Emotion - into a story

When writing a scene, there is an emotion the character will express based on how you think she should feel.

And there is the emotion the character will express based on how she should feel.

For example:

She should feel angry here but she doesn't.  How can I get her to be angry?  Well, the truth is that if she's not angry than that is how it should be.  Go with that.

Ok, so she's not angry.  She's indifferent.  Well, a reader won't be interested in an indifferent character.

Well, it's not true that she's indifferent.  The fact is that she wants to feel one way but she can't get herself to do what she needs to do to feel that way.

She wants to be someone but she doesn't have the drive to be someone.  She's phoning it in and following formula.  I want to be someone but I am a robot.  

Formula for StoryMaking

Formula for storymaking:


A problem arises
Analysis of the problem
Organize analytical information concerning the problem
Initiate a plan to correct the problem
Follow through with enacting the plan

Screenwriting: What Great Movies do More Successfully than Good Movies

Why create a simple clear goal with a simple clear motivation for your hero?  Because this is a great way to move on to the most important point or goal of your story.  And what is that you ask?  Nope it's not theme.

What great movies do, and in fact great screenwriters do, is they make you fall in love with their hero's.

They don't simply try to have their hero "save the cat" and then rest on those likable laurels for the rest of the story.  They know that the plot is just a foil for their true intent: To make you want to spend 90 to 120 minutes with your eyes and hearts focused on their hero.  Think about your favorite movies and write down what it is your love about the character or characters in the story.  Pick one, put it on, and write down everything they do during the story that makes you really interested in them.  They are doing something in every scene that just makes you attracted to their presence.  Maybe their charming.  Maybe they're absolutely vile.  Maybe they're incredibly foolish.  It's something about them that just makes you want to watch!

How to create a character everyone will love?

One way is to think of cliches and stereotypes and mix them.  For example:

+ 

Imagine Santa as a gang member.  Or imagine this gang member with the personality of Santa.  

How the quadratic formula relates to screenwriting and character

Old Pythagoras gave us the Quadratic formula:

f(y) = ax²+bx + c

Here I'm going to relate that to how we define a Character in a story.

a = their Conflict and it is squared or amplified by their internal and external problems.
b = their How.  Their how is their unique way of approaching and try to reach their goal.
c = their Goal.  This is their want.

Character = Conflict(Internal fear and external pressures) + How(their personal style) + Goal