered like he was years ago.

He NEEDS to prove he is not a coward.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

Arrogant in front of others, but feels inferior about himself

Belittles those he feels superior to, but is kind to his girlfriend in private

4. Secret: He is afraid to admit he is scared. Uses sarcasm to cover it.

5. Flaw: Afraid to own up to his mistakes

6. Special: He is a ghost.

Character Name: MADDIE (THE FINAL GIRL 20 YEARS LATER)

1. Basic character traits:

Brave

Brings the best out of people

Tough

Kind

2. Want/Need

Maddie WANTS to stop the masked killer who was never caught.

She NEEDS to rest in peace/closure.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

Brings the best out of people through tough love

4. Secret: She has survivor’s guilt

5. Flaw: Stubborn

6. Special: She’s lived off the grid for the last decade, watching the manor and waiting for the killer to strike back.

Character Name: CHARLES (THE KILLER & TYLER’S HALF-BROTHER)

1. Basic character traits:

Ambitious

Calculating

Insecure

Sadistic

2. Want/Need

Charles, the killer who was never caught, WANTS to get away with murder.

He NEEDS to feel powerful.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)

He had ambition but he ruined the family fortune

He is sadistic but loves Maddie

He is only strong when he is masked killing people

4. Secret: He is jealous of Tyler, his half-brother.

5. Flaw: Cocky, thinks he is always ahead of everyone.

6. Special: He loves killing, constantly going back to his memories of his one murder spree.

[Elizabeth Koenig]

Elizabeth’s Characters

What I learned: this is a good exercise for me to do early – so I stay better focused.

DAY 1:

Name: ED

Basic traits (one extremely unique; diverse):

· Responsible

· Avoidant-restless as a consequence (changes)

· Caring

· Connecting (collects/mixes diverse ideas & people)-his brilliance (extreme)

Want: to be with (deceased)Susan, after finally, briefly finding her again and starting to fully live

Need: to heal and live (to personally & deeply connect with the living around him-and to continue his work)-but to do so he’ll have to feel the pain of not doing it sooner.

Paradoxes:

· He’s all about connections, but has never married or had kids

· He’s a brilliant multi-modal psychiatrist who helps many, but knowingly avoids doing his own psychological work.

· He’s ‘stuck’ professionally but the solution to his ‘book’ (content) is thinking expansively, as is his gift. The solution is right there in the material being he is (Ala Freud).

· He’s analytically trained (Freud et.al) but has guilt about sex.

· As a psychiatrist he’s about helping people live good lives, but he lives through others—has always avoided living his own life.

· avoids the pain of lost opportunity-by repetitively passing up opportunity

Secret: feels like he killed his father with his passion-acid rock music; feels guilty that he had sex before marriage.

Flaw: avoids the pain of lost opportunity-by repetitively passing up opportunity. He needs to do for himself (love/empathy) what he easily does for others.

Special: Profound – he has a gift for helping people understand deep things about themselves and the world (that they tend to avoid seeing) by making them feel enveloped/safe enough to look at them.

Name: Grace

Basic traits (one extremely unique; diverse):

· Hard working

· Playful/creative/musical – like ED, she puts things together you’d never expect

· Enthusiastic/positive

· Feels deeply unlovable/not valuable (changes)

Want: to accomplish (through work) whatever it is that will make her lovable/valuable

Need: to let herself be enveloped in the love she didn’t have as a kid

Paradoxes:

· Feels deeply unlovable, even as she’s surrounded by people who love her deeply

· By overworking she’s working ‘less well’ – less creative, as her work demands and eventually she’ll overload and not work, or work well, at all

· If she could let herself feel safe in love she’d be able to work and play even better.

Secret: she lied to her mother and the world when she nominated Linda for best Mother of the Year-which gives potency to when she learns of Ed’s ‘lie’ about not having a relationship with Susan, but just ‘hooking up’. She really doesn’t have much of a relationship with her mother at all because she doesn’t like/respect her.

Flaw: she keeps insanely busy so she doesn’t have to feel feelings that seem overwhelming (esp. that she’s alone/abandonded-because of her ugliness – and rage she has those thoughts/feelings)

Special: like Ed, she can make unexpected associations/connections between unrelated things that may fly too close to the sun. Profound

Name: Michael

Basic traits (one extremely unique; diverse):

· Simply loves

· Salesman – can sell water to a fish (if he’s sober) extreme

· Fun (plays really well)

· Impulsive/addictive (changes – modulated)

Want: to just love and play

Need: to modulate fun with appropriate work, so he can love his family even more

Paradoxes:

· Has life figured out in his core – but can’t let this truth shine without the help of others

· Deep truths in his pure silliness, that he doesn’t even seem aware of

· He loves play but will do it even better if he can also work

Secret: had an opportunity for an impulsive affair (Grace’s deepest fear) – and managed to choose not to take it—because love is simply a choice.

Flaw: distractible as hell.

Special: a bit like Phil in the Hangover (without the: ‘is this sociopathic?’), he just exudes COOL.

[Amy Falkofske]

Amy’s Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is my characters had no definition before, but doing this made them really start to come alive.

Andrea

Basic character traits: well-spoken, image conscience, playful, competitive

Want/Need: Wants to become a network anchor, wants Josh and her kids back, needs to feel validated

Paradoxes: Wants to be a good wife and mother but also wants a demanding career

Secret: She once gave a co-worker the wrong directions to a story location so that she could beat her to the story

Flaw: She can be selfish

Special: She was the ugly duckling at school until her braces came off and her acne went away, then she became one of the popular girls.

Meagan

Basic character traits: nurturing, motherly, conniving, deceitful

Want/Need: Wants to keep Andrea away from Josh and her kids. Needs to be loved

Paradoxes: She is a loving mother figure to Josh’s kids and to fiancé to him, but she’s not above manipulating them to get what she wants

Secret: She pushed Andrea into the supercollider and caused her to be lost in time

Flaw: She will cheat to get what she wants

Special: She was the apple of her father’s eye until he died tragically in car accident when she was just 8.

Josh

Basic character traits: inquisitive, honest to a fault, dad jokes, his kids’ biggest cheerleader

Want/need: Wants to do right by the people in his life, needs to feel like he’s number one to his partner

Paradoxes: He is a hardcore rule follower, tough on crime, but also a softie when it comes to his family

Secret: He once hid the details of a crime to keep a family from being torn apart.

Flaw: Has a temper

Special: He comes from a long line of men who were notoriously good at solving crimes.

[Pablo Soriano]

Pablo Soriano’s Characters

What I learned: I usually flesh out characters first but it makes sense to do it after you’ve already come up with some sort of storyline. The traits you come up with can add to the story. But you have to do it before you start writing dialogue. It’s important to know who these characters are to help you figure out how they speak and what they would say.

Irma

1. Basic character traits:

– loving,

– protective,

– religious,

– mother.

2. Want/Need:

– Wants to provide a better life for her sons

– Needs to leave her husband and the town she lives in.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements):

– Devout Catholic verses the sins she must commit.

– Morally against gambling but loves American Game Shows for prize money.

– Polite in nature but sharp when threatened..

4. Secret:

– She only married Ricardo because she was pregnant out of wedlock.

5. Flaw:

– Always doubtful and fearful.

6. What is special about this character?

– She has been learning how to speak English by watching American Game Shows. She’s actually quite good.

Miguel

1. Basic character traits:

– introverted,

– crafty

– resourceful

– intelligent

2. Want/Need:

– Wants to help Irma make it across to the border so that he can win the gameshow.

– Needs to make more money to help his sick mother.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements):

Son of an immigrant vs taking part in a twisted game show that exploits illegal migrants

Brilliantly intelligent and capable vs addicted to videogames/unambitious

4. Secret:

– Cheat his way through public schools, hacks for all of his online subscriptions and memberships.

5. Flaw:

– Anti-social. His only meaningful relationships aside from his mother are his online gaming community of whom he has never met in person.

6. What is special about this character?

– A self-taught electronics/tech wiz. Learned how to do anything and everything on YouTube.

Frank

1. Basic character traits:

– Direct

– Cunning

– Competitive

– Looking out for himself

2. Want/Need:

– Wants to exploit the border crisis for his own capital gain.

– Needs to be kingpin of a highly organized drug transport operation.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements):

Doesn’t care about politics vs working with the border patrol to keep illegal migrants out.

Nonchalant/indifference vs aggressively competitive/ hates to lose

4. Secret:

Even though he made a deal with the border patrol, he is still secretly smuggling in drugs.

5. Flaw:

– He can let his competitiveness get in the way of his emotions.

6. What is special about this character?

– He is extremely intelligent and was once a highly ranked chess player.

[Robert Smith]

BOB’S CHARACTER PROFILES

What I learned doing this assignment is…?

Developing the useful tools of a character profiles help in making stronger characterizations and would be highly useful in attracting actors to the script..

Profiles of Three Main Characters

A note on Protagonist/Antagonist. In the Dramatic Triangle of Jannings/Dietrich/ and von Sternberg, the roles of Protagonist and Antagonist, rotates.

Name: Emil Jannings.

Traits: Jealous, imperious, fear-driven.

Wants/Needs: To maintain star-status and secure the future of his career.

Paradoxes: Although a star, he has lacks confidence and security to take a leadership role as a star in the production.

Secret: He goes behind the scenes and instructs actors to do the opposite of what von Sternberg directs.

Flaw: He misperceives rivalry and opposition where there is none. He is a star but lacks the confidence and sense of a star’s leadership in a successful production

Special: He is an Oscar-winning actor.

Name: Marlene Dietrich.

Traits: Ambitious, creative, talent that needs shaping, strong-headed but subservient (to director, von Sternberg).

Wants/needs: Success as an actress, recognition as a great actress.

Paradoxes: Despite her strong-headedness she is devoted to her mentor and lover, von Sternberg.

Secret: Although living a free-wheeling bisexual life-style, she is married and has a daughter whom she supports along with her husband’s mistress.

Flaw: Anger. She can lash out at others and hurt them.

Special: She is a great star-in-the=making and actress and this is so evident in “The Blue Angel.”

Name: Josef von Sternberg.

Traits: Perfectionist, artistic, exacting.

Wants/Needs: To make a great motion picture of “The Blue Angel” and partner with Marlene Dietrich in making great motion pictures.

Paradoxes: Wants a professional partnership with his discovery (Dietrich) and an intimate relationship, but when his wife, Riza Royce confronts him and says, “Why don’t you divorce me and marry her?” He answers: “I’d sooner share a phone booth with a cobra.’

Flaws: He is as infatuated with Dietrich almost as much as the Professor in the film is infatuated with Lola Lola but in Pygmalionizing relationship (Some would say Svengali) and this to the extent that he is isolated from the rest of the cast and especially the star (Jannings).

Special: He is a great film director and proactively addresses the feud between Dietrich and Jannings and turns them into partners in making “The Blue Angel” a film classic

[Michelle Damis]

Day 1 PS 80 “Seducing Actors” Michelle Damis characters

What I learned doing this assignment is that I thought this was going to be fun and easy, but I had a much more challenging time than I thought I would. I think I was either overanalyzing or trying to fit them into the story I already have in my mind. The next time I do this process I may try doing it earlier, maybe between the 9 steps and the outline.

I did all 4 of my main characters.

Character Name: Ted the Vampire

1. Basic character traits: Idealistic, Honest, Loner, Practical

2. Want/Need: Ted WANTS to feel like he is making the world a better place. He NEEDS to feel he is worthy of love.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) He has to kill for food, but wants to be good. Ted could easily accumulate wealth, but hates greed and chooses to live frugally. He is a steward environmentally but cannot really enjoy what the earth has to offer.

4. Secret: He originally chose to become a vampire, for money and power, but after hundreds of years he realized how wrong he was, he regrets and is embarrassed of his choice.

5. Flaw: That as an evil creature he actually developed a conscience.

6. Special: He lost his parents as a baby and grew up in orphanages, he has never known love of any kind. One night he almost killed a family but was struck by their love for one another and from that night on he only killed what he thought were bad people.

Character Name: Nina

1. Basic character traits: Impatient, Determined, Moody, Overly-Critical.

2. Want/Need: Nina wants to blame/punish her mother for being date-raped so as not to blame herself. She needs to find forgiveness for herself and others.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) Nina counsels/gives advice to others that have been assaulted/abused but doesn’t take her own advice.

4. Secret: Nina is hiding that she lied to her parents and that resulted in her being in a position that got her attacked. She couldn’t tell them because she was afraid it would break her Dads heart and ruin her mother’s career as a public defender. Her attacker was a prior client.

5. Flaw: She leaves a mess everywhere she goes, because she is subconsciously trying to get make her parents mad at her.

6. Special: She has a photographic memory.

Character Name: Marin (Wife/Mother)

1. Basic character traits: Articulate, Self-disciplined, Meticulous, Efficient.

2. Want/Need: She wants to know why her daughter hates her. She needs forgiveness from herself and her daughter.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) She wants a close relaxed relationship with her daughter/but she has to control everything in her life, schedules, plans, outcomes etc… she can’t relax.

4. Secret: Marin was attacked and lost a baby, told everyone it was just a miscarriage.

5. Flaw: She tries to make things perfect and ends up ruining moments. Tries too hard. Overanalyses.

6. Special: She has incredible spatial awareness and accuracy, she can tell is something is level or not, if something will fit. Hit baskets, targets, great aim etc…

Character Name: Jim (Husband/Father)

1. Basic character traits: Accessible, Loyal, Generous, Nostalgic

2. Want/Need: He wants his family and everyone he knows to have a great life. He needs to be remembered as a great husband and father.

3. Paradoxes He is a pacifist but would kill for his family. He wanted a large family but only has one child.

4. Secret: He knows Marins secret, but has never told her.

5. Flaw: Overly trusting, generous to a fault.

6. Special: He grew up on a farm and passed out one time watching his father kill a chicken by swinging it in the air and breaking its neck. Vowed to never kill any living creature. Is Vegan.

[Richard McMahon]

Richard’s Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is… as I have stated many times before when asked this question, this detailed preparation is helping my world become clearer, deeper and stronger.

Character Name: Shane

Basic character traits:

Loyalty

Fearless

Honest

Natural born leader

Want/Need:

He wants the English out of Ireland. He needs peace in his life.

Paradoxes (Warring elements)

While he dreams of peace, he is his country’s most fierce killer.

Secret:

His bloodthirst at the battle of Derry.

Flaw:

Putting others first.

Special:

Has the respect of all those around him. Even his enemies.

Character Name: Illena

Basic character traits:

Amazonian

Diplomatic

Wise

Sexual

Want/Need:

She wants to rule. Needs Shane and a family.

Paradoxes: (Warring elements)

Around Shane she is a kitten. Everyone else gets the tiger.

Secret:

She is pregnant with Shane’s baby.

Flaw:

Blinded by love.

Special:

She equals any man on both the battlefield and politics.

Character Name: Malachi

Basic character traits:

Aggressive

Hotheaded

Mouth works before brain

Short-sighted

Want/Need:

Wants to be ruler. Needs to be respected.

Paradoxes (Warring elements)

Wants to lead. Zero leadership qualities apart from fear and force.

Secret:

He’s been negotiating with the English.

Flaw:

Psychopath

Special:

Just that he was the first born of the right father.

[Jodi Harrison]

Jodi’s Characters – Day 1

What I learned doing this assignment is that using certain characteristics can really help make your character come alive. Answering important items such as traits, want/needs, secrets, special characteristics, etc. can breathe life and dialogue into something that could have been flat or one-dimensional. And referring to these answers as a one off page can keep you on track and consistent with the character’s behavior, dialogue, etc.

Character Name: Pamela Karras

1. Basic character traits: Tenacious, Compassionate, homebody, devoted to family.

2. Want/Need: She wants life to be fair and just for all, so she runs for Governor, she needs to feel unconditionally loved.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements): Although tenacious in her work, Pam is easy going and doesn’t like conflict or getting too involved in others issues, but she soon finds it hard to ignore the struggles of others.

4. Secret: Pam and friends were arrested for drug possession one night while in college, the drugs belonged to another person, but they were all riding in the same car.

5. Flaw: She doesn’t have a diplomacy filter and she short-hands dialogue

6. Special: She listens to show tunes while digging holes in her garden when she’s upset.

Character Name: Governor Chad Babbitt

1. Basic character traits: Hypocrite, Chauvinist, short tempered, loves his wife

2. Want/Need: Chad wants to retain his position of Governor, which brings him lots of power. He is insecure.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements): His public act is fearlessness, but in reality he truly is afraid of the gains of women and minorities. He controls women’s bodies with the SB8 anti-abortion law.

4. Secret: His wife had an abortion in her younger college years.

5. Flaw: He looks like he would have been a boy scout in his youth, but he has no ethical boy scout traits. He’ll do whatever it takes to retain his seat of power.

6. Special: He loves guns and his verbiage often includes gun knowledge or slang.

Character Name: Chloe Carter

1. Basic character traits: Activist, Caring, Funny

2. Want/Need: She wants to save all children so she became a social worker, she needs to forgive herself for not being able to save her own child. If she can save others, it helps her to carry on with life.

3. Paradoxes (Warring elements): She comes off assertive initially but she actually feels guilty when holding her ground and tends to bend.

4. Secret: She carries the illogical guilt of her Son’s death from pneumonia, only Pam knows of Chloe’s Son.

5. Flaw: She’s too trusting and bends to other’s wishes.

6. Special: She runs until she
drops each morning and evening.

[Emmanuel Sullivan]

What I learned doing this assignment is creating a character profile, at least for the main characters helps in the future when introducing supporting characters, then you’ll know how the lead characters will respond in action and dialogue.

[Jennifer McCay]

Jennifer’s Characters

WHAT I LEARNED:

I have gotten a better handle on what motivates my characters.

CHARACTER 1 (protagonist): Jessica

Basic Character Traits:

Smart as a whip

Deeply insecure

Tries to appear perfect at all times visibly

Southern belle

Want/Need:

She wants to win, which she does because she really needs to feel loved, approved of unconditionally and never has been by her parents, never realizing that this is a no-win game.

Paradoxes (Warring Elements):

She secretly wants to be kind and good, but her desire to win is so powerful due to the lack of unconditional love from her parents that it

Secret:

She has to work harder and longer than anyone else to get the things she’s got, and it makes her feel unworthy and ashamed — for ex., reading books on success. She has actual talents but doesn’t honor them in herself. By hiding the hard work away from others, she tries not to be discovered for who she really is, but who she is could redeem her … unless she changes/hardens to become the achiever she really wants to be, which means giving up her vulnerability and heart and truly only going for the win.

Flaw:

At the beginning she really cares but is terrified of being vulnerable in front of her peers, whom she sees as competitors. See her Secret above for more info.

Special:

She is tirelessly ambitious. It does not make her cool, but ultimately it helps her win according to the messed-up rules she lives by.

CHARACTER 2 (antagonist): Amanda

Basic Character Traits:

Smart as a whip, and things come easily to her

Snarky Southerner with heart and a bite

Dreamer

Little tolerance for jerks

Want/Need:

She wants to be successful but laugh all along the way. She needs to feel trust in people to open up to them at all, is cautious, but wants to keep things as relaxed as possible.

Paradoxes (Warring Elements):

She’s a dreamer but willing to do the work. She just doesn’t have to do much work.

Secret:

She doesn’t trust Jessica but has a protective sense about her anyhow that kicks in when Jessica seems vulnerable. It will ultimately cost Amanda her life.

Flaw:

Curses like a sailor and has a sharp temper

Special:

She is the kind of young woman who seems too good to be true, but because she deflects so much attention off of herself with humor, most people wouldn’t see it.

CHARACTER 3 (antagonist): Jessica’s father David

Basic Character Traits:

Deeply into appearances

Career-focused to a fault

Never loses his cool, but gets deadly calm when upset

Pretentious as hell

Want/Need:

He wants to win at life because he feels empty inside without trophies and political offices to show for himself. He needs compassion and never got it.

Paradoxes (Warring Elements):

He claims to love his daughter, seems to very much in his way, but is deeply controlling of her and sees her as yet another trophy.

Secret:

He cheated at some point in his younger life to get a spot (in college or a team or some such), and it haunts him, which is why he wants his daughter Jessica to win but only cheat in ways she can’t get in trouble for/doesn’t have to hide.

Flaw:

He can’t see that his entire life is based on facades.

Special:

He’s like a nonviolent Patrick Bateman — ruthless, broken, willing to do whatever it takes — but has benign dad vibes.