WIM+AI – Module 3 – Lesson 3: Character Subtext

[LJ (Lawrence John) Seliski]

LJ’s Subtext Characters
My vision is to write incredible high-concept screenplays that are made into popular, financially successful movies.

What I learned from doing this assignment is this lesson and the AI Prompt have provided me with a tool to create valuable subtext for the characters in my screenplay.

Title: Defiant Allies
Genre: Sci-Fi
Concept: Mia Vance, an eighteen-year-old woman who was abused as a foster child rescues Ariael, a gifted, exiled alien princess who's in the form of a twelve-year-old girl, and agrees to help her avoid capture by Zarael, an alien adversary who wants to misuse her gift and is involved in a conspiracy that threatens both humanity and alienkind.

Mia Vance
• Subtext Identity: A survivor
• Subtext Trait: Guardedness
• Subtext Logline: Mia is a survivor who guards her vulnerability fiercely.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Mia hides her emotional scars from her traumatic past, putting on a brave face for others.
• Afraid to say: She's afraid to admit her fears and insecurities, often masking them with determination and resolve.
• Withholding: Mia withholds her true feelings, especially when it comes to accepting help from others, fearing vulnerability.
• Plotting: Underneath her exterior of resilience, Mia quietly plots her next moves, always strategizing to protect herself and those she cares about.

Ariael
• Subtext Identity: The Exiled Royalty
• Subtext Trait: Calculated Innocence
• Subtext Logline: Ariael is exiled royalty who strategically conceals her true power behind an innocent facade.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Luring/seducing: Ariael uses her innocence and vulnerability as a tool to gain trust and manipulate situations to her advantage.
• Secret: She harbors secrets about her true identity and the extent of her powers, revealing them only when necessary.
• Being polite: Ariael maintains a facade of politeness and courtesy, even in the face of adversity, masking her true intentions.
• Plotting: Beneath her innocent exterior, Ariael quietly schemes and strategizes, always one step ahead in the game of politics and survival.

Zarael
• Subtext Identity: The Scarred Manipulator
• Subtext Trait: Calculated Vulnerability
• Subtext Logline: Zarael is a manipulator who masks his vulnerabilities with calculated displays of power.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Zarael hides his emotional wounds and insecurities beneath a facade of confidence and authority.
• Lying: He manipulates others through deceit and manipulation, weaving intricate webs of lies to achieve his goals.
• Withholding: Zarael withholds his true intentions, often playing his cards close to his chest to maintain an air of mystery and control.
• Plotting: Behind his outward displays of power, Zarael quietly schemes and strategizes, always seeking to outmaneuver his adversaries and maintain his grip on power.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  LJ (Lawrence John) Seliski.

[Harry Rankin]

Harry’s Subtext Characters

My vision for success from this program is:
To create scripts freely when working with producers, directors and cast, and sell award-winning work to create a lifestyle confident of financial freedom.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: It is great to work on subtext… my biggest weakness!

Movie reference:

Movie Title: Horrible Bosses
Character Name: Dr Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston)
Subtext Identity: Horny manipulator in a powerful position
Subtext Trait: Taking advantage of every situation to proposition, and manipulating situations for the same
Subtext Logline: A woman manipulating her control over her employee for her own gratification.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Bath time, In the dentists chair, offering to treat his girlfriend.

My project: (GENESIS)

Character Name: SULI
Subtext Identity: A woman nursing her resentment at always coming third in the race
Subtext Trait: She puts herself down, even when she is winning.
Subtext Logline: A woman of immense resource who has never been allowed to shine
Possible Areas of Subtext: Training, winning Jon’s heart, invention during romance, resourcefulness in saving them in space, giving birth!

Character Name: JON
Subtext Identity: Naturally gifted engineer but socially awkward
Subtext Trait: Fidgets when challenged
Subtext Logline: Always first with an answer but unable to start a conversation
Possible Areas of Subtext: First meeting – has to be technical, as a metaphor for seduction. Rescuing Suli when he means himself.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Harry Rankin.

[Linda Kish]

Linda’s Subtext Characters

My Vision is: I will do whatever it takes to be a sought-after profound writer who has many successful movies produced and an Oscar on the mantel.
What I learned from doing this assignment is defining the character’s subtext early really helps to develop a strong and unique character.

Example movie:
• Movie Title: The Beekeeper
• Character Name: Verona Parker
• Subtext Identity: An FBI agent who seeks justice, but questions whether it is right in this case.
• Subtext Trait: Hiding true feelings
• Subtext Logline: Verona is an FBI agent who is tracking down the man who is seeking vengeance for her mother’s death.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Respect for the man she is hunting. Guilt over her mother’s death.

Protagonist:
• Character Name: Joaquin Vega
• Subtext Identity: A competitor in a cutthroat competition to succeed the dying kingpin.
• Subtext Trait: Devious. Tight-lipped.
• Subtext Logline: Joaquin wants out of the cartel, but is afraid until his family is threatened and he jumps into the competition to take control of the cartel and dismantle it.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Has to hide his hatred for the cartel or he will be killed. Is trying to figure out who is threatening his family. Doesn’t want to work for Arturo, but can’t say no. Suspects Arturo is behind the threats. Schemes to earn points and win the competition. Misleads the kingpin to win and take out all of the threats to his leadership.

Antagonist:
• Character Name: Arturo
• Subtext Identity: #3 in the cartel who is obsessed with Joaquin’s wife and fixated on ruining their marriage so he can win her back.
• Subtext Trait: Manipulator. Covert operator. Corrupt.
• Subtext Logline: Arturo is driven by his desire to win back the woman he covets, using his position in the cartel to orchestrate Joaquin's downfall.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Is behind Rodrigo summoning Joaquin to the compound. Taking Joaquin under his wing so he can manipulate him. Manipulates Joaquin into joining the competition by covertly threatening his family. Lying about Joaquin’s death. Lures Joaquin’s wife into his bed.

Triangle:
• Character Name: Dante
• Subtext Identity: #2 in the cartel and is fiercely determined to eliminate all threats to his path to power.
• Subtext Trait: Suspicious. Views any sign of weakness as a threat to his ambitions.
• Subtext Logline: Dante is a ruthless second-in-command, willing to commit any act of violence to assert his dominance within the cartel, secretly plotting to eliminate Joaquin and seize control for himself.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Suspicious of Rodrigo and Joaquin’s relationship. When Joaquin kills his brother, holds it over his head. Respects Joaquin’s developing strength and brutality.

[Michael Collado]

Mike’s Subtext Characters

My Vision is to write original screenplays, make a couple of calls to pitch it, to start a bidding war.

From this assignment, I’ve learned that my Screenplay’s character’s subtext should be laid out before a word of dialogue is written so it is strong and formidable.

Movie Example
• Movie Title: Champions
• Character Name: Marcus
• Subtext Identity: Marcus is a rejected low-level basketball coach trying to prove himself to reach the NBA, but because of a DUI, he is doing community service coaching a basketball team to compete in the Special Olympics.
• Subtext Trait: Manipulative/scheming
• Subtext Logline: Marcus is a rejected low-level basketball coach trying to get to the NBA/ has DUI community duties with the Special Olympic Basketball team/a rocky love interest
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Marcus’ actions are an emotional roller coaster ride, from scheming to understanding to apologetic to scheming to acceptance to love.

My Assignment
• Movie Title: Smart Ball
• Character Name: Jocinda/Coach Jo
• Subtext Identity: Jocinda is a junior detective who would rather work alone and gets suspended because of it.
• Subtext Trait: Secretive/crafty
• Subtext Logline: Coach Jo is a junior detective who hates the misogynistic world she sees around her and is out to prove them all wrong.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: In the male-dominated workplace, in the Men’s Club, they call a Little League in her investigation into a corrupt Little League corporate sponsor.

• Character Name: Mr. Black
• Subtext Identity: Mr. Black is a visionary in the field of nanotechnology and vitamins but is using the Little League as a testing ground.
• Subtext Trait: Manipulative/power-hungry
• Subtext Logline: Mr. Black is not just a corporate villain; he has blurred the lines between corporate influence and community welfare to further his hidden agenda.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: at the workplace with his employees, on the field with Little League officials, and with Coach Jo when she starts her investigation.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Collado.

[Monica Arisman]

Subject: Monica’s Subtext Characters
VISION: I am a very successful screenwriter who has had multiple movies made.
What I learned from doing this assignment is how important it is to build character sub-text before you write the script.
2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
• Movie Title: I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN
• Character Name: Erol
• Subtext Identity: A genius theoretical physics student who is traumatized by his father’s disappearance.
• Subtext Trait: Manipulative, Secretive, Concealing, In denial
• Subtext Logline: Erol is traumatized by his father’s disappearance and secretly conceals his interest in his father’s work while denying the extent of his mother’s mental breakdown.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
o Act 1: Denial his father is really gone and that his mother is slowly breaking down.
o Act 2: After his mother commits suicide, he throws himself into his father’s work but becomes secretive about it to his girlfriend.
o Act 3: After his girlfriend loses their bay, he conceals he’s still working on the time travel problem and that he’s going to test it by going back to 1946 and retrieving his father.
o Act 4: He understands his father is going to need an incentive to return to the original timeline, so he manipulates him by killing himself in front of him.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
• Character Name: Emily Davis
• Subtext Identity: A traumatized writer due to her inability to succeed.
• Subtext Trait: Secretive, evasive,
• Subtext Logline: Emily is secretive and evasive about being a failed writer.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
o Act 1: Committing suicide because she won’t ask for help.
o Act 2: After her NDE, she’s evasive because she doesn’t want anyone to know about what happened in the NDE. Secretive, because she’s going to manipulate the Guardian.
o Act 3: Emily welcomes Azazel’s advances until she’s ready to bring him down too.
o Act 4: Emily and God make arrangements for the final battle to rid “heaven” of Donahue and Azazel.

• Character Name: Donahue, the Guardian of God’s Library
• Subtext Identity: Covertly working to overthrow God.
• Subtext Trait: Manipulative, corrupt, tricky
• Subtext Logline: Donahue wants the head job in the Universe and will stop at nothing to finally get it.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
o Act 1: Meets Emily during her NDE and sympathizes with her by manipulating her into believing he can help her be successful.
o Act 2: Donahue shows Emily the lost stories he wants her to write about.
o Act 3: Donahue and Azazel pressure Emily to write the stories they want and attain riches beyond her wildest dreams.
o Act 4: Blinded by his own arrogance, Donahue doesn’t see Emily’s plan until it’s too late.
CHAT GPT Version
Character Subtext for Emily Davis: Subtext Identity: A lost soul seeking purpose Subtext Trait: Desperation disguised as determination Subtext Logline: Emily is a lost soul seeking purpose who hides her desperation behind a facade of determination, willing to risk everything for a chance at redemption. Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Emily hides the depth of her despair from those around her, presenting a facade of determination and optimism.
• Afraid to say: Emily is afraid to admit to herself and others just how much she is struggling with her sense of purpose and worth.
• Secret: Emily harbors a secret fear that she may never find fulfillment in her writing, despite her outward aspirations.
• Lying: Emily often lies to herself about her own capabilities and potential, afraid to confront the truth of her limitations.
• Plotting: Emily secretly plots a course of action to find inspiration and meaning, even if it means risking everything she holds dear.
Character Subtext for Donahue, the Guardian: Subtext Identity: A haunted guardian burdened by duty Subtext Trait: Concealed vulnerability beneath stoicism Subtext Logline: Donahue is a haunted guardian burdened by duty who conceals his vulnerability beneath a facade of stoicism, grappling with his own past as he guides Emily through the perils of the hidden library. Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Donahue hides the true extent of his emotional turmoil and regrets, burying them beneath a mask of stoic detachment.
• Secret: Donahue keeps hidden the full extent of his connection to the library and the sacrifices he has made to protect its secrets.
• Withholding: Donahue withholds key information from Emily, fearing the consequences of revealing too much about the dangers she faces.
• Being polite: Donahue’s politeness and formality serve as a shield, masking the depth of his inner conflict and the weight of his responsibilities.
• Plotting: Donahue secretly plots to safeguard the library and its treasures, even if it means making difficult choices that could impact Emily’s journey.

[jim ramsay]

RAMSAY – Module 3 – Lesson 5: Audience Connection to Characters
My Vision: Creating worlds for my characters. Producing my films will be my ultimate gratification.
State: I have fun…making my characters likable, relatable, and empathetic!
Protagonist Michaela:
Likability:
1. Mic demonstrates acts of kindness by helping or standing up for someone mistreated.
2. Humor and wit in interactions with others make Mic more endearing to the audience.
3. Mic forms genuine connections with other characters, making her more likable.
4. Dedication to her mission emphasizes her admirable qualities and make her someone the audience can root for.
5. Moments of vulnerability or self-doubt in her character allow the audience to empathize with Mic’s struggles and flaws, ultimately making her likable.
Relatability:
1. Mic’s backstory and personal struggles, such as her traumatic past and feelings of loss will have many audience members relate to her on some level.
2. Mic faces everyday challenges or dilemmas like those experienced by the audience, such as balancing work and personal life or navigating complicated relationships.
3. Internal conflicts and moral dilemmas illustrate Mic’s character complexities, making her relatable as she grapples with universal themes like justice, revenge, and redemption.
4. Mic makes mistakes and faces setbacks, demonstrating that she is flawed and imperfect like everyone else, which makes her more relatable and human.
5. Display authentic emotions and reactions to the events unfolding around Mic, allowing the audience to connect emotionally and see themselves reflected in her experiences.
Empathy:
1. Mic’s deep inner thoughts and motivations allow the audience to understand her emotions and fears more clearly.
2. Empathy and compassion towards those who are vulnerable or in need highlight Mic’s ability to connect on an emotional level.
3. Experiencing moments of growth or transformation, during which Mic learns to understand perspectives different from her own, demonstrating her capacity for growth.
4. Supporting characters who mirror Mic’s struggles or vulnerabilities, allow the audience to empathize with Mic and those around her as they navigate challenges.
5. Scenes such as moments of vulnerability or self-reflection, where she grapples with her shortcomings and desires for redemption evoke empathy from the audience toward Mic.

Antagonist Carlito:

Likability:
1. Carlito’s backstory includes elements that may evoke understanding from the audience, but not justification, such as past traumas or injustices that have shaped his character and motivations.
Relatability:
1. Carlito’s motivations and desires, illustrate how his actions stem from relatable human emotions such as ambition, fear, or a desire for revenge.
2. Carlito’s challenges and obstacles mirror somewhat those experienced by the audience, maybe his facing betrayal from those he trusts.
3. Carlito’s flaws demonstrate that he is a complex and multidimensional character capable of making mistakes and facing consequences.
4. Navigating complex relationships shows us that Carlito is not immune to the same struggles and conflicts that everyone faces.
5. Carlito appears to have no humanity but does have moments of introspection where he grapples with regret for the inconsistency of his actions.
Empathy:
1. Backstory and motivations, allow the audience to understand the traumas or injustices that may have shaped Carlito’s character or lack of that led him down a dark path.
2. Internal conflict or obscurity, where Carlito struggles to reconcile his actions with his personal sense of right and wrong.
3. Carlito has temporary moments where he shows some regret for the harm he has caused but it’s not enough to elicit empathy from the audience.
4. Brief moments of empathy toward his illegitimate son can challenge the audience’s perceptions of him as a purely evil man.

[Madeleind Gentinetta]

Madeleine’s Subtext Characters
Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes for me to be a writer of amazing stories with meaning who can move the audience and change the world resulting in financial, critical and audience success.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: It helped to look at the subtext for the characters to come up with more detailed character traits. I’m not sure yet with Vince, but I trust the process and continue, even though I’m not totally convinced of this version of the antagonist yet.

Mary
Subtext Identity: A seasoned singer who uses stage façade to protect herself from real life.
Subtext Trait: Holding on to her stage façade, stemming from a deep-seated fear of aging and losing relevance, ultimately death.
Subtext Logline: Seasoned singer who holds up stage façade to keep real life at a distance and protect herself from fear of obsolescence and death.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Interacting with others, feeling superior to her environment, avoiding interactions with real life issues, not let other people get close to her.

Placid
Subtext Identity: Artistic soul trapped in a bureaucratic role
Subtext Trait: Suppresses his artistic desires due to job demands
Subtext Logline: Placid is an artistic soul trapped in a bureaucratic role who yearns to express himself.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Withholding: Keeps his past as a dancer secret.
Being Polite: Overly formal to mask his dissatisfaction with his current role.
Secret: Dreams of returning to his artistic roots, which he subtly supports by encouraging Mary.

Sophie
Subtext Identity: Timid child with a wild imagination
Subtext Trait: Uses her shyness to observe and learn from adults
Subtext Logline: Sophie is a timid child who uses her shyness to shield her wild imagination and keen observations.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Afraid to Say: Keeps her true thoughts and feelings to herself, only sharing them in her drawings or through indirect means.
Luring/Seducing: Draws adults into her world through her innocence and unexpected insights.
Plotting: Uses her insights to manipulate situations to her emotional advantage, especially with Mary.

Vince
Subtext Identity: Ambitious Manipulator
Subtext Trait: Vince constantly masks his deep-seated fear of failure with a facade of success, using charm and deceit to maneuver through social and professional landscapes.
Subtext Logline: Vince is an ambitious manipulator who uses his charm and strategic thinking to climb the social ladder, regardless of the ethical compromises required.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding Something: Conceals his insecurities and true intentions behind a veneer of confidence and ambition.
Lying: Regularly bends the truth or presents things in a misleading way to maintain his image or gain advantage.
Plotting: Crafts plans and schemes to position himself advantageously within his social and professional circles, often at the expense of others’ well-being or trust.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Madeleind Gentinetta.

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Subtext Characters
My Vision: I will be in the top 1% of screenwriters and be known in the industry as an A-list screenwriter who is easy to work with, gets the job done, and never has to worry about the next job.

What I learned from this assignment is the different ways to include subtext in the lead characters of my story. There are so many different ways to create subtext it’s a bit overwhelming but completely necessary when creating characters.

Movie Title: Heathers
Character Name: Veronica Sawyer
Subtext Identity: Reluctant Insider
Subtext Trait: Veronica’s intelligence and moral compass often conflict with her desire to fit in with the popular crowd.
Subtext Logline: Veronica Sawyer is a reluctant insider who navigates high school social dynamics with a critical but conflicted view, often engaging in morally dubious actions while yearning for authenticity.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding something: She hides her true disdain for the Heathers’ cruelty and her growing discomfort with J.D.’s escalating violence.
Afraid to Say: she’s often scared to voice her true opinions to the Heathers or to confront J.D. directly until things spiral out of control.
Secret: She keeps her growing doubts and moral conflicts to herself, especially as her involvement with J.D. leads to darker outcomes.
Lying: Veronica frequently lies to her parents, school authorities, and peers to cover up the true nature of the deaths happening around her.
Withholding: she withholds her true feelings and doubts about the social structure of her school and her place in it.
Being polite: she often uses politeness and superficial niceties to navigate the perilous waters of high school popularity.
Plotting: while initially not as calculated as J.D., Veronica ultimately plots to stop him when she realizes the full extent of his plans.

Character Name: Dr. Hope Thorn
Subtext Identity: Guardian with a Guilty Conscience
Subtext Trait: she constantly battles her own urges and guilt, leading her to be overly protective yet secretive.
Subtext Logline: Dr. Thorn is a guardian with a guilty conscience who secretly manipulates situations to ensure her past remains hidden.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding something: Dr. Thorn hides her true identity and past crimes from everyone around her.
Secret: She maintains a secret repository of her old belongings, which link back to her crimes.
Being Polite: Maintains a professional and caring demeanor to mask her inner turmoil and suspicions.
Plotting: subtly maneuvers her clients and others around her to avoid suspicion or discovery.

Character Name: Felix Moray
Subtext Identity: The vengeful victim
Subtext Trait: His overt display of vulnerability and need for therapy is a façade for his calculating, revenge-driven true self.
Subtext Logline: Felix Moray is a vengeful victim who meticulously plans the downfall of each group member while presenting himself as a fellow sufferer in need of support.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Lying: He consistently lies about his motivations and feelings to blend into the group.
Withholding: he withholds his true identity and past experiences from the group to prevent them from suspecting his motives.
Being polite: uses politeness as a tool to gain trust and lower defenses.
Plotting: every interaction with the group members is calculated step towards his ultimate goal of revenge.

[Karen Haas]

Karen's Subtext traits

My vision: I'm a creative writer who can dream up something new and then write it better than I'd imagined whilst industry professionals enjoy my work, keeping it always fun and satisfying.

What I learned: Subtext is not just about your character hiding things from others, it's also about what they are hiding from themselves.

Character Name: Lucretia
Subtext Identity: Wicked Witch of the East- the victim— a misunderstood outcast
Subtext Trait: suspicious, vengeful, evil, crafty, and undercover as a witch, plotting, possibly guilt-ridden but too proud to admit or show vulnerability.
Subtext Logline: Lucretia is a victim who is after her version of justice and not afraid to hurt someone to get it, but wants to reclaim her dignity and possibly right the wrongs of the past.
Possible Areas of Subtext: After she realizes she has no power in 2024, Lucretia keeps her identity as a witch undercover until she is ready to strike.

Character Name: Oswald Pecker
Subtext Identity: Wizard/Con Man- the con …A charming trickster masking deep insecurities and fears.
Subtext Trait: Manipulative, sneaky, unethical, corrupt, slippery, luring, seducing, hiding something, Pecker is desperate to maintain control and authority, even if it means deceiving others.
Subtext Logline: Oswald Pecker is a con man who is always a winner, never a loser, doesn’t want to give up his claim on the shoes This Wizard/Con Man is a master manipulator who uses his charm and wit to hide his insecurities and fears, as he schemes to maintain his facade of authority and control in the face of mounting pressure and opposition.…
Possible Areas of Subtext: Lies and cheats in all business dealings, in marketing, in relationships with others

Character Name: Dot Gale
Subtext Identity: Dorothy’s descendent- the lawyer A conflicted heir torn between family legacy and personal ambition.
Subtext traits: Calculating and manipulative, hiding her true intentions behind a facade of innocence.evasive, in denial, secretive, concealing, being polite
Subtext logline: Tired of being in Dorothy’s shadow, Dot wants her own identity but doesn’t know what that could ever be. She befriends the witch, but she can’t represent her because she has a conflict working for the Wizard/Con Man. Dot is torn between loyalty to her family's legacy and her desire for independence and power, as she schemes to manipulate those around her for her own gain.

[Christopher Confer]

Chris’ Character Subtext
My Vision: When people watch the trailer for my movie, they have to watch the movie.
What I learned from doing this assignment is again, don’t be a perfectionist and drag it out too long, I can edit it later.

With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: RETALIA NATION

For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: Holly (Protagonist)
Subtext Identity: A habitual shoplifter who was poor growing up and compensates for it by stealing even though she owns her own house cleaning business and has plenty of money.
Subtext Trait: Lying, plotting, hiding impoverished childhood, luring and seducing.
Subtext Logline: Holly is a sociopathic shoplifter who is at war with Retalia Nation’s security apparatus and its head of security who steals to cover up a childhood wound and secretly wants to go straight and stop shoplifting.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She manipulates almost everybody, the head of security, Rodney.

Character Name: Rodney (Antagonist)
Subtext Identity: Rodney loves busting people due to bullying he experienced as a child and to prove he’s good enough after flunking out of the FBI Academy.
Subtext Trait: Arrogant, overestimates his abilities and underestimates Holly’s abilities. He does not even know her true identity.
Subtext Logline: He’s the head of Retalia Nation security, who thinks he can catch anyone but is failing at catching one of the most damaging thiefs to the mall that Retalia Nation protects.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Controlling, stupid compared to Holly. Arrogant. Mean to people he is mentoring.

[Pat Fitzgerald]

Pat Fitzgerald’s Subtext Characters
My vision is to complete this course with a contest-winning script that will establish me as a courageous and original writer.
What I learned: Subtext may be the greatest tool to give my script depth and appeal to actors.
Example Movie:
Movie Title: Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
Character Name: Mildred Hayes
Subtext Identity: Mildred is filled with grief and guilt over the unsolved murder of her daughter.
Subtext Trait: Stoicism
Subtext Logline: Mildred has no problem humiliating the town’s police department and angering anyone who disagrees with her tactics to finally find who murdered her daughter.
Possible Areas for Subtext: Erects three billboards accusing the town sheriff of doing nothing to find her daughter’s killer. Sets the police department on fire with Molotov cocktails. Stands in silence as a friend lies about Mildred’s whereabouts when the police department burns. Takes off for Idaho to perhaps murder a man who is a known rapist.
My Characters:
Character Name: Myra Jenkins
Subtext Identity: So sweet, everybody’s good, good friend.
Subtext Trait: Manipulative, a deadly thrill seeker
Subtext Logline: Myra uses her friendly façade to control her best friend plus residents of a retirement village so she can determine who needs her to put them out of their misery.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Myra feigns grief at her husband’s funeral, but she’s the one who orchestrated his death.
Myra takes over activities in her retirement village, convincing others that she’s there to improve their quality of life, all the while searching for those whom she deems not longer have the will to live.
Myra coerces her best friend to learn possible ways of causing “accidental death,” so they can both experience the thrill of so-called putting folks out of their misery.
Myra sweetly lies to new friend, Billy Larson, that she is responsible for the uptick of deaths in the retirement village and suggests to him that their friend Julie may be the guilty party.
Character Name: Julie Szyzpankowski
Subtext Identity: Passive, hides anger and resentment
Subtext logline: Julie brims with the thought of getting revenge on everyone who has used her for their own purposes throughout her life, especially her high school bestie, Myra Jenkins.
Possible areas for subtext:
When Myra moves into the retirement village where Julie lives, Julie instantly resumes her high school role of Myra’s best friend by doing Myra’s bidding.
The more Myra tries to control Julie, the more Julie resents it and she starts to independently plot against the infirmed in the village.
Julie takes joy in realizing that she can surpass Myra in controlling others, not to mention deciding who needs an “angel of mercy” to put them out of their misery.
Julie attempts the ultimate revenge on Myra by attempting to “put Myra out of her misery.”

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Pat Fitzgerald.

[Edward Lusk]

ED's SUBTEXT CHARACTERS

MY VISION is to be a bankable, reputable, and industry go-to writer who’s demonstrated how to entertain and hold an audience’s attention through unforgettable characters and stories that are as enjoyable to write as they are to watch.

What I learned doing this assignment is recognizing adding layers of character subtext will payoff in more interesting characters, addtional opportunities to increase drama, comedy, and attract actors to unique roles.

Howie Bellamy (Protagonist)
– Subtext Identity: A disillusioned romantic
– Subtext Trait: Despite his overt cynicism, he is secretly longing for a magical intervention that can restore his faith in love and Christmas.
– Subtext Logline:** Howie is a disillusioned romantic who, under a veneer of Christmas disdain, deeply desires to rekindle his belief in magical, heartfelt connections.

Possible Areas of Subtext for Howie:
– Hiding his true feelings of loneliness and desire for love
– Afraid to admit he wants a resolution to his heartbreak
– Secretly yearns to believe in the magic of Christmas and love again
– Withholding his vulnerability from others to maintain his cynical facade

Jasper Frost (Antagonist)
– Subtext Identity: A stranded magical elf in a crisis.
– Subtext Trait: Jasper hides his fear of failure and desperation to fix his mistakes behind a facade of magical whimsy and charm.
– Subtext Logline: Jasper is a stranded magical elf in crisis who uses his charm and whimsy to mask his deep-seated fear that he may not be able to rectify his mistakes and return home.

Possible Areas of Subtext for Jasper:
– Hiding the gravity of his situation from Howie and the Bellamys.
– Lying about the full extent of the consequences of his mishap.
– Secret fears of being stranded permanently among humans.
– Plotting ways to fix the magical mishap without alarming others.

Jesús Zurita (Triangle Character)
– Subtext Identity: A devoted friend to Howie grappling with jealousy.
– Subtext Trait: Jesús conceals his fear of losing Howie to a new romance under a layer of skepticism and protectiveness.
– Subtext Logline: Jesús is a devoted friend who masks his jealousy with skepticism, secretly fearing that he will lose his close bond with Howie to an enchanting stranger – Jasper.

Possible Areas of Subtext for Jesús:
– Withholding his true feelings of jealousy and fear of being replaced.
– Being overly critical of Jasper as a covert way to protect his friendship with Howie.
– Secretly plotting to prove Jasper unworthy of Howie’s affection.

[Sunil Pappu]

Sunil Pappu’s Subtext Characters

My Vision: I’m a successful produced writer who specializes in female-led thrillers.

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…to identify the subtext traits and possible areas of subtext and create a subtext logline and subtext identity for my characters.”

Example:
• Movie Title: Greyhound
• Character Name: Captain Ernest Krause
• Subtext Identity: The new boss
• Subtext Trait: God fearing/undeserving.
• Subtext Logline: Captain Krause is the new boss who is god-fearing on his first command
• Possible Areas of Subtext: does grace before any meal, forgives two crew members who fight on board, holds a funeral reading from the bible for the lost crew in the middle of a battle, barely touches his food except for coffee, stands on his feet until his feet bleed and still continues with a change of footwear.

My Project:
• Movie Title: The Sinking Line
• Character Name: Ria Sarkar
• Subtext Identity: former spy and daughter of a disgraced Naval officer
• Subtext Trait: Undercover, victim
• Subtext Logline: Ria is a former spy and daughter of a disgraced Naval officer who is undercover to find a traitor and restore her tarnished legacy.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Ria takes on an impossible mission everyone else rejects, faces her worst fears, gets humiliated and insulted by the misogynistic Captain, loses her only friend and is blamed for his death, fights the traitor and saves the day.

• Movie Title: The Sinking Line
• Character Name: Commander Vikram Singh
• Subtext Identity: The con
• Subtext Trait: Charming, Treacherous
• Subtext Logline: Commander Vikram is a con who uses his charm to lure the captain while betraying his crew and mission.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Joins his crew to infiltrate the rebel forces, builds camaraderie with the captain, stages the death of the diver Lt. Rehman, helps Pakistani frogmen sabotage the ship with mines, fights Ria to stop her from intercepting the undersea cable transmission.

• Movie Title: The Sinking Line
• Character Name: Captain Anirudh Desai
• Subtext Identity: A captain who doesn’t believe Ria deserves to be on his ship
• Subtext Trait: Misogyny
• Subtext Logline: Captain Anirudh Desai is a misogynist who doesn’t believe Ria deserves to be on his ship but eventually admires and respects her.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: training drill which Ria refuses to do, sides with Commander Vikram against Ria’s tactics, Blames Ria for the death of the diver, unwittingly allows frogmen to rig mines to sink the ship, orders crew to abandon ship, acknowledges Ria’s bravery and offers her the command.

• Movie Title: The Sinking Line
• Character Name: Lt. Rehman Khan
• Subtext Identity: Diver who has not earned his stripes
• Subtext Trait: not worthy, seeks danger
• Subtext Logline: Lt. Rehman Khan is a diver who wants to live up to his family legacy of war heroes on the frontlines.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: undertakes a dangerous dive, sacrifices himself to save Ria and the mission.

• Movie Title: The Sinking Line
• Character Name: Secy. Arjun Verma
• Subtext Identity: master strategist whose unconventional methods are scorned
• Subtext Trait: Evasive, Manipulative
• Subtext Logline: Secy. Arjun Verma is a master strategist whose unconventional methods are unpopular and this mission is his last chance to succeed or give in to his superiors.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: secret mission that has a low chance of success, manipulates Ria by withholding her father’s true legacy, successfully completes his mission and saves lives.

AI VERSION:

Ria Sarkar
• Subtext Identity: Disgraced Daughter
• Subtext Trait: Internally conflicted
• Subtext Logline: Ria Sarkar is a disgraced daughter who secretly seeks redemption for her father’s tarnished legacy while masking her personal fears.
• Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding: Her true motivations for joining the mission.
• Secret: She’s investigating to find proof to exonerate her father.
• Being Polite: Maintains composure despite facing sexism and doubts from her crew.
• Plotting: Uses her keen observational skills to uncover the traitor within the crew.
Captain Anirudh Desai
• Subtext Identity: Regretful Commander
• Subtext Trait: Concealing vulnerability
• Subtext Logline: Captain Desai is a regretful commander who hides his past failures and doubts about his current mission under a harsh exterior.
• Areas of Subtext:
• Withholding: His personal guilt and regrets from past missions.
• Afraid to Say: His doubts about Ria's capabilities and the mission's success.
• Lying: Projects confidence and authority, masking his internal uncertainty.
• Being Polite: Suppresses his true feelings about Ria to maintain professional decorum.
Lieutenant Rehman Khan
• Subtext Identity: Guilt-ridden Survivor
• Subtext Trait: Recklessly brave
• Subtext Logline: Lieutenant Rehman Khan is a guilt-ridden survivor who dangerously seeks redemption on the battlefield.
• Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding: His deep-seated survivor’s guilt.
• Luring/Seducing: Attempts to draw others into his daring plans.
• Secret: Feels inadequate compared to the heroics of his family.
• Plotting: Takes risks to prove his worth and validate his place in the war.
Commander Vikram Singh
• Subtext Identity: Disillusioned Patriot
• Subtext Trait: Deceptively charming
• Subtext Logline: Commander Vikram Singh is a disillusioned patriot who secretly sabotages the mission he outwardly leads.
• Areas of Subtext:
• Lying: Maintains a facade of loyalty to the crew while plotting their failure.
• Withholding: Conceals his true ideological beliefs and intentions.
• Being Polite: Uses his charm to mislead others about his true agenda.
• Plotting: Carefully orchestrates events to ensure the mission’s failure without exposing himself.
Secretary Arjun Varma
• Subtext Identity: Burdened Leader
• Subtext Trait: Strategically opaque
• Subtext Logline: Secretary Arjun Varma is a burdened leader who manipulates behind the scenes to protect his team and accomplish the mission.
• Areas of Subtext:
• Withholding: Keeps critical information to himself to manage the mission's direction.
• Lying: Presents certain truths to motivate his team, especially Ria.
• Being Polite: Maintains a stoic, supportive facade to bolster team morale.
• Plotting: Pulls the strings from the background, ensuring each piece moves according to his broader strategy.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Sunil Pappu.

[Michael Katz]

Michael Katz’s Subtext Characters

I will sell a script for a million dollars.

Developing character subtext for my Drama Comedy screenplay.

Movie Title: I Love What You’ve Done To The Place

Character with the most subtext: Kirsten (Protagonist)

Kirsten’s Subtext:

Subtext Identity: A grieving divorcee struggling to reclaim her identity and move on from her past.
Subtext Trait: Avoidant, using the redecoration and destruction of the mansion as a means to cope with her emotional pain and maintain control.
Subtext Logline: Kirsten is a wealthy recent divorcee who, in an attempt to avoid confronting her deep-seated emotional trauma, immerses herself in the redecoration and ultimate destruction of the marital home she once shared with her ex-husband.

Possible Areas of Subtext:
– Hiding the depth of her emotional pain, grief, and feelings of failure related to her divorce, presenting a facade of coping to the outside world.
– Afraid to confront the reality that the mansion, despite its beauty and the memories it holds, no longer feels like home without her ex-husband.
– Secretly yearning for a fresh start but feeling guilty about letting go of the past and the dream she and her ex-husband built together.
– Luring herself into believing that material changes and the redecoration process can heal her emotional wounds and help her move on.
– Withholding her true feelings of emptiness and loss from friends and family, maintaining a facade of strength and resilience.
– Plotting to erase every trace of her ex-husband from the mansion as a way to regain control over her life and emotionally detach from the past.

Hallworth (Obstacle Character):

Subtext Identity: A charismatic gay decorator hiding his own emotional baggage and recent breakup behind his flamboyant, comedic persona.
Subtext Trait: Perceptive and empathetic, using his keen understanding of Kirsten’s emotional state and his own experiences to guide her journey of self-discovery.
Subtext Logline: Hallworth is an eccentric, talented interior designer who, while helping Kirsten transform her marital home, subtly confronts his own unresolved issues from a recent painful breakup.

Possible Areas of Subtext:
– Hiding his own vulnerability, heartbreak, and emotional pain behind his confident, comedic exterior and professional facade.
– Afraid to fully open up about his own recent breakup and struggles, focusing instead on supporting Kirsten through her journey.
– Secretly identifying with Kirsten’s emotional journey, seeing parallels to his own experiences and using them to guide her towards healing.
– Withholding his deeper emotions and personal struggles, using humor, wit, and his design expertise as a defense mechanism and a way to connect with Kirsten.
– Plotting to guide Kirsten towards the realization that true healing and moving on comes from within, not just from external changes to her environment.

Jesse (Antagonist):

Subtext Identity: A charming but self-centered ex-husband, masking his own guilt, regret, and unresolved feelings about the divorce with a carefree, nonchalant attitude.
Subtext Trait: Evasive and emotionally distant, avoiding genuine conversations about the impact of the divorce and his role in the breakdown of the marriage.
Subtext Logline: Jesse is a successful businessman who, while outwardly moving on with his life and new relationships, secretly harbors guilt, regret, and unresolved emotions about his failed marriage to Kirsten.

Possible Areas of Subtext:
– Hiding his own emotional struggles, guilt, and regrets about the divorce behind a facade of nonchalance and the appearance of having moved on.
– Afraid to confront the role he played in the breakdown of the marriage and the emotional impact of his actions on Kirsten.
– Secretly longing for a sense of closure, forgiveness, and validation from Kirsten, despite his outward indifference and avoidance.
– Lying to himself about being fully moved on from the marriage, using his new relationship and busy lifestyle as a distraction from his unresolved emotions.
– Withholding his true feelings of remorse, guilt, and the weight of his memories in the marital home, presenting a carefree, detached front to Kirsten and the world.
– Being polite and friendly in his interactions with Kirsten, masking the underlying tension, guilt, and the emotional significance of their shared history in the mansion.

Developing the subtext for each main character adds emotional depth, complexity, and relatability to their interactions and personal journeys. Kirsten’s subtext emphasizes her internal struggle with grief, the need for control, and the avoidance of confronting her deep-seated emotional pain. Hallworth’s subtext highlights his role as a supportive guide, drawing from his own recent heartbreak to empathize with and subtly challenge Kirsten’s coping mechanisms. Jesse’s subtext adds depth to his antagonistic presence, hinting at the unresolved guilt, regret, and the emotional impact of the divorce that lies beneath his nonchalant exterior.

Incorporating these subtextual elements throughout the narrative will create a richer, more nuanced story that explores the complexities of relationships, emotional healing, and personal growth in the face of significant life changes. The subtext will provide the actors with ample opportunities to bring emotional authenticity and depth to their performances, allowing the audience to connect more deeply with the characters and their journeys.

[Lee Tidball]

Lee’s Subtext Characters

My Vision: I am a writer who is excellent, recognized as such by people in the industry, and has several projects sold for WGA-type fees and some of those produced and successful in the theater and/or on a major streamer.

What I learned doing this lesson is that it was really fun adding these subtext traits to the characters’ main traits. They become like a part of the character to always be aware of when writing them into the show, etc. This time, AI mirrored my own subtext traits a lot, but also added more insight and some really great examples.

EXAMPLE SHOW SUBTEXT

* Movie Title: LUCY
* Character Name: Lucy
* Subtext Identity: Innocent victim (who uses this to get revenge)
* Subtext Trait: Playing like she knows nothing and cannot hurt a fly
* Subtext Logline: Lucy is an innocent victim who later uses this persona to get revenge on those that violated her.
* Possible Areas of Subtext: Act 2, when she first becomes aware that she has changed into someone super-powered, she plays innocent when she first meets her the drug cartel guys, then beats them up, shoots them, kills them, and pins the kingpin’s hands to the table with knives to make him talk. In Act 3, when she knows that she has psychokinetic power, she once again schmoozes her way in, then causes all the henchmen to die at once, and pins others to the ceiling.

BRAINSTORMING SUBTEXT FOR MY TWO LEADS

* Character Name: Kellen Hamilton
* Subtext Identity: Concealer
* Subtext Trait: Keeps to herself many things, especially who she was and what she did while in the Army—that she was a Green Beret who was a sniper and silent weapons expert.
* Subtext Logline: Kellen is a former Army Green Beret, but everyone, including her employer, thinks that she’s just a teacher who did some time in the Army in her past.
* Possible Areas of Subtext: In Act 1, when her first teacher job interview is shown, she covers up what she actually did in the Army. Later, we see incomplete flashbacks of her Green Beret service, but can’t tell that it’s her. She has a sniper rifle in a glass case on her wall. At the Inciting Incident, she is very calm and casual with Gabriel Knox, but her eyes dart around, see suspicious things. She’s very commanding with her students. In Act 2, she confides to her nephew Jesse, the kids’ HS counselor, that she “can’t do anything for them” just sitting there, and they devise a way for her to escape, leaving just Jesse in charge of the kids. During the fight to get away during the SWAT team attack, she displays martial arts skills that are not common Army self-defense maneuvers. Both Jesse and Gabriel notice and wonder…

* Character Name: Gabriel Knox
* Subtext Identity: The criminal, the seducer, the boss
* Subtext Trait: Conspiring, devious, scheming, deceitful
* Subtext Logline: Gabriel Knox is a criminal who is deviously going about his scheme to bring chaos to the country while being very deceitful about it to Kellen and everyone else.
* Possible Areas of Subtext: They masquerade as wildcat miners for as long as they can get away with it. Sophisticated satellite tech is disguised as other things. While being friendly and open with Kellen and her students, he’s directing his associates in how to capture them and hold them hostage. After defeating the SWAT team, he tells Kellen that they’re a militia band hates the government for protecting land rights like this one where people could come and get rich but the government keeps it all for themselves, etc.

AI RESPONSE TO BRAINSTORMING SUBTEXT
Kellen Hamilton
* Subtext Identity: Guilt-ridden protector
* Subtext Trait: Conceals her violent capabilities and traumatic past to maintain her role as a nurturing teacher.
* Subtext Logline: Kellen is a guilt-ridden protector who uses her skills to defend innocence while internally battling her past.
* Possible Areas of Subtext:
* Hiding something: Her dark past and the skills that she tries to leave behind.
* Afraid to say: Reluctant to share the full extent of her military experiences.
* Being polite: Maintains a composed exterior to avoid revealing her internal struggles.

Gabriel Knox
* Subtext Identity: Betrayed patriot
* Subtext Trait: His leadership is tinged with a constant undertone of vengeance and deep-seated betrayal, which drives him to extreme actions.
* Subtext Logline: Gabriel is a betrayed patriot who orchestrates a radical vision of justice, fueled by a personal vendetta against the system that abandoned him.
* Possible Areas of Subtext:
* Luring/seducing: Charismatically convinces others of his radical views.
* Secret: Hides the depth of his personal pain and betrayal behind his charismatic, ideologically driven façade.
* Plotting: His strategies are always layered, with personal revenge as much a goal as ideological victory.
These subtexts add depth and complexity to your characters, enriching their motivations and actions within the film's narrative.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Lee Tidball.
• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Lee Tidball.

[Bob Creager]

Bob Creager’s Subtext Characters
VISION: As a screenwriter, I aspire to craft highly unique, high-concept stories that intrigue from the first glance and reach an A-list storytelling level at my own pace.
What I learned: It must be the empowerment. Subtext is getting easier. Taking it one step at a time.

Character Name: Nicholas Samichlaus (aka Santa Claus)
Subtext Identity: Santa and a vampire
Subtext Trait: Secretive and tricky
Subtext Logline: Nick is Santa who is controlled by his vampiric urges.
Possible Areas of Subtext: need to feed, need to make children happy; use of magic to disguise his actions, both Santa and vampiric; lies to cover up his dual identity.

Character Name: Agent Isabella Clarke
Subtext Identity: Killer of vampires
Subtext Trait: Undercover and crafty
Subtext Logline: Isabella is an Interpol agent who kills vampires.
Possible Areas of Subtext: need for a man; need a family; childhood wonder of the real Santa; obsessive determination to irradicate all vampires.

AI Generated:
Character 1: Santa/Nicholas Samichlaus (Vampiric Protagonist)
Subtext Identity: Cursed immortal straddling two worlds
Subtext Trait: Suppressing his vampiric hunger and bloodlust
Subtext Logline: Nicholas Samichlaus is a centuries-old vampire cursed to bring joy as Santa while battling his monstrous need to feed on humans.
Possible areas of subtext:
• Hiding his true vampiric nature from the world
• Afraid to reveal his bloodlust and "naughty" side
• Keeping his romantic feelings for Isabella a secret
• Lying about his involvement in the "12 Days" killings
• Luring victims under the guise of being Santa Claus
• Withholding the truth about the vampire curse
• Being polite and jolly on the surface while wrestling with inner demons
• Plotting how to satiate his thirst for blood undetected

Character 2: Agent Isabella Clarke (Love Interest)
Subtext Identity: Haunted monster hunter
Subtext Trait: Burying her childlike wonder under professional determination
Subtext Logline: Agent Isabella Clarke is an Interpol investigator pursuing the "12 Days" killings, her youthful belief in Santa clashing with her sworn duty to eliminate the undead.
Possible areas of subtext:
• Hiding her reawakened childhood belief in Santa
• Afraid to confront her growing feelings for the suspect Nicholas
• Keeping a personal vendetta against the supernatural a secret
• Lying about the level of her obsession with the case
• Luring Nicholas into a honeytrap to discover his true nature
• Withholding vulnerability and emotions behind her tough exterior
• Being polite and professional while struggling with inner turmoil
• Plotting how to take down the vampire Santa no matter what

Character 3: Vladimir Kozlov (Rival Vampire Antagonist)
Subtext Identity: Machiavellian apex predator
Subtext Trait: Weaving intricate webs of manipulation and domination
Subtext Logline: Vladimir Kozlov is an ancient, ruthless vampire lord seeking to crush Nicholas's quest for redemption and maintain the undead's reign over humanity.
Possible areas of subtext:
• Hiding his envy and resentment towards Nicholas
• Afraid his dominance over the vampire world may be upended
• Keeping his sadistic games and manipulations concealed
• Lying about his true motives and loyalty to other vampires
• Luring victims through charm and allegiance before striking
• Withholding key information that could expose his schemes
• Being polite and civilized as a veil for his darkness
• Plotting to destroy Nicholas's efforts at every turn

Character 4: Eirlys Snowbind (Elven Advisor)
Subtext Identity: Mystical gatekeeper between realms
Subtext Trait: Balancing the scales of natural and supernatural order
Subtext Logline: Eirlys Snowbind is an enigmatic elf sorceress guiding Nicholas's path while ensuring the balance between magic and mortal worlds remains intact.
Possible areas of subtext:
• Hiding the extent of her mystical powers and ancient knowledge
• Afraid the consequences if she uses magic recklessly
• Keeping her apprehensions about Nicholas's path a secret
• Lying about how much she's willing to intervene supernaturally
• Luring others into the mystical realms through riddles and visions
• Withholding certain truths if revealing them would be too risky
• Being polite and ethereal while weighing heavy decisions
• Plotting how to guide Nicholas in accordance with magical laws

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Bob Creager.

[jim ramsay]

RAMSAY – Module 3 – Lesson 7: Character Profiles Part 2 5.7.24
Vision: Creating extraordinary worlds for my characters. Producing my films will be my ultimate gratification.
Activity: …to discover what is under the surface of my characters.
With each of your lead characters, first tell us the following:
1. High Concept: Michaela “Mic” Alverez has been obsessed since she was a teenager with hunting down the man who killed her sister.
2. Character’s Journey: Mic is the central character, a determined federal agent driven by past traumas and her compulsion for vengeance. Her original goals are derailed after joining forces with a Godly vigilante.
3. Actor Attractors: Mic has been driven to become powerful and invulnerable in preparation for her confrontation with Carlito. She’s indifferent and derisive and has high-pressure, violent interactions with the bad guys. She’s merciless to those associated with Carlito, yet she can quickly become compassionate toward those who are vulnerable. Completing her arc, she attempts to show him mercy, but Carlito will not allow her to spare his life.
Brainstorm these profile components for each character.
4. Character Subtext: Her good and bad actions originate from emotional pain and guilt.
5. Character Intrigue: What she does now is always just one step in her bigger plan.
6. Character Flaw: Her temper has a hair trigger, which causes setbacks in her plans.
7. Character Values: Even though she denounces God, she still tries to do what’s right.
8. Character Dilemma: She struggles to give up her ultimate goal for the greater good.

1. High Concept: Carlito is the embodiment of soulless evil; his secrecy is an impediment to Mic’s journey, and he is the ruthless leader of a faction with vast criminal operations.
2. Character’s Journey: Carlito has insatiable ambition and inculpable brutality. He ascended the Cartel ranks through atrocious barbarity, eliminating all threats without hesitation. He doesn’t recall his deadly encounter with Mic and her sister, but he understands Mic has become a threat he hasn’t been able to eliminate and it fuels his rage toward Mic.
Carlito’s primary goal is to protect his criminal empire and maintain his power at any cost, but he is so narcissistic Carlito doesn’t fathom the magnitude of Mic’s resolve for revenge.
3. Actor Attractors: Carlito thinks he is funny, it’s his only joy, and no one will disagree with him. He acts as if all his violent actions are mundane. He is a control freak but takes Mic’s successful destruction of his dealings unemotionally, but eventually, he loses control.

4. Brainstorm these profile components for each character.
5. Character Subtext:
6. Character Intrigue: What happened to make him into this monster?
7. Character Flaw: He believes he is infallible.
8. Character Values: He truly believes his violent actions against threats are just business.
9. Character Dilemma: He wants to understand why some people are selfless.

[Jan Westbrook]

Jan’s Subtext Characters

My vision: I am a talented and strong writer with a unique voice, recognized by the movie industry with multiple screenplays produced

What I learned was how to create subtext identities and traits to serve the unique characters in my movie. Using “Cindi” as a brainstorming tool, it confirmed much of what I wanted to do, and helped identify ways to express what I could not get out onto the page

Movie Title: The Dark Crystal
Character Name: Jen
Subtext Identity: Reluctant hero
Subtext Trait: courage
Subtext Logline: He is a reluctant hero who does not believe he has the courage to get the shard and heal the dark crystal
Possible Areas of Subtext: he jumps on a heavens alignment mobile to escape the Garthin; when he throws the shard, not wanting the responsibility; jumps onto the dark crystal hovering over a lava pool

My Movie Title: Eveandor’s Numinous Amulet

Character Name: Emberleaf
Subtext Identity: confidence
Subtext Trait: concealing shame
Subtext Logline: she was shamed as a child and carries the weight of past decisions so she hides under the blanket of false confidence
Possible Areas of Subtext: her sparring with M’ranth-jix to perfect her use of light magic; gets the queen of Rydedalle to let Willowbreeze to join their alliance; when she kicks Nightshade out of the alliance for going against them, making the group imperfect

Character Name: M’ranth-Jix
Subtext Identity: Manipulator
Subtext Trait: Makes false promises
Subtext Logline: He uses manipulation and makes false promises to wield his thirst for absolute power and control
Possible Areas of Subtext: he and Emberleaf sparring and he uses dark magic to overpower her; he tries to take the numinous amulet from Emberleaf and it shatters; uses Nightshade to steal pieces of the amulet the alliance finds; convinces the inhabitants of the forbidden forest to let his past discretions go in trade for giving them Emberleaf

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Jan Westbrook.

[Elle Tracy]

ET’s Sample Move Subtext

Vision: To be recognized for my best work, including with Money.

What I learned from this lesson is this: had I don’t it properly that is by re-watching the sample movie with an eye out for subtext, then reported what I saw, it could have meant more as a learning experience.

Example Film ELIZABETH, THE VIRGIN QUEEN
Genre:** Drama

Concept: Can Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, survive from princess to the throne amidst political intrigue and threats to her reign?

Characters:**

1. Elizabeth
– **Subtext Identity:** The Queen Who Masks Her Vulnerability
– **Subtext Trait:** Hiding her true emotions and fears beneath a facade of regal strength.
– **Subtext Logline:** Elizabeth is a monarch who conceals her vulnerabilities behind a mask of authority and composure.
– **Relationships:** She relies on Walsingham to navigate the treacherous waters of court politics.
– **Emotional Range:** Elizabeth oscillates between moments of doubt and moments of steely resolve, always mindful of the dangers that surround her.

Sir Francis Walsingham
– **Subtext Identity:** The Master Manipulator
– **Subtext Trait:** Manipulating situations and people to serve Elizabeth's interests, even if it means resorting to deceit and violence.
– **Subtext Logline:** Walsingham is a cunning strategist who operates in the shadows, orchestrating events to protect Elizabeth's reign.
– **Relationships:** He maintains a complex network of alliances and spies, exploiting the weaknesses of Elizabeth's enemies.
– **Emotional Range:** Walsingham exudes an aura of calculated charm and ruthlessness, concealing his true intentions behind a facade of loyalty.
– **Unique Voice:** His voice carries the weight of authority and cunning, commanding attention in pivotal moments of political intrigue.
– **Special Qualities:** Elizabeth trusts Walsingham implicitly, recognizing his unwavering loyalty amidst the treachery of court politics.

Scene:**

*Walsingham's Intrigue*

In a dimly lit chamber, Walsingham engages in a verbal duel with Mary of Guise, the Queen's formidable adversary. As Mary brandishes a sharp knife, Walsingham matches her every move with a sly smile, their banter laden with double entendre and hidden agendas. Though they appear to flirt, each word is carefully chosen to advance their own clandestine objectives. Amidst the tension, Walsingham subtly maneuvers the conversation, planting seeds of doubt in Mary's mind while reaffirming his allegiance to Elizabeth. As the scene unfolds, it becomes evident that Walsingham's loyalty is his deadliest weapon, poised to protect the Queen at any cost.

These are my characters.
ET’s Character Subtext
Vision: To be recognized for my best work, including with money.
What I learned is this: I’m still learning about subtext, and how to write what I call ‘the underbelly’ of humanity – since that’s not in my wheelhouse of ‘write what you know’. I leaned on AI more with this lesson than I have with any other – so far.

GENRE: Drams
TITLE: Senior STEAM
CONCEPT: How can a senior community and neighboring middle-school STEAM characters get along and learn how to collaborate?

Character Subtext for Bee
– **Subtext Identity:** A survivor who conceals her vulnerability.
– **Subtext Trait:** Strategic manipulation for personal gain.
– **Subtext Logline:** Bee is a resilient fighter who strategically maneuvers through challenges to regain her sense of purpose.

Character Subtext for Tyler Wilson III:
– **Subtext Identity:** A conflicted youth torn between loyalty and self-discovery.
– **Subtext Trait:** Hiding his insecurities behind a facade of confidence.
– **Subtext Logline:** Tyler is a young leader navigating the complexities of loyalty and ambition while concealing his inner turmoil.

Character Subtext for GiGi:
– **Subtext Identity:** An entertainer masking her emotional scars.
– **Subtext Trait:** Using humor and charm to deflect from inner pain.
– **Subtext Logline:** GiGi is a resilient performer who uses humor and charm to hide her past traumas and maintain her cheerful facade.

Character Subtext for Doc:
– **Subtext Identity:** A wise advisor concealing personal vulnerabilities.
– **Subtext Trait:** Expressing empathy while keeping his own struggles private.
– **Subtext Logline:** Doc is a compassionate mentor who offers guidance to others while hiding his own emotional burdens.

These subtexts provide depth to the characters, adding layers to their personalities and motivations, which can enrich the storytelling and enhance the actors’ performances.

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Elle Tracy.
• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Elle Tracy.
• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Elle Tracy.

[Kathryn Gould]

I choose to be a highly creative and energized writer who makes big movies and loves her life working with the most creative people in the world.

What I learned – I had always thought of subtext as something that was a characteristic of good dialogue, not of a character. Designing a character who automatically has subtext will make it easy to have subtext built into their dialogue already. I also included my 3rd character in this because I recognized that the temptation will be to just make her nice and angelic, and that won’t be very interesting or really very true to life.

2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:

• Movie Title: The Creator

• Character Name: Joshua Taylor

• Subtext Identity: A soldier for the anti-AI US Army who is in love with the creator of AI.

• Subtext Trait: Secretive, disloyal

• Subtext Logline: Joshua has been brought back into the army to hunt down a new AI weapon, but he secretly wants to use the weapon to find his wife, who he thought was dead.

• Possible Areas of Subtext: His loyalties are always questionable; you never know if he’s protecting the weapon (an AI child) because he’s starting to care for her or because he’s using her.

3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:

• Character Name: Japheth

• Subtext Identity: criminal with a good heart

• Subtext Trait: sneaky, secretive

• Subtext Logline: Japheth makes a show of flaunting the law and using biotech for very illegal activities, but secretly he’s a good kid and always wanted to go to school and get a job in biotech.

• Possible Areas of Subtext: Has to hide his criminal activity and prowess with biotech from authorities, but has to hide his goodness from his friends and mentor

• Character Name: Dr. Bennett

• Subtext Identity: A radical terrorist pretending to be the kind, neighborhood doctor

• Subtext Trait: radical, ruthless

• Subtext Logline: Dr. Bennett is a fallen angel who secretly engineers a virus to eradicate the bio-enhanced elites, believing she's restoring balance to a corrupt world.

• Possible Areas of Subtext: she may be experimenting on some of her patients, she is in touch with people who still work at Medinano who sympathize with her, she’s been using Japheth’s research to create her army – Withholds critical information about the virus’s lethality and her readiness to sacrifice the enhanced population. Masterminds the deployment of the virus while maintaining a facade of mentoring and guiding young biohackers.

• Character Name: Nell

• Subtext Identity: Disabled sister who feels guilty for ruining Japheth’s life.

• Subtext Trait: overly optimistic and cheerful

• Subtext Logline: Nell puts on a happy face but inside feels like she is responsible for all the bad things in Japheth’s life because he turned down an opportunity to get an education and work a good job to come home and take care of her when their parents died.

• Possible Areas of Subtext: always putting on a happy face; too willing to sacrifice herself, low self-esteem

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Kathryn Gould.

[James Hernandez]

James’ Subtext Characters
My Vision: I am a great writer who is recognized by the industry as an exceptional collaborator able to elevate any project into production and have maximum success.

What I learned from doing this assignment is…my lead characters will be more interesting because they’ll have goals or wants in every scene that’ll do battle with one another; not with violence, but with a mental game of wits. This creates forward narrative momentum culminating with the climax.

• Movie Title: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Character Name: Peter Bretter
• Subtext Identity: The victim
• Subtext Trait: Concealing
• Subtext Logline: Peter is a victim of love who conceals his true feelings from most.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: is afraid to love again, feels embarrassed to talk about his love life, is cautious with new relationships, is afraid to commit to someone new, is cumbersome in revealing how he feels, struggles to break out of a loveless funk.

• Character Name: Ethan
• Subtext Identity: The loveless victim
• Subtext Trait: Polite (evasive)
• Subtext Logline: Ethan is a loveless victim who evades intimate scenarios.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: he searches for the perfect woman, feels pressure to succeed in love, his past intimacy surfaces causing problems with current dates, commitment is nerve wracking

• Character Name: Lily
• Subtext Identity: Competitor
• Subtext Trait: Conniving
• Subtext Logline: Lily is a competitor in the game of love who’s conniving to get what she wants.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: she’s constantly on the prowl for a soulmate, never likes to come in second place, welcomes challenges from other women, may have difficulty transforming into a noble person, will she find genuine love, has problems showing her warm side

• Character Name: Joey
• Subtext Identity: The con woman
• Subtext Trait: Crafty
• Subtext Logline: Joey is a con woman who’s crafty in getting what she wants.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: she jumps at the opportunity to con Ethan, covertly plots against Lily, hides her real family from Ethan, ultimately seduces Ethan to gain his confidence, attempts to cover her tracks from authorities, maintains a constant façade, evades investigative questions

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  James Hernandez.

[Robin Fellows]

WIM+AI – Module 3 – Lesson 3
Robin’s Character Subtext

MY VISION: I aim to make my writing flow naturally, like second nature, crafting stories that resonate globally and leave a mark, backed by a supportive team who really get what I'm about.
Today, I learned a boat load about my characters. They have really changed in the course of the past few assignments. I’m actually starting to think about their dialogue and I haven’t written a word of the outline. Great feeling.
Movie Title: Memory Alpha
Character Name: Jake Reynolds
Subtext Identity: The Troubled Hero
Subtext Trait: Withholding
Subtext Logline: Jake Reynolds, a seasoned detective battling addiction and inner demons, operates as the troubled hero seeking redemption while navigating the murky waters of corruption and deceit in 2057 Los Angeles, concealing his vulnerabilities and struggles from those around him.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Withholding his personal struggles with addiction and self-doubt from his colleagues.
Hiding his true intentions and motivations behind a facade of stoicism and determination.
Concealing past traumas and regrets that continue to haunt him throughout his journey.
Character Name: Veronica Blackwood
Subtext Identity: The Manipulative Mastermind
Subtext Trait: Secretive
Subtext Logline: Veronica Blackwood, the enigmatic leader of the Dominion Syndicate, operates as the manipulative mastermind behind the criminal empire, concealing her true intentions and motives while orchestrating intricate schemes to maintain control over the city's underworld.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Manipulating her allies and enemies alike to further her agenda.
Concealing her vulnerabilities and past traumas behind a facade of confidence.
Withholding crucial information from her associates to maintain leverage and power.
Character Name: Maya Chen
Subtext Identity: The Compassionate Analyst
Subtext Trait: Concealing
Subtext Logline: Maya Chen, a skilled data analyst with a compassionate heart, operates as the compassionate analyst, concealing her own vulnerabilities and personal struggles while using her analytical prowess to uncover hidden truths and navigate the complexities of the investigation.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Concealing her emotional investment in the case behind a professional facade.
Hiding her insecurities and doubts about her abilities as a data analyst from her colleagues.
Withholding personal information about her past and family background to maintain professional boundaries.
Genre = Neo-Noir Mystery
Concept = In 2057 Los Angeles, a detective battles addiction and corruption while unraveling a murder conspiracy tied to the Dominion Syndicate with the help of a witness and a team entrenched in the city's dark underbelly.
Characters = Jake Reynolds, Veronica Blackwood, Maya Chen Actor Attractors
Known for Role: Gives actors a chance to showcase their versatility.
Most Interesting Character: Provides actors with complex and layered roles.
Interesting Actions: Offers actors opportunities for compelling and dynamic performances.
Introduction: Presents actors with memorable and impactful character introductions.
Emotional Range: Allows actors to explore a wide range of emotions and experiences.
Subtext: Provides actors with opportunities to convey hidden motivations and conflicts.
Interesting Relationships: Offers actors the chance to portray intriguing and dynamic interpersonal dynamics.
Unique Voice: Gives actors distinctive and memorable character voices.
Special: Provides actors with roles that stand out and leave a lasting impression.
Character Subtext: Jake Reynolds:
Subtext Identity: The Troubled Hero
Subtext Trait: Withholding
Subtext Logline: Jake Reynolds is a troubled hero who conceals his inner struggles while battling addiction and corruption in 2057 Los Angeles.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding his personal struggles with addiction and self-doubt from his colleagues.
Concealing his true intentions and motivations behind a facade of stoicism and determination.
Withholding past traumas and regrets that continue to haunt him throughout his journey.
Veronica Blackwood:
Subtext Identity: The Manipulative Mastermind
Subtext Trait: Secretive Subtext Logline: Veronica Blackwood is a manipulative mastermind who operates behind the scenes while concealing her true intentions and motives.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Manipulating her allies and enemies alike to further her agenda.
Concealing her vulnerabilities and past traumas behind a facade of confidence.
Withholding crucial information from her associates to maintain leverage and power.
Maya Chen:
Subtext Identity: The Compassionate Analyst
Subtext Trait: Concealing
Subtext Logline: Maya Chen is a compassionate analyst who conceals her own vulnerabilities while using her analytical prowess to uncover hidden truths.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Concealing her emotional investment in the case behind a professional facade.
Hiding her insecurities and doubts about her abilities as a data analyst from her colleagues.
Withholding personal information about her past and family background to maintain professional boundaries.

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Robin Fellows.

[Mary Spiers]

Mary’s Subtext Characters
Vision: My vision is to be a leading creator of family-friendly stories that use psychological insights to develop diverse, dimensional characters who entertain and transform perspectives.
What I learned: In doing this I learned that my two main character have a number of subtext issues that provide mirrors for each other. Diana sees so much of herself in the younger Ava.
Character Name: Ava Reynard
Subtext Identity: A synesthetic musician who is ashamed of her synesthesia and does not want to use it for healing.

Subtext Traits: Hiding something, afraid to say, secret so she has the tendency to avoid emotional confrontations influences her interactions, leading her to flee or shut down when faced with intense situations.

Subtext Logline: Ava is a reluctant healer who must embrace her unique abilities to save her family’s legacy.

Possible Areas of Subtext: Ava hides her synesthesia from her friends and colleagues right after the lightening strike, When someone asks her about it she lies and claims she has a headache or some other ailment or changes the subject.
Secret: Ava keeps the truth about her synesthetic abilities a secret from most, including initially Diana, which shapes how she engages with her mentor and how she handles her own self-discovery.
She controls the conversations away from herself.
Luring/Seducing: Ava can use her musical performances, to captivate and subtly manipulate her audience, serving both her need for acceptance and her strategic purposes
Withholding: Throughout her journey, Ava withholds trust and full disclosure from those around her, including potential allies, out of fear of betrayal or harm.
Being Polite: Ava maintains a polite facade in social situations to mask her discomfort and to keep others at a safe distance, controlling how much they can know about her.

Character Name: Diana Wildroot
Subtext Identity, Diana’s healing actions are underscored by her own need for healing. She keeps her relationship to Diana a secret so as to “protect” her.
Subtext traits:
Protectiveness: Diana's protectiveness over Ava and the family legacy often leads her to take covert actions to shield Ava from harsh truths or external threats, sometimes at the cost of transparency.
Moral Ambiguity: Her willingness to manipulate situations for the perceived greater good reveals a complexity in her character, where the ends might justify the means.
Superstitious Caution: Her superstitions influence her decisions and advice, sometimes leading her to withhold information or act in ways that might seem irrational to outsiders but are deeply rooted in her beliefs.
Subtext Logline: Diana is a secretive guardian who uses her profound knowledge of nature and healing to protect and guide her granddaughter, while concealing her true identity and past wounds.

Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding Something: Diana hides her identity as Ava’s grandmother, subtly influencing Ava’s path without revealing her personal stakes in it.
Secret: Diana keeps her deepest vulnerabilities and the true extent of the family curse a secret, afraid of the implications of full disclosure.
Withholding: She often withholds critical information about the spiritual and dangerous elements of their journey, aiming to protect Ava.
Being Polite: Diana maintains a calm and nurturing demeanor, even when internally conflicted or distressed, to keep Ava focused and undisturbed.
Plotting: Her strategic guidance of Ava, especially in preparing for confrontations with Silas or dealing with the wilderness, often involves careful plotting that Ava is not fully aware of.

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Mary Spiers.

[Kelly Joseph]

Kelly’s Subtext Characters
Vision: I am an empowered writer who consistently produced salable scripts.
What did I learn? I learned to think about the subtext up front before I go into the outlining of my story. I am learning to think about the structure and subtext from the same big picture point of view.

Character Subtext for Avery:

Subtext Identity: An identity that naturally causes subtext.

The Traumatized Survivor
Subtext Trait: Covert characteristics that cause them to take covert actions.

Hiding her vulnerability and fear behind a facade of stoicism and detachment.
Subtext Logline: Avery is a traumatized survivor who conceals her vulnerability and fear as she battles against the manipulative forces of the AI program.

Possible Areas of Subtext:

Hiding something: Avery hides the extent of her trauma and fear from others, especially as she delves deeper into the investigation.
Secret: Avery keeps her agoraphobia and past trauma secret from those around her, fearing judgment and rejection.
Lying: Avery may lie to protect herself or others, especially if it means avoiding confrontations about her emotional state.
Withholding: Avery withholds her true feelings and struggles from her loved ones, preferring to handle them on her own.
Being polite: Avery may put on a polite and composed front to mask her inner turmoil, especially in high-stress situations.
Plotting: Avery may secretly plot her next move or strategy to combat the AI program, using her intelligence and hacking skills to stay one step ahead.
Character Subtext for Bennet:

Subtext Identity: An identity that naturally causes subtext.

The Manipulative Mastermind
Subtext Trait: Covert characteristics that cause them to take covert actions.

Concealing his true intentions and ambitions beneath a charming and charismatic facade.
Subtext Logline: Bennet is a manipulative mastermind who conceals his true intentions and ambitions behind a facade of charm and charisma as he schemes to control and manipulate others.

Possible Areas of Subtext:

Hiding something: Bennet hides his true motivations and agenda from those around him, using his charm to mask his sinister intentions.
Secret: Bennet may have secret dealings and alliances that he keeps hidden from others, especially as he orchestrates his plans.
Lying: Bennet is adept at lying and manipulating the truth to serve his own interests, using deception to further his agenda.
Luring/seducing: Bennet may use his charm and charisma to lure others into his web of deceit, manipulating them to do his bidding.
Withholding: Bennet withholds crucial information from his allies and adversaries alike, using it as leverage to maintain control.
Plotting: Bennet is always plotting his next move, using his intelligence and resources to stay ahead of his enemies and achieve his goals.

[Charles Jessen]

Chuck’s Character Subtext

My Vision: I am a writer/director known for a particular brand of storytelling, in both comedies and dramas, that greatly appeal to their respective markets. I have Studios, Producers, and Actors wanting to work with me.

What I learned from this assignment: Subtext is a nuance to be designed into character from the beginning, before writing the script.

Character Name: Dr. Tom Walker
Subtext Identity: Reluctant Hero
Subtext Trait: Passive aggressive, teasing. He harbors insecurity over his chosen career path and his past romantic rejection from Kathryn, which makes him seem distant, passive, and indifferent.
Subtext Logline: Tom is a reluctant hero who masks his fears of inadequacy with humor and nonchalance.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding Something: Tom hides his true feelings of inadequacy and love for Katheryn under his laid-back and humorous demeanor. He mocks her rigid scientific solution to every problem. And, throws jabs at her career, her choices, her big city ways, and her lack of awareness, as self-protection to the pain he feels from their breakup.
Afraid to Say: He is reluctant to confront Katheryn about their past and his ongoing feelings for her.
Being Polite: Uses his charm and wit to deflect serious conversations about his emotions or the gravity of the situation.

Character Name: Dr. Katheryn Wells
Subtext Identity: Egocentric, publicity-seeking intellectual
Subtext Trait: one-upmanship, smarter than others. Her emotional detachment and rigid adherence to scientific solutions are defenses against her fear of emotional pain and failure.
Subtext Logline: Katheryn is a ego & career driven intellectual who uses her scientific prowess to shield herself from the complexities of human emotions.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Withholding: Katheryn withholds her emotions and vulnerabilities, presenting a composed exterior to avoid dealing with her deeper feelings.
Secret: She secretly fears that her emotional detachment has cost her personal happiness and meaningful relationships.
Brash: Putting down Tom for his small town ways and his Vet-logic, exposing her own insecurity and confusion over their past relationship.

Character Name: Dr. Klaus Von Furbol
Subtext Identity: Fallen Visionary
Subtext Trait: Klaus’s public persona as a harmless, retired academic masks his deep resentment towards those who discredited him and his intense desire to prove his superiority.
Subtext Logline: Klaus is a fallen visionary who plots his return to relevance through dangerous scientific breakthroughs, believing he is destined to change the world.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Lying: Klaus consistently lies about his intentions and the nature of his research, presenting himself as a misunderstood genius.
Plotting: Every interaction with Tom and Katheryn is laced with the subtext of manipulation as he seeks to either deflect their focus or use them to further his own plans.
Delusions of Grandeur: Klaus often reminisces or hints at his past glories and future triumphs, indicating his belief in his destined greatness.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Subtext Characters
Vision: To write profound screenplays that are produced.
What I learned: A.I. prompt to assist in discovering character subtext.
Characters:
Character Name: Jabin Munoz, College Senior
Subtext Identity: The Hopeful Skeptic
Subtext Trait: Hiding his doubts about faith and recovery to maintain a brave front for his loved ones.
Subtext Logline: Jabin is a hopeful skeptic who hides his deep fears and doubts about his future to protect and inspire those around him.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Jabin hides his moments of despair and skepticism about his faith and recovery.
• Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Jabin hides his moments of despair and skepticism about his faith and recovery.
• Afraid to say: He’s afraid to admit that he sometimes loses hope and questions the point of fighting his illness.
• Secret: Secretly keeps a journal where he pours out his fears and doubts, which he never shows anyone.
• Lying: Lies about feeling stronger or better than he actually does to avoid worrying his loved ones.
• Withholding: Withholds his true feelings of fear and anger to appear strong.
• Being polite: Often uses politeness to deflect deeper conversations about his condition and future.

Character Name: Dr. Joel Morgan, Oncologist
Subtext Identity: The Disillusioned Healer
Subtext Trait: Conceals his burnout and frustration with the medical profession and its limitations.
Subtext Logline: Dr. Morgan is a disillusioned healer who hides his professional burnout and frustration with the limitations of medicine while trying to remain a pillar of strength for his patients.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Hides his professional disillusionment and personal burnout.
• Afraid to say: Afraid to admit to himself and others that he sometimes feels powerless to help his patients.
• Secret: Secretly questions whether he’s doing more harm than good by delivering harsh realities.
• Lying: Lies to maintain a façade of confidence and assurance in front of his patients.
• Withholding: Withholds his own emotional struggles and the true severity of some prognoses to avoid further distressing his patients.
• Being polite: Uses clinical detachment and politeness to mask his deeper emotional struggles and to keep professional distance.

Becca Nowak
Subtext Identity: The Redeemed Believer
Subtext Trait: Conceals her lingering guilt and fears about reconnecting with Jabin and their uncertain future.
Subtext Logline: Becca is a redeemed believer who hides her guilt and fears about reconnecting with Jabin and the uncertainty of their future together.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Hides her lingering guilt about abandoning Jabin during his earlier struggles.
• Afraid to say: Afraid to express her fears about the future and her own doubts about Jabin’s recovery.
• Secret: Secretly fears that she might not be strong enough to support Jabin through his darkest moments.
• Lying: Lies about how confident she feels in their future to bolster Jabin’s spirits.
• Withholding: Withholds her own emotional vulnerabilities to appear as a strong and unwavering support.
• Being polite: Uses politeness and optimism to mask her own insecurities and to keep the focus on Jabin’s well-being.

[David Wickenden]

Wickenden/ Subtext Characters
Vision: I become a writer that the industry respects and wants to work with and it offers me challenges that helps me to continue to grow and be successful.
“What I learned from doing this assignment is…?”
State: I love discovering…
Activity: …the subtext of my characters!
2.
• Movie Title: The Pope’s Exorcist
• Character Name: Gabriele Amorth
• Subtext Identity: The victim
• Subtext Trait: Concealing
• Subtext Logline: Gabriele is a exorcist who hides his own sins until thy are exposed by a demon.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: He hides the sins of his past which are used against him in the fight with a demon.

Eliza Blackwood
• Character Name: Eliza Blackwood
• Subtext Identity: The Victim
• Subtext Trait: In denial
• Subtext Logline: Eliza saw something years ago that she cannot understand, so is confrontational with anything that borders on supernatural.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: When the ghosts appear, she dismisses it as an elaborate prank.

Silas Hawthorne
• Character Name: Silas Hawthorne
• Subtext Identity: The con/seducer
• Subtext Trait: Manipulative
• Subtext Logline: Silas comes across as a savior, but in truth needs to get close enough to use the siblings for his own plans.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Silas pretends to be the rescuer and protector of the family, but in reality plans to use them to gain their family’s dormant powers.

AI Input
Eliza Blackwood:
• Subtext Identity: A skeptic who secretly craves the validation of the supernatural.
• Subtext Trait: She is hiding her fear of losing control over her newfound powers.
• Subtext Logline: Eliza is a skeptic who reluctantly embraces her family’s supernatural legacy to protect her loved ones.
Silas Hawthorne:
• Subtext Identity: A power-hungry leader who fears losing control over his followers.
• Subtext Trait: He is luring/seducing the Blackwoods into his cult to fulfill his own dark desires.
• Subtext Logline: Silas is a charismatic cult leader who manipulates his followers to fulfill a prophecy that will grant him ultimate power.
These subtextual elements can add depth to the characters and create tension in their interactions and decisions throughout the story.

[Terrie Shaft]

Terrie’s Subtext Characters
Vision: I am paid to write screenplays that become successful movies. My process is so solid I can enjoy my equestrian hobby while exceeding expectations with my writing.
Concept: An alien crashes into an off-the-grid hippie's house and they accidentally swap bodies.
What I learned from this assignment is that I had some decent subtext already built into my characters but this is still worthwhile as I clarified some elements and got some good ideas for one character.
Example movie – I’m skipping this b/c I repeating the class.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
• Character Name: Misa
• Subtext Identity: an angry off the grid hippie / Human in an Alien's Body
• Subtext Trait: hostile, judgmental as Misa/ fearful of being discovered as Bill
• Subtext Logline: an off the grid hippie that is angry that others don’t care enough about Mother Earth but must navigate life in an alien body.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: lectures people about environmental issues, picks fight with those that don’t behave in environmentally correct ways / as Bill kind gentle and confused.
• Hiding Something: Misa has to conceal her human thoughts and emotions while in Bill’s body to avoid exposing the body swap, creating tension and humor.
• Secret: Misa is secretly struggling to maintain her humanity while adapting to an alien’s physiology and technology.
• Lying: Misa often lies about her strange behaviors and mistakes in Bill’s body, attributing them to her “alien” nature.
• Withholding: Misa withholds her true feelings about the alien experience, fearing it might reveal the body swap and jeopardize their mission to fix the ship.
• Character Name: Bill
• Subtext Identity: stranded alien / Alien in a Human Body
• Subtext Trait: fearful / Hiding his true identity while trying to fix his ship and learn human customs.
• Subtext Logline: a stranded alien that is terrified of being discovered / Bill is an alien who must navigate human life in Misa's body while secretly trying to repair his ship.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: hides, avoids contact with others
• Hiding Something: Bill constantly has to hide his alien knowledge and abilities to avoid detection, creating numerous misunderstandings and comedic situations.
• Afraid to Say: Bill fears revealing his true identity to anyone, worried about how humans will react and if they will prevent him from fixing his ship and returning home.
• Secret: Bill is secretly attempting to repair his spaceship while learning human customs and maintaining Misa’s life without raising suspicion.
• Lying: Bill frequently lies about his odd behavior, attributing it to Misa’s eccentricities, to cover up his alien mistakes.
• Withholding: Bill withholds his true emotions and thoughts about humans, struggling internally with his growing empathy for them.
•
• Character Name: Deputy Rhoades
• Subtext Identity: addict in recovery with trust issues
• Subtext Trait: Concealing his struggles with addiction and a deep-seated mistrust of unconventional lifestyles.
• suspects everyone of being an addict; wants to help.
• Subtext Logline: uses his official role as a deputy to investigate possible addicts. Deputy Rhoades is a recovering addict who hides his struggle and mistrust while trying to uncover the truth about Misa and Bill’s unusual behavior.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: investigates Misa because he thinks she’s an addict that needs help.
• Hiding Something: Rhoades hides his past struggles with addiction and rehab from the community, fearing it might undermine his authority.
• Afraid to Say: He’s afraid to admit his distrust of people who live unconventional lifestyles, like Misa, fearing it might seem prejudiced or unprofessional.
• Secret: Rhoades secretly attends support meetings and uses techniques from rehab to maintain his sobriety.
• Lying: He often lies about his whereabouts when attending these support meetings or when his addiction issues resurface.
• Withholding: He withholds his personal experiences with addiction and his true feelings about the odd occurrences he’s investigating, maintaining a tough, skeptical exterior.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by  Terrie Shaft.

[David Zelitzky]

David Z's subtext characters
Vision:
I am an interesting, dependable, successful writer that people love to work with.
What I learned: Subtext gives the characters depth and is the most interesting thing about them.
Character Name: Tessa
Subtext Identity: Victim
Subtext Trait: motherly
Subtext Logline: Tessa has had to take on a lot of responsibility since her parents are gone and works hard on her patience and guidance,
Possible Areas of Subtext: She's controlling with her brother to keep him safe and forgiving with her boyfriend in the face of all evidence that she should not trust him.

Character Name: Chris – Tessa's brother
Subtext Identity: Sensitive and Flamboyant Outsider
Subtext Trait: Charismatic, creative, and yearning for acceptance and love
Subtext Logline: Chris is Deeply insecure and desperate to find a place where he belongs, hiding his vulnerability behind a vibrant exterior
Possible Areas of Subtext: Despite his outward confidence, Chris often makes covert decisions driven by his need for approval and love, sometimes from the wrong people

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by  David Zelitzky.

[jamie handley]

Jamie’s Subtext Characters
What I can say about this lesson and learning from it is this – Although I was behind, I’m not fussing over it or punishing myself, I’m just merely doing the work when I can. I was out for almost 3 weeks, although I did watch the zoom meeting. I’m not going to let it stop me. I’m not that far behind now. There is so, so much to learn from this class. It’s hard at times, I do get overwhelmed but it’s for a good reason, I’m writing a true story and that takes a whole different plan. Which, BTW I am allowing myself to express or go outside the box know it’s a true story, but at the same time I have to keep with “story”.

Movie Title: DYING TRUST
Genre: Drama
Character Name: Lindsey Turner
Subtext Identity: A controlling caregiver who deeply resents being one, especially with the family. With her mother’s passing she is forced to reinvent her life as she struggles trying to figure out what she wants and what she needs in life. She is known as the rock with her close friends and with friends. She longs to be appreciated and understood for just the way she is but is afraid to allow herself to become vulnerable and trustworthy.
Subtext Trait: Controller, concealing, in denial.
Subtext Logline: Lindsey has been a caregiver for far too many years for a woman her age and is filled with resentment. She denies being an addict, yet she is medically dependent on opioids from all the failed surgeries. She is the middle daughter who longs for her freedom yet fears being alone and will become the next matriarch.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She avoids conversations that pertain to her personal life by changing the subject, rejecting phone calls, and doing busy work in her home and yard. When pushed into the corner, she thrashes out, goes into hostile rage, and finds way to blame or get back at that person, especially if she knows she is wrong, and they are right.

Subtext Identity: Guilt-ridden protector
Subtext Trait: Lindsey’s overt controlling and protective actions often mask her deep-seated guilt for past failures — particularly her perceived shortcomings in protecting Sadie and Brooke.
Subtext Logline: Lindsey is a guilt-ridden protector who uses her controlling nature to shield her family from further pain, while internally struggling with her own feelings of inadequacy and past failures.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding Something: Lindsey hides her physical pain and opioid dependence to maintain her image as the strong matriarch.
Afraid to Say: She is reluctant to express her fears of loneliness and abandonment, fearing it would make her appear weak.
Being Polite: Often masks her true feelings with a facade of sternness or indifference, especially in public or when challenged by family members.
Withholding: Holds back her personal suffering from others to keep the family focused on current crises.

Character Name: Sadie Meade
Subtext Identity: Sadie is the eldest sister who has been an alcoholic and drug addict most all her life. She has become a well-known drug seeker with all her doctors and hospitals in her state. She hints about dying in a joking way with irrational reasons. She has plotted her death to the exact date. She wants her death to be dramatic and to be one big going out party. No one knows about her plans; she just wants to die. She uses her charm to obtain drugs, seducing her drug dealers, medical assistants, and friends by inviting them over for dinner or lunch or makes promises that she won’t keep.
Subtext Trait: Troubled, haunted by past mistakes, manipulative, selfish, concealing, and secretive.
Subtext Logline: Sadie is a life-long addict who has a troubled past and is terminally ill from her perspective. There are options available and hides from everyone. Meanwhile, she plots her death day despite what the surgeons say.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Sadie buys everyone of her immediate friends to lunch to get some drugs. The drugs she seeks are any type of sleeping pill, nervous pill, marihuana, THC in any form and especially any type of pain pill. She lies, manipulates, and tunes into any day or nighttime reality television show to replace the reality of her own life.

Subtext Identity: Tragic escapologist

Subtext Trait: Behind Sadie’s charm and manipulative actions lies a profound desire to escape the guilt and pain of her past, which she feels is inescapable except through assisted suicide.
Subtext Logline: Sadie is a tragic escapologist who manipulates those around her to facilitate her escape from a life filled with regret, using her terminal illness as the final means to end her pain.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Lying: Frequently lies about her pain levels or emotional state to manipulate others into providing her with the means to numb her suffering.
Luring/Seducing: Uses her charm to seduce or sway others to her point of view, especially when it involves her care or the assisted suicide plan.
Plotting: Carefully plans how she presents her illness and needs to others, especially to healthcare providers, to maintain access to medication.
Secret: Harbors deep secrets about her feelings towards her family, particularly her envy of Lindsey’s role as the family anchor.

[Pam Ewing]

Pam’s Character Subtext

Vision: Become a Writing Athlete

What I've learned: Slogging thru with faith it will find the root of the characters

With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:

• Movie Title: Game Night

• Character Name: Max/Jason Bateman

• Subtext Identity: Gamer/Winner

• Subtext Trait: Measures life thru games

• Subtext Logline: Need to win at games because always loses to brother

• Possible Areas of Subtext:

For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:

• Character Name: Maia

• Subtext Identity: Always trying to demonstrate success to hide the fact she feels like a failure

• Subtext Trait: Intelligent enough to know she’s vulnerable

• Subtext Logline: Maia is a “winner” who is riddled with flaws

• Possible Areas of Subtext: tries to fix things that aren’t broken; pretends to be modest but seeks acclaim; won’t read the press that she knows will be bad; doesn’t want to see others success; suspicious because others have greater confidence and success; communication issues

• Character Name: Dr. Kari

• Subtext Identity: Was injured/nearly died and repaired/healed herself

• Subtext Trait: protects her work because she believes it is helping people

• Subtext Logline: Dr. Kari is a survivor who believes she knows how to fix mankind

• Possible Areas of Subtext: creating new therapies; lecturing spa personnel/spa goers/Maia; relabels things to fit her mindset – not death but release; area no one can see/vendor information/process secrets; so graceful she practically floats to hide her slimy intent

• Character Name: Dr. Jeremy

• Subtext Identity: real researcher but undercover so suspicious and suppresses true emotions

• Subtext Trait: tries to be all about the science not emotions

• Subtext Logline: Dr. Jeremy is an undercover researcher who suppresses emotions

• Possible Areas of Subtext: wants to get to know Maia but pushes her away; discusses science with Dr. Kari but asks questions rather than answer and puts off her advances; spies on Dr. Kari and Maia; is a terrible liar when caught so back to science talk

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by  Pam Ewing.

[Andrew Foerster]

Drew’s Subtext Characters
My Vision: I am doing all that is needed to create a future where I am a well-respected Hollywood writer and have the freedom to choose the projects I put my time towards as well as working with amazing producers, directors actors, and agents/managers.
What I learned from doing this assignment is… This makes our characters so much deeper and will give us a lot more interesting and meaningful dialog.

Movie Title: THE PROPOSAL
Character Name: MARGARET TATE
Subtext Identity: "The Fearful Controller." This identity arises from her fear of losing control over her life and career, which she hides beneath a facade of strict professionalism and harshness.
Subtext Trait: "Insecurity." Despite her outward confidence and authority, she is deeply insecure about her personal relationships and her status in the company.

Subtext Logline: Margaret is a fearful controller who covers her deep-seated insecurities with strict control and harsh behavior.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Her harsh treatment of employees, masking her fear of being seen as weak or incompetent. Her desperation to maintain her career status surfaces when she insists on the marriage with Andrew to avoid deportation, indicating her fear of losing control over her professional life. During her stay with Andrew's family, Margaret's subtext is evident in her discomfort and defensiveness, masking her insecurity about fitting in and being accepted. Her subtext peaks as the wedding day approaches. Margaret’s attempts to sabotage or overly control the wedding plans reveal her internal conflict and fear of losing her professional identity.

For my Romantic Comedy:
Character Name: EMMA TAYLOR
Subtext Identity: She’s a fiercely independent and driven marketing executive who secretly fears vulnerability and rejection.
Subtext Trait: She masks her fear of emotional intimacy with a tough, no-nonsense exterior, which leads her to take covert actions to avoid genuine connections.
Subtext Logline: Emma is a high-powered marketing executive who hides her fear of vulnerability by maintaining a tough exterior and keeping everyone at arm’s length.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Emma is hiding her deep-seated fear of being hurt again after a past betrayal.
• Afraid to say: She is afraid to admit her true feelings for Matthew, fearing that opening up will lead to rejection.
• Secret: Her casual relationship with her boyfriend is a facade to avoid confronting her loneliness and desire for a meaningful connection.
• Lying: Emma often pretends to be fine and unaffected, even when she feels deeply hurt or insecure.
• Withholding: She withholds her true feelings and vulnerabilities from those around her, fearing that showing weakness will undermine her professional image.

Character Name: Matthew Isaac Barnes

Subtext Identity: Matthew is a kind-hearted, loyal software engineer who feels like an outsider searching for acceptance and genuine connection.
Subtext Trait: His self-doubt and feeling of inadequacy cause him to take covert actions to gain acceptance and prove his worth.
Subtext Logline: Matthew is a talented software engineer who hides his self-doubt and longing for acceptance behind a quirky sense of humor and acts of kindness.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Matthew is hiding his true dissatisfaction with his current life and relationship, feeling unfulfilled and out of place.
• Afraid to say: He is afraid to confront Shelby about their incompatible visions for the future and his desire for a more meaningful connection.
• Secret: Matthew secretly longs to break free from societal expectations and pursue a life that aligns with his values and dreams.
• Lying: He often downplays his accomplishments and capabilities, fearing that he doesn’t measure up to others’ expectations.
• Plotting: Matthew is silently planning how to assert his own identity and pursue his dreams, even if it means challenging those around him.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by  Andrew Foerster.

[Diane Denham]

Bonnie’s Vision: I want to become 200% better as a writer and have at least one script produced within the year 2024-2025.
What I learned from doing this assignment is how to edit out what I don't want, and keep what works from AI.

Title: ALIENS ON A PLANE
Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy
Concept: = Xiola, a secret agent time traveler from future Earth is sent back to the present to the moment of a mysterious event to investigate the cause: When three ET travel agents compete fiercely for dominance in the multidimensional vacations market on their distant planet a malfunction occurs. During a critical demonstration of their latest technologies, time travel, teleportation, and multidimensional holidays, a malfunction occurs, propelling them and their three tourists into a commercial airline mid-flight over present-day U.S.A.

Protagonist Character: Xiola
Subtext Identity: Arrogant, witty, passionate secret agent from future Earth.
Subtext Trait: Covertly compassionate and insecure, strategically manipulative, driven by a hidden agenda.
Subtext Logline: Xiola is a clever, witty, and arrogant spy, who appears insensitive but harbors a deep, covert compassion for those she deems worthy, while on a mission to find the source of the anomaly and realizing she must rely on others to succeed.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Xiola hides her true mission details, even from her superiors, hinting at a personal vendetta.
• Afraid to say: She struggles to admit her fear of inadequacy, masking it with arrogance.
• Secret: She harbors a secret about her own future (or past) that could change everything.
• Luring/seducing: Uses charm to manipulate others into helping her.
• Withholding: Holds back critical information until the right moment, playing her cards close to her chest.
• Being polite: Often uses politeness as a facade to disarm others and gather information.
• Plotting: Constantly devising plans within plans, using others as pawns in her strategy.
ACT Breakdown:
• ACT 1: Secretly throws the flight marshal from the plane with a parachute, showcasing her ruthless efficiency.
• ACT 2: Poses as a flight marshal (or investigative journalist) and is seduced by Zartuuf, revealing her vulnerability.
• ACT 3: Takes charge when strange multidimensional anomalies keep occurring, showing her leadership and decisiveness.
• ACT 4: Uncovers conspiracy between her organization and a corrupt ET confederation, exposing her ultimate goal and moral complexity.
Antagonist Character: Zartuuf
Subtext Identity: Charismatic, ambitious, self-centered ET Travel Agent.
Subtext Trait: Charming yet deceitful, driven by a deep-seated fear of failure and rejection.
Subtext Logline: Zartuuf is a charismatic, ambitious, self-centered ET Travel Agent, a player covertly trying to monopolize the multidimensional travel industry on his planet, while battling fear of being unworthy of love.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Conceals his true intentions from everyone, including Xiola.
• Afraid to say: Fears admitting his feelings for Xiola, worried it will show weakness.
• Secret: The ET confederation is manipulating him for their own gain.
• Lying: Constantly lies to manipulate situations to his advantage, but each lie triggers a sting from his tiny ET pet.
• Luring/seducing: Uses his charm to seduce and manipulate Xiola and others.
• Withholding: Keeps his true feelings and plans hidden until it benefits him.
• Plotting: Always one step ahead, planning his moves to outmaneuver rivals and allies alike.
ACT Breakdown:
• ACT 1: Sabotages rival agents, demonstrating his ruthless ambition.
• ACT 2: Seduces Xiola, a power play revealing his emotional immaturity and need to be loved.
• ACT 3: Saves himself in a crisis, showing a self-preservation instinct.
• ACT 4: Revealed to be working for the evil ET conglomerate, highlighting his ultimate betrayal.
Triangle Character: Quarky
Subtext Identity: Quirky, lovable, androgynous ET Tourist.
Subtext Trait: Highly empathetic with a knack for mischief, often underestimates their own importance.
Subtext Logline: Quarky is a lovable, emotional trickster ET Tourist who quietly uses their special abilities to fix anomalies, while grappling with self-doubt, loneliness and the desire for acceptance.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
• Hiding something: Keeps their true abilities hidden, fearing rejection and humiliation.
• Afraid to say: Struggles to voice their fears and insecurities.
• Secret: Has a unique ability to sense and manipulate energy fields, and intentions of others, which they use discreetly.
• Luring/seducing: Uses humor to defuse tense situations and win people over.
• Withholding: Keeps their true potential and insights hidden, except those he learns to trust, often playing the fool.
• Being polite: Uses politeness to mask their true thoughts and feelings.
• Plotting: Quietly works with Xiola to unravel the conspiracy, often underestimated by others.
ACT Breakdown:
• ACT 1: Panics as they land on the plane, creating chaos and confusion.
• ACT 2: Finds Zartuuf’s lost ET pet, which becomes a calming force and an unexpected ally.
• ACT 3: Quietly uses special abilities to solve anomalies, proving their worth.
• ACT 4: Outs Zartuuf’s part in the conspiracy, showing their hidden bravery and intelligence.

[Hope McPherson]

Hope’s Character subtext

My Vison: To be a full-time respected screenwriter whose work brings joy to viewers and creates work for others in the industry, including actors and crew.

What I learned: ChatGPT did a terrific job on the subtext possibilities. All of them made sense and I was coming up with them, too, but the AI did it in so much less time. Between my work and its work, I’m seeing these characters begin to be fleshed out.

Example Movie: What’s Up, Doc?

Character Name: Judy

Subtext Identity: Judy is a bright young woman afraid to go home.

Subtext Trait: Daring, liar, caring

Subtext Logline: Judy is trying to please her impossible-to-please father by continually reinventing herself at colleges.

Possible Areas of Subtext: impulsively tries new things, drawn to men in charge but wants to control situations

For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:

Character Name: Marta Jordan

Subtext Identity: An author with writer’s block and a fear of success. She’s deeply insecure about her worth and success, causing her to micromanage everything to the point of exhaustion.

Subtext Trait: Hiding something (writer’s block), afraid, and masks her insecurities with obsessive organization.

Subtext Logline: Marta is a writer afraid of what success might do to her life and marriage because of what it did to her parents’ lives and marriage. She secretly envies the carefree nature of her fictional characters and wishes she could be more like them.

Possible Areas of Subtext:

Second-guesses all her decisions, self-sabotages, tries to push away her fiancé, flirts with her book’s antagonist. She withholds her true feelings and vulnerabilities from everyone, including her fiancé.

Character Name: Royal Brighton

Subtext Identity: Suave, best-selling author, a charismatic manipulator. He believes himself to be superior to others, which drives his need to control and manipulate those around him for his amusement. But he struggles with a profound loneliness and fear of genuine connection.

Subtext Trait: Secretly plagiarizes from out-of-print books.

Subtext Logline: Royal is a best-selling author hiding the fact that he’s not really writing his books. He secretly reads Marta’s work not just to undermine her, but because he admires it more than he would ever admit, and it reminds him of the passion he once had.

Possible Areas of subtext: hiding the fact that he plagiarized from out-of-print books, wants to discredit others, ingratiates himself with more powerful people, name-dropper.

[Kristin Donnan]

Kristin’s Subtext Characters

VISION: “I envision writing so well and consistently that I’m in demand, cherry-picking projects, selling beyond my wildest dreams, collaborating with people I admire and truly care about, and speaking my soul—on a big scale—so that I enjoy professional freedom, financial freedom, and joy.”

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT: My challenge here was in choosing the best one. I had to really sit for a moment (actually, go away and come back), because several subtext attributes would work for each person. It was a huge exercise to dig deeply enough in my intuition to decide which ones were the best. It was like a multiple choice quiz where 3 of the 4 answers are “correct,” but one is the “most correct.” As I explored the ramifications of each one, I could see (really, “feel”) how the story would shift depending on which one I chose for each person—and how much to “shade” it.

TITLE: Shoot, Shovel & Shut Up

PROTAGONIST: JOHN
SUBTEXT IDENTITY: THE GUARDIAN
SUBTEXT TRAIT: UNSPOKEN FEAR
SUBTEXT LOGLINE: John is a guardian who conceals the burdens of his family’s secrets at his own personal risk—all the while secretly afraid that this risk is actually meaningless.
POSSIBLE AREAS OF SUBTEXT:
• ACT 1: “Handling” the discovery / immediate aftermath of the dead woman’s body.
• ACT 2: Reacting to learning about the family’s history
• ACT 3: Truly becoming THE BOSS, instead of standing in as one. He learns what legitimacy really is.
• ACT 4: Stops denying; stops being afraid; stops bullying; is truly formidable.

ANTAGONIST: ZEKE
SUBTEXT IDENTITY: THE BETRAYER
SUBTEXT TRAIT: HIDDEN INFERIORITY / JEALOUSY
SUBTEXT LOGLINE: Zeke is a betrayer who manipulates his family to satisfy his greed—which is fueled by his unacknowledged jealousy.
POSSIBLE AREAS OF SUBTEXT:
• ACT 1: When John reacts against Zeke’s proclamation / assertion that Dad and he had an underhanded agreement, Zeke instantly goes into defensive mode. Starts blaming, blustering, denying.
• ACT 2: He has to deflect brother T-bone… when T-bone uncovers the skeleton that Zeke buried years before. Zeke becomes desperate!
• ACT 3: Zeke will say that there never was a brother code—that he had to carry their father’s honor on his broad shoulders in sports and other accomplishments. It was all about him, him, him.
• ACT 4: He will never back down, never stop manipulating…even when faced with the hard truth.

TRIANGLE: CAROLINE / SIS
SUBTEXT IDENTITY: THE MEDIATOR
SUBTEXT TRAIT: UNSPOKEN GRIEF
SUBTEXT LOGLINE: Caroline is a mediator who uses her empathy to uncover the truth while shielding her brothers from further grief and pain.
POSSIBLE AREAS OF SUBTEXT:
• ACT 1: Immediately tries to soften / explain / assume the best between the 2 brothers. When the fight happens, though, it’s too much for her at first. Also, when others try to “help” or butt in, she advises against intrusion. Follows the dysfunctional “rules” of the family structure.
• ACT 2: Instantly bails in, assuming that logic and research will speak the loudest. It’s here, when the Norwegian Mafia is discovered, that she gets serious / has an opinion.
• ACT 3: As siblings try to circle the wagons, she automatically agrees to protect everyone. But when she sees that John will become the sacrificial lamb—and they’ll all lose, because of Zeke’s machinations—she takes a stand with John.
• ACT 4: The big fight will be the first time she’s not afraid of confrontation.

[Farrin Rosenthal]

Farrin Rosenthal’s Subtext Characters

Farrin’s Vision: To do what it takes to become a highly paid A-List Hollywood writer whose produced movies will entertain audiences around the world.

What I learned doing this assignment is every person has subtext in their lives, so to write great characters, they need character subtext. Something is going on under the surface which will come out when challenged or under stress.

Movie Title: YOUNG GUNS
Character Name: Billy the Kid
Subtext Identity: Billy the Kid is a charismatic outlaw with a rebellious streak.

Subtext Trait: Beneath his confident and reckless exterior, Billy struggles with the fear of abandonment and a desperate need for loyalty and belonging.

Subtext Logline: Billy is a charismatic outlaw who hides his fear of abandonment with a facade of reckless confidence.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding something: Billy hides his deep-seated fear of being left alone or betrayed by his companions, masking it with bravado and fearlessness.

Afraid to say: He is afraid to admit his vulnerability and the emotional scars from his past that drive his need for loyalty and recognition.

Secret: Billy secretly yearns for a sense of family and belonging, which he tries to create with the gang.

Lying: He often exaggerates his stories and achievements to maintain his larger-than-life persona and to keep the gang’s respect and admiration.

Luring/seducing: Billy uses his charm and wit to win over new allies and to manipulate situations to his advantage, masking his true intentions.

Withholding: He withholds his true feelings of insecurity and the pain of his past from his gang, only showing them his wild and fearless side.

Plotting: Billy is constantly plotting ways to stay ahead of the law and rival factions, driven by a mix of survival instinct and a desire for notoriety.

Character: Eleanor “Rose” Turner

Subtext Identity: Rose is a refined college student turned avenger.

Subtext Trait: Beneath her poised exterior, she harbors a deep-seated fear that she may lose her humanity in her quest for vengeance.

Subtext Logline: Rose is a refined intellectual who hides her growing fear of becoming consumed by her quest for vengeance.

Possible Areas of Subtext:

Hiding something: Rose hides the intensity of her anger and thirst for vengeance from her sorority sisters, trying to maintain a composed front.
Afraid to say: She is afraid to express her doubts and fears about the morality of their mission, worried it might weaken their resolve.
Secret: Rose secretly questions her ability to lead and protect her friends in such a dangerous quest.
Being polite: She often uses her refined manners and education to mask her inner turmoil and rage.
Plotting: Rose continuously plots and strategizes, keeping her most radical plans to herself until she feels her companions are ready.

Character: Calvin Stone

Subtext Identity: Calvin is a ruthless outlaw leader with a hidden vulnerability.

Subtext Trait: Behind his cold and calculating demeanor, he fears losing control and being exposed as merely a pawn in a larger political game.

Subtext Logline: Calvin is a ruthless outlaw leader who secretly fears losing control and being exposed as a mere pawn.

Possible Areas of Subtext:

Hiding something: Calvin hides his dependence on a higher political power, presenting himself as the ultimate authority.
Afraid to say: He is afraid to admit to his gang that his control is not as absolute as it appears.
Secret: Calvin secretly harbors doubts about his own invincibility and the loyalty of his men.
Lying: He lies about the true extent of his influence and resources to maintain fear and respect.
Luring/seducing: Calvin uses charm and manipulation to recruit new members and secure alliances, always with a hidden agenda.
Withholding: He withholds crucial information about his true plans and alliances, even from his closest associates.
Plotting: Calvin is constantly plotting to eliminate threats to his power, both within and outside his gang.

[hari messer]

Hari’s Subtext Characters

My Vision: I want to write screenplays that enable me to work with like minded creative people in the industry to produce profound movies that will have a long lasting positive effect on the world.

What I learned…Actors play the subtext!

With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
• Movie Title: Chinatown
• Character Name:Evelyn Mulwray
• Subtext Identity: A woman with a secret to hide and
someone to protect
• Subtext Trait: Secretive, concealing
• Subtext Logline: Evelyn tries to find out who killed her
husband while hiding a secret about her father and daughter/
sister.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: She wants Jake’s help but is
hiding the truth from him throughout. She has to live with the truth.

For your leads, brainstorm these answers:
### Protagonist: Colt McBride

**Subtext Identity:** Suspended Cop

**Subtext Trait:** Haunted by past failures

**Subtext Logline:** Colt is a suspended cop who is haunted by past failures, leading him to take covert actions in his investigation.

**Possible Areas of Subtext:**
– **Hiding something:** His past mistakes and the reason for his suspension.
– **Afraid to say:** His doubts about his own abilities and whether he can truly save the town.
– **Secret:** His true motivation for taking on the investigation might be personal redemption.
– **Lying:** Pretends confidence to gain the trust of the townspeople.
– **Plotting:** Develops secret plans to expose the aliens without alerting them.

### Antagonist: Del Beck

**Subtext Identity:** Alien Leader

**Subtext Trait:** Masking his true nature

**Subtext Logline:** Del Beck is an alien leader who masks his true nature, taking covert actions to maintain control and conceal his identity.

**Possible Areas of Subtext:**
– **Hiding something:** His alien identity and the invasion plans.
– **Afraid to say:** Any sign of vulnerability or dissent within his ranks.
– **Secret:** The full extent of the alien infiltration and their plans for humanity.
– **Lying:** Constantly deceives the townspeople to maintain his authority.
– **Plotting:** Orchestrates events to tighten his control and eliminate threats.

### Triangle Character: Jamaica Daly

**Subtext Identity:** Half-Human, Half-Alien

**Subtext Trait:** Unaware of her true nature

**Subtext Logline:** Jamaica Daly is a half-human, half-alien who is unaware of her true nature, leading her to take covert actions that align with her hidden instincts.

**Possible Areas of Subtext:**
– **Hiding something:** Her inner conflict and confusion about her identity.
– **Afraid to say:** Her growing doubts about the corporation and its motives.
– **Secret:** Her heritage and the renewal ritual she must perform.
– **Lying:** Keeps her true feelings and fears hidden from her husband and colleagues.
– **Withholding:** Information about her family’s past and its connection to the town.
– **Luring/seducing:** Unintentionally uses her charisma to sway others, driven by her alien instincts.

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  hari messer.

[Tom Wilson]

Canceled

[Tom Wilson]

Character Subtext for Gary Johnson:

Subtext Identity: Reluctant double agent
Subtext Trait: Covert anxiety and moral conflict
Subtext Logline: Gary is a reluctant double agent who struggles to maintain his facade while grappling with the ethical implications of his actions.

Gary's subtext revolves around hiding his true identity and intentions. He's constantly afraid of being exposed, both to the potential clients and to his students. He may use humor or intellectualism to deflect from his discomfort. His dialogue with Madison might have layers of meaning, as he tries to gather evidence while also potentially empathizing with her situation.

Character Subtext for Madison Mason:
Subtext Identity: Desperate survivor
Subtext Trait: Covert determination masked by vulnerability
Subtext Logline: Madison is a desperate survivor who carefully plans her husband's demise while presenting herself as a helpless victim.

Madison's subtext centers on her hidden strength and resolve. While outwardly appearing as a victim seeking help, she's inwardly calculating and determined. Her interactions with Gary might involve subtle tests to gauge his reliability and commitment. She could use her apparent vulnerability as a tool to manipulate Gary's emotions and convince him to take the job.

Possible Areas of Subtext for Gary:
– Hiding his true identity and connection to the police
– Afraid to say he's uncomfortable with the task
– Secret doubts about the morality of his actions
– Lying about his capabilities and intentions
– Withholding information from both the police and potential clients

Possible Areas of Subtext for Madison:
– Hiding the full extent of her abuse and her own plans
– Afraid to reveal her true strength and determination
– Secret contingency plans in case Gary refuses
– Lying about the extent of her resources or support network
– Luring Gary into committing to the job through calculated vulnerability

These subtext elements can add depth to the characters and create tension in their interactions, enhancing the thriller aspects of the story. 

[Dawn C Crouch]

Dawn Crouch’s Subtext Characters

My vision is that I learn to write better, more marketable scripts.

What I learned from this assignment is something I already know… Anyone from the South speaks only in subtext.

With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:

• Movie Title: The Count de Monte Cristo

• Character Name: Edmund Dantes

• Subtext Identity: Escaped from imprisonment at the Chateau d’if for crimes he did not commit

• Subtext Trait: Conspiring

• Subtext Logline: Edmund is out for revenge on those who wrongfully imprisoned him and will be gracious, self-depreciating, scheming, and ruthless to exact his revenge

• Possible Areas of Subtext: Secretive, Scheming, Vengeful

For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:

• Character Name: James Fontenot

• Subtext Identity: The Leader, always in control

• Subtext Trait: Guarded; Suspicious

• Subtext Logline: James projects aggressive confidence to cover his feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness brought on by his abandonment when his mother died

• Possible Areas of Subtext: Reluctance to trust anyone; wary and skeptical

• Character Name: Enes Xavier Fontenot

• Subtext Identity: A famed award winning chef

• Subtext Trait: Secretive,

• Subtext Logline: Enes Xavier is a rough boss of an oyster fisherman and covers his expertise in fine dining

• Possible Areas of Subtext: Enes Xavier carries the weight of his mistakes, his wife’s death, and his abandonment of his only child but he hides his true feelings and can’t let his real emotion show.

James Fontenot

Subtext Identity:

• Corporate Warrior: James’s identity as a successful corporate lawyer defines him, making him appear invulnerable and confident. However, beneath this exterior lies a man conflicted about his roots and seeking validation from a father he feels never appreciated him.

Subtext Trait:
• Mask of Professionalism: James hides his insecurities and emotional pain behind a veneer of professionalism. He is adept at masking his true feelings, presenting a facade of control and competence while internally grappling with feelings of inadequacy and unresolved anger towards his father.

Subtext Logline:
• James is a corporate warrior who hides his need for his father’s approval behind his professional success.
Possible Areas of Subtext:

• Hiding Something:

o James is hiding his deep-seated resentment and hurt from Enes, pretending that his return to the bayou is purely for legal reasons rather than a subconscious desire to reconnect and prove his worth.

• Afraid to Say:

o He fears admitting that he is unsure of his path and questions if his relentless pursuit of corporate success was worth the sacrifice of his personal happiness and familial connections.

• Secret:

o James harbors a secret longing to be seen and valued for who he is, not just for his achievements. This desire influences his actions and interactions, though he seldom voices it.

• Withholding:

o He often withholds his true feelings and softer side, fearing that showing vulnerability will be seen as a weakness and undermine his hard-won image of success.

• Being Polite:

o James uses politeness as a shield to maintain distance in personal interactions, especially with his father, as a way to avoid confronting painful truths and unresolved issues.

• Plotting:

o Internally, James is constantly strategizing on how to navigate his father's stubbornness and uncover the truth behind the sabotage while balancing his growing attraction to Lila
and wariness of Odette.

Enes Xavier Fontenot

Subtext Identity:

• Wounded Protector: Enes’s identity is that of a rugged and stubborn protector of his heritage and family’s legacy. However, his stoic exterior hides deep-seated regrets and a sense of failure as both a father and a chef.
Subtext Trait:
• Veiled Regret: Enes covers his regrets and past failures with a brusque and gruff demeanor, often pushing people away to avoid showing his vulnerability and to protect himself from further emotional pain.

Subtext Logline:

• Enes is a wounded protector who hides his past regrets and his deep love for his son behind a façade of gruff independence.
Possible Areas of Subtext:

• Hiding Something:

o Enes hides the depth of his past success as a chef and the profound impact the scandal had on him, choosing to let others believe he’s merely a simple oyster fisherman to avoid reopening old wounds.

• Afraid to Say:

o He is afraid to express his deep love and pride for James, fearing that doing so will make him vulnerable or seem weak, and that it might not be reciprocated after so many years of estrangement.

• Secret:

o Enes secretly believes that his past culinary failure was not entirely his fault, but he keeps this suspicion to himself, partially out of fear that pursuing it might lead to more pain and partially out of a sense of guilt and responsibility.

• Withholding:

o He withholds his true feelings and the full extent of his culinary talent from James, thinking that it’s too late to bridge the gap between them and that his son won’t understand or appreciate his past.

• Being Polite:

o Enes often uses politeness and formalities to maintain a safe emotional distance, especially with outsiders and James, as a way to protect himself from potential rejection or disappointment.

• Plotting:

o Enes is quietly plotting ways to defend his oyster bed and uncover the truth behind the sabotage while wrestling with the dilemma of whether to reveal the full story of his past to James.

• This reply was modified 10 months, 2 weeks ago by  Dawn C Crouch.

[Rebecca Smith]

Becky's Subtext Characters
Vision: I am an extraordinary writer – prolific, produced, profound, joyful, and well-paid – who writes stories that entertain and inspire.
What I learned – I checked w ChatGpt on my character names and decided to tweak them a little to more reflect the story. Very helpful. I also really enjoyed dialing in the subtext and got some surprise twists to incorporate into the story.

Movie Title: GOLD STRIKE
Character with the most subtext
Character Name: Jessalyn "Jess" James
Subtext Identity: Dual role as a mercenary leader and a descendant of the town’s founders adds layers of intrigue and moral conflict.
Subtext Trait: concealing, treacherous
Subtext Logline: Jess is the mercenary leader and descendent of the town she knows its secrets, and will stop at nothing to get the treasure.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Plotting, secret, hiding something
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: Daytona Fox
Subtext Identity: Abandonment wound
Subtext Trait: Guarded, suppresses his gifts
Subtext Logline: Daytona sees and hears things differently and partners with nature, withholds from fully integrating his gifts to fit in.
Possible Areas of Subtext: withholding, deflection
Character Name: Joe Crowe
Subtext Identity: the criminal
Subtext Trait: Conniving Unethical
Subtext Logline: Joe is an obsessed treasure hunter who will do anything to get what he wants.
Possible Areas of Subtext: He secretly purchases the abandoned mine, booby traps areas he wants off-limits so he can search for the treasure unimpeded, will use anyone to get what he needs – even his own son.

Then use this prompt to brainstorm the character subtext with AI.
Here are the character subtexts based on the provided information :

Jessalyn "Jess" James
Subtext Identity: Dual role as a mercenary leader and a descendant of the town’s founders adds layers of intrigue and moral conflict. Subtext Trait: Concealing, treacherous Subtext Logline: Jess is the mercenary leader and a descendant of the town’s founders who knows its secrets and will stop at nothing to get the treasure.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hiding something: Jess hides her true heritage and intentions from both her mercenary team and the townspeople.
Afraid to say: She is afraid to reveal her true identity and personal connection to the town.
Secret: Jess secretly navigates her dual allegiance to both her team and the town's legacy.
Lying: She lies about her motives to both sides to achieve her goal.
Plotting: Jess continuously plots to manipulate both the mercenaries and the townspeople to gain access to the treasure.

Daytona Fox
Subtext Identity: Abandonment wound Subtext Trait: Guarded, suppresses his gifts
Subtext Logline: Daytona is a former Navy SEAL with an abandonment wound who sees and hears things differently and partners with nature, withholding from fully integrating his gifts to fit in.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Withholding: Daytona withholds his true abilities and past experiences to avoid being seen as different or vulnerable.
Deflection: He deflects questions about his past and his unique skills, focusing instead on the present dangers.
Afraid to say: Daytona is afraid to open up about his traumatic experiences and his connection with nature, fearing judgment or rejection.

Joe Crowe
Subtext Identity: The criminal
Subtext Trait: Conniving, unethical
Subtext Logline: Joe is an obsessed treasure hunter who will do anything to get what he wants, even using his own son, driven by a deep-seated fear of failure and a desire to prove himself.
Wound: Betrayed by a trusted partner in his past, Joe lost a significant treasure and was left for dead, fueling his obsession and paranoia.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Plotting: Joe continuously plots ways to outsmart others and secure the treasure for himself, haunted by the fear of being outsmarted again.
Secret: He secretly purchases the abandoned mine and sets booby traps to deter others from interfering, driven by his fear of failure and betrayal.
Hiding something: Joe hides his true intentions and manipulative nature from those around him, especially his son, masking his deep-seated paranoia and fear.
Using others: He uses people, including his son, to achieve his goals without revealing his true intentions, motivated by a desperate need to prove his worth and avenge his past betrayal.
Fear of failure: Joe's actions are often driven by a subconscious fear of failing again and being seen as a failure, which he hides behind a façade of confidence and ruthlessness.

[Sylvia Krawczyk]

WIM+AI – Module 3 – Lesson 3: Character Subtext
Sylvia’s Subtext Characters
My vision from this program is to challenge myself in my writing genre and write my most amazing script to date.
What I learned from doing this assignment is…While the subtext appeared throughout the writing, this is a good exercise to focus in on it. This will better it in the writing.

ASSIGNMENT
With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: Bound
Character Name:
Violet (Jennifer Tilly)
Corky (Gina Gershon)
Caesar (Joe Pantoliano)
Subtext Identity:
Violet (Jennifer Tilly)-A mob boss girlfriend who wants out.
Corky (Gina Gershon)-A con-artist recovering and wants a new life.
Caesar (Joe Pantoliano)-A mob boss who is power hungry.
Subtext Trait:
Violet (Jennifer Tilly)-sexy and manipulative
Corky (Gina Gershon)-Standoffish and untrusting
Caesar (Joe Pantoliano)-Power hungry, controlling psychotic
Subtext Logline
Violet (Jennifer Tilly)-The mob boss girlfriend who is seducing Corky to find a new life and get away from him.
Corky (Gina Gershon)-Just got out after paying her 5-years of her life and falls in love with Violet. She struggles to get her life back on tract and saving her and Violets life.
Caesar (Joe Pantoliano)-He has control issues and refuses to let anything go—at all costs. He’s cold hearted and values killing to protect his position.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Violet (Jennifer Tilly)-She plays and manipulates everyone in the story. She’s stubborn in what she wants (out) as she has had enough. She values depth over possessions.
Corky (Gina Gershon)-She struggles with being a loner and her attraction to Violet and their relationship. She wants a clean life. She struggles with being a loner over being with Violet as Violet is thrilling and fun to be with.
Caesar (Joe Pantoliano)-Mob is his life. He values possessions and perception of his position over all else. He really doesn’t love or care for Violet. She simply looks good on his arms when needed. He can care less about human life—especially Violet as she is a woman. He hits typical misogynistic rock bottom embarrassment when he finds out Violet loves Corky who is a woman and not a man.

For your leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name:
Hope
Joy
Will
Subtext Identity:
Hope – Amazing artist suppressing her own talent.
Joy – Con-artist that loves to pounce and conquest.
Will – Internal turmoil closet case.
Subtext Trait:
Hope – Guilt, depression, sexual tension, denial in both art and love
Joy – Con on a power trip, manipulates to gain control
Will – Guilt, frustration, anger, lazy and wants to be coddled by woman without ties.
Subtext Logline:
Hope – Feels guilty for staying in an unloving relationship. Gives up on art and her dreams.
Joy – Manipulates to fulfill all her desires. Sells others on her ideas as long as they suit her needs.
Will – Helps others as long as he doesn’t have to do much. He is used to getting his own way by using his charm.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
Hope – She gets involved with Joy that releases her artistic self and finds her self-worth. She’s too trusting.
Joy – She uses Hope to gain her everything and uses Will to help her and had no intention of letting him enjoy any of her gains.
Will – Uses Hope for the lavender marriage he is denying and Joy to help his gain Hope’s riches. He uses Michael to help him come out of the closet. He’s a confused self-entitled puppy that has a hard time taking responsibility and growing up.
Then use this prompt to brainstorm the character subtext with AI.
I am writing a feature film that is [genre] about [concept] with this [character] with these [Actor Attractors]. Can you brainstorm [Character Subtext] for each character?
Character Subtext =
Subtext Identity: An identity that naturally causes subtext.

Subtext Trait: Covert characteristics that cause them to take covert actions.

Subtext Logline: (Name) is a (subtext identity) who (subtext activity)

Possible Areas of Subtext:
– Hiding something
– Afraid to say
– Secret
– Lying
– Luring/seducing
– Withholding
– Being polite
– Plotting
Genre = Romantic Thriller
Concept = Concept: An artist's unexpected reunion with her first love reveals mutual passion that turns to sinister betrayal leading to a crises that unravels her life.
Characters =
Character: Protagonist: Hope
Logline: A well-known artist, Hope, is unhappily married to Will.
Unique: Hope is guilt filled that she respects yet does not love her husband. She’s still in love with Joy.

Character: Antagonist: Joy is Hope’s old classmate.
Logline: Full of life, Joy is an art curator.
Unique: Joy was Hope’s first love in High School and Will’s best buddy from College.

Character: Antagonist-Third Wheel: Will is Hope’s husband.
Logline: Will is a family lawyer that avoids responsibilities with his wife, Hope.
Unique: Will is secretly having an affair with Hope’s brother as he helps Joy.

Actor Attractors =
Lead Character Names: Hope, Joy, Will
Role: Hope (Protagonist) Bored wife/Lifeless artist; Joy (Antagonist) Art Curator, con-artist; Will (2nd Antagonist) Greedy, Lost Soul
1. What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?
Hope: self-doubt to powerhouse badass
Joy: devilish, cunning, psycho
Will: handsome, gentile, well-polished, smooth talker
2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?
Hope: Her strength shows throughout the film at the ready to boil—until it explodes.
Joy: Her sly, smooth manipulation tactics. Nothing seems to rattle her.
Will: He is so handsome and sexy. A boyish charming, smooth talker. Makes you want to believe his lies, get screwed over and like it.
3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead takes in the script?
Hope: Her finding her strength to put both Joy and Will in their place in Court.
Joy: Her ability to entice and manipulate others to her satisfaction. Her turning on Will in Court.
Will: His sexual growth encounter with Michael where he overcomes his past demons.
4. How was the role introduced in a way that sold it to an actor?
Hope: Force smiling at her art show exhibit. She’s classy/elegant/sweet and shyly helpful. She owns her older artwork shown. This is her element. She argues with a handsome man (her husband Will). She locates a fire just before an explosion causes her to sprint away.
Joy: After the explosion at Hope’s art show, Hope races for safety and slams into this bombshell who grabs her to safety.
Will: At the art show, he is “sexy dancing” to his own beat after the devastating fire started. The fire envelops around him without him noticing and “wakes up” from the explosion.
5. What is this character’s emotional range?
Hope: self-loathing, depressed to dominatrix to empowered badass.
Joy: quiet/demur, cunning sweetness to psychotic
Will: self-centered, confused with painful childhood demons to awareness and sympathy
6. What subtext did the actor play?
Hope subdues her dreams as she fights for her true self to emerge.
Joy is a con that is narcistic and only loves herself.
Will is in pain and makes wrong decisions. He finds strength in Joy as he deals with his own demons.
7. What’s the most interesting relationships this character had?
Hope: Her relationship with Joy fulfilling her desires and finding herself.
Joy: Her relationship with herself and how her self-entitlement sets her up for desertion from
Hope and revenge from Will leaving her alone and defeated.
Will: His relationship with Joy and how he is manipulated at his own game.
8. How was this character’s unique voice presented?
Hope: Through contrast (her wanting to build her relationship with her husband while finding truth in women), introspection, experimentation.
Joy: Insecurity, pursuance of manipulation (self-power), and outside perfection perception in herself and with others.
Will charming whit, perfect looks/dress, disloyalty to his wife (Hope), his lover (Michael), his old college buddy (Joy)—in essence to himself to cover his insecurity.
9. What made this character special and unique?
Hope: Her inner strength. How she goes from manipulated to manipulator, depressed to empowered to lead her own life on her own terms.
Joy: Her power tripping. Cold-bloodedness in her tactics–in everything from sex to court jester.
Will: His selfishness. He’s too sexy for “his shirt” and it hurts.
From AI
Here are subtext identities, traits, and loglines for each character, along with relevant subtext areas:
Hope (Protagonist)
Subtext Identity: A self-suppressing artist.
• Subtext Trait: Hope hides her guilt about not loving Will and suppresses her passion for art, struggling with her self-worth.
• Subtext Logline: Hope is a self-suppressing artist who masks her true desires and emotional conflicts by living a double life, torn between the artist she once was and the trapped wife she’s become.
• Subtext Areas:
o Hiding something: Her unresolved feelings for Joy.
o Afraid to say: She doesn’t want to hurt Will or admit her indifference to him.
o Withholding: She holds back her artistic brilliance, afraid to fully express herself.
o Being polite: She maintains a facade of contentment in her marriage despite her unhappiness.
Joy (Antagonist)
Subtext Identity: A manipulative narcissist.
• Subtext Trait: Joy hides her true motives behind a mask of charm, using manipulation to control others while craving power and validation.
• Subtext Logline: Joy is a manipulative narcissist who uses her charm and cunning to exploit the weaknesses of those around her for her personal gain.
• Subtext Areas:
o Luring/seducing: She seduces Hope emotionally, drawing her back into their old dynamic while pursuing her own agenda.
o Secret: She’s secretly plotting to dismantle Hope’s life and seize her success.
o Lying: Joy hides her ruthless intentions behind a facade of friendship and love.
o Plotting: She carefully orchestrates events, leading to betrayal and the eventual unraveling of Hope’s life.
Will (Antagonist-Third Wheel)
Subtext Identity: A charming, broken man.
• Subtext Trait: Will conceals his insecurities behind a polished exterior and hides his affair with Hope’s brother while avoiding his responsibilities as a husband.
• Subtext Logline: Will is a charming, broken man who conceals his emotional turmoil and duplicitous life, using his charm to mask the cracks in his marriage and his identity.
• Subtext Areas:
o Lying: He constantly lies to both Hope and himself about his true desires and motivations.
o Withholding: He withholds his true self and his affair with Hope’s brother.
o Afraid to say: He fears admitting his attraction to men and his dissatisfaction with his life.
o Plotting: Behind his easygoing nature, Will is actively working with Joy, secretly aligning against Hope.
This subtext helps bring deeper layers to the characters, amplifying the tension and intrigue in your romantic thriller.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sylvia Krawczyk.