Conflict/Character Dimension

[Novice Paul]

I'm new at writing and posted a couple scenes I wrote and the responses were pretty much the same on both accounts. I need to add more conflict and character dimension. How can I add more conflict to a scene even if it's a laid back one where a group of kids are just "chillen" and "shooting the sh*t?" Also, I need to add more character dimension. How do you guys go about doing this? And is character dimension the same as character voices?

[Salazkin]

Conflict challenges your characters, drawing from them their essence which probably won't be evident in everyday circumstances such as "chillin". If your characters are chillin, your principal recourse to differentiating them is through dialogue. Your story is then susceptible to becoming a meandering talking heads exercise. And the collective wisdom here (or so I've gathered) is that THAT type of story is a hard if not impossible sell for a spec script.

Start with a story. Sorry to be blunt, but chillin is almost certainly not a story. If the chillin is just a piece of your story, then it probably is a piece that can be dispensed with. So what's the solution? Conceive of a story (beginning, ending, turning points, etc. - envision a roller coaster and the events of your story form the twists and turns and the peaks and valleys). Create an engaging protagonist. Put your protagonist through the wringer as he or she traverses the through line from beginning to end. Test your protagonist with CONFLICT, and show what he or she is made of by how they deal with adversity. Pain, sorrow, fear, rage, jubilation!

Your terrific dialogue can find a place within that framework. Good luck.

[Revisionist]

Go here and most of your questions should be answered. There's a wealth of screenwriting knowledge on the internet... The links page on this site alone are enough to turn you from a novice to a sold pro. Just read a ton of everything you can get your hands on from scripts to books on writing to research and beyond. You'll do just fine.

members.aol.com/anniraff/ (http://members.aol.com/anniraff/)

BTW... I'm busy doing a read for someone and haven't had a chance to look at the pages... I will if you still want me to. But to be honest. You should read up on conclict and character in links... etc... www.michaelhauge.com (http://www.michaelhauge.com) is another great place to look. His articles are pretty informative.

Good lick...

luck, I mean...

[sppeterson]

Even in a just chillen' scene you can add conflict, even better, this conflict can help build characters. Have the chat meander over to some point on which the characters disagree -- then heat the debate up. Their argument will then reveal things about the kinds of people they are, maybe one character goes for the low blow, another tries to debate points of logic, perhaps another takes a spiritual angle.

Ideally the debate should relate somehow to the plot, though if you have plenty of conflict in other sections you can use a less intense scene (or perhaps an argument about something silly, like why a foot massage is dangerous to give to your crime boss's wife) to give the audience a breather while still giving a feeling for the characters.

[DUCPHO]

Maybe you could incorporate something new into your group of otherwise laid back teens just shooting the sh__!

Perhaps one of the hormone laden males is hot for one of the females but she only has eyes for his brother?

Perhaps one of the gregarious group pulls out some drugs, and one or more of the group doesn't want to participate?

What if one of these kids, say the jealously obsessed brother killed someone at this laid back gathering and then the others, accessories after the fact, help him dispose of the body?

Perhaps two of the boys or girls have a gay encounter?

Perhaps they "all" witness something... something terrible?

One of them reveals their a transvestite?

The character dimension as you refer to it, Producers call it character development and arc, will follow out of necessity as the conflict becomes more complex and the resolution more delineated and detailed.

Write-rewrite-rewrite and it will come!:eek

[bottomlesscup]

The trick I use to up the conflict is compression, not addition. When writers add something to spice up a scene, too often it feels like "quirk for quirk's sake", in my opinion.

In my earlier scripts, I tended to have "establishing" scenes. I'd have a scene to establish, say, the protag's meticulous nature. Then I'd write a scene to establish his rivalry with the sleazy guy at work. Then I'd have a bit to show his affection for the receptionist. Then, maybe, I'd start the plot rolling.

The trouble with that strategy is that the audience is really smart. Smarter than you think. They understand what you're telling them, and they understand it fast. Then they think, "Okay. Now what?"

Try combining scenes. Instead of the four scenes in my example, cram it into one. Give us rich, multi-faceted scenes. Keep us on our toes. Stay one step ahead.

Also: trim, trim, trim. My first drafts always have too much talking. Despite conventional wisdom, dialogue should not be natural. It should seem natural. Real conversation is filled with empty responses and verbal pauses. Axe them. Make every line really say something.

If it's at all possible to cut a line without hurting the scene, do it. Even if it's a clever line. Even if it's funny. Dialogue that feels bare-bones to a writer usually feels crisp and well-paced to a reader.

As for character dimension, there aren't any shortcuts. You need to develop your characters. Different strategies work for different writers, but I write long character sketches.

Avoid cliches and stereotypes at all cost. "Gruff and disciplined" is not good enough for a cop. "Superficial and stupid" is not good enough for a debutante.

Read as many scripts as you can. It's stock advice around here, but it's good advice. Also, write. Most of this stuff will come naturally with practice. (Or so I'm told. I'm still waiting.)

Good luck!