Day 13: Unique Characters on the Page

[Elliott Williams]

Subject title: Elliott Williams loves separating character dialogue!

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”

A completely new way to look at character dialogue especially since it is rooted in a short character profile.

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CHARACTER PROFILE

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1) Character Name:

April

Role: Graduate Student/Daughter

Core Character Traits:

– Headstrong

– Take Charge

– Cunning

– Needing her father’s love

Character Subtext Logline:

April is a distrusting daughter who needs to know why her parents try to control her.

Flaw: Her Anger and frustration blinds her.

Want/Need: Independence from parents and drugs/The love and acceptance of her parents

Mission/Agenda: To uncover the secret her father is hiding

Character Arc (if any): Goes from untrusting and self-centred to caring for others.

World View: No one does anything for nothing

BEFORE:

INT. MOTEL – FRONT DESK – DAY
Trace rents a room at a motel room.
CLERK
That will be sixty, twenty-five.

Trace digs in her pocket, pulls out a credit card with Abigail Dent embossed on it.
She looks away as the Clerk rings up the transaction. She takes in the dusty maps and old photos. She spies an old photo of the military complex.

TRACE
You know anything about that one?
CLERK
Excuse me?
Trace points at the photo.
CLERK
Not really. Just work here. Three dollars for the tour guides.

Trace studies it a little more. The clerk puts the bill and an actual key with a tag on the counter.

TRACE
How long have you worked here?

CLERK
Long time I s’pose.

Trace pulls out the card of the Special Agent.

TRACE
I know this is a long shot, but have you heard of this guy?

The Clerk doesn’t even look at the card.

CLERK
Missing persons is at the Sheriff’s a mile down the road.

AFTER:

INT. MOTEL – FRONT DESK – DAY
Trace rents a room at a motel room.
CLERK
That will be sixty, twenty-five.

Trace digs in her pocket, pulls out a credit card with Abigail Dent embossed on it.
She looks away as the Clerk rings up the transaction. She takes in the dusty maps and old photos. She spies an old photo of the military complex.

TRACE
Know anything about that one?

CLERK
Excuse me?

Trace points at the photo.

CLERK
Not really. Just work here. Three dollars for the tour guides.

Trace studies it a little more. The clerk puts the bill and an actual key with a tag on the counter.

TRACE
Yeah, someone as young as you wouldn’t know, but you look so…wise?

CLERK
I s’pose.

Trace pulls out the card of the Special Agent.

TRACE
I bet you see a lot working here. Have you seen this guy?

The Clerk doesn’t even look at the card.

CLERK
Missing persons is at the Sheriff’s a mile down the road.

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• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by  Elliott Williams.