Don't Delegate!

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  • Don't Delegate!

    That's something I've learned with my fourth script. I have a tendency to load my stories with, what I believe to be, lots of colorful characters for my protags to interact with. But as the coverage roles in, it is clear that my good intentions were misguided. All those characters muddled the story and, worse yet, drew attention and energy away from my protagonist.

    The fix was painful, because I spent a lot of time developing my bloated supporting cast, but they had to go. I cut them loose and assigned my protag to do whatever her subordinates were doing. Not only did this refocus the attention on my protag, but it made her more proactive, less reactive and passive. If you want it done right, don't delegate - have your protagonists do it!

  • #2
    Re: Don't Delegate!

    Originally posted by bioprofessor View Post
    ...If you want it done right, don't delegate - have your protagonists do it!
    I guess.

    But there's a balance to be struck, depending on the story you're trying to tell and how you wish to tell it.

    Marge wouldn't have been Marge, in Fargo, if we didn't have all those eccentric support characters. It would have been John McClane aka Marge, going around saving the day.

    Balance. Balance. Balance. And don't forget about "story".

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    • #3
      Re: Don't Delegate!

      Originally posted by bioprofessor View Post
      That's something I've learned with my fourth script. I have a tendency to load my stories with, what I believe to be, lots of colorful characters for my protags to interact with. But as the coverage roles in, it is clear that my good intentions were misguided. All those characters muddled the story and, worse yet, drew attention and energy away from my protagonist.

      The fix was painful, because I spent a lot of time developing my bloated supporting cast, but they had to go. I cut them loose and assigned my protag to do whatever her subordinates were doing. Not only did this refocus the attention on my protag, but it made her more proactive, less reactive and passive. If you want it done right, don't delegate - have your protagonists do it!

      That's a good way of looking at it: Don't delegate. I don't know if I mentioned this to you but consider the same approach with dialogue. I noticed my own tendency, in early drafts, to give some of the better lines to secondary characters. As I rewrite and refine, I often reassign some of those lines to my protag.
      Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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      • #4
        Re: Don't Delegate!

        +2 with sc111 and catcon.

        i think there is a balance to strike and quite often i review my scenes at the beat level to keep that balance. i like to use interesting supporting characters as well. at the beat level, i keep scene integrity within the forward motion by only letting those interesting characters shine under the light of the protag. i don't know how else to describe it really...

        here's an easy one to spot -- recall the film van helsing. in the scene when van helsing first meets carl the non-pious monk... well, carl is a lively and interesting character who could quite easily have dominated that intro scene; but he didn't, because all his dialogue and actions were in service to the protag's dialogue and actions. carl shined under van helsing's direct and focused light.

        anyway, i hope this makes sense.
        life happens
        despite a few cracked pots-
        and random sunlight

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        • #5
          Re: Don't Delegate!

          There are plenty of films that have a substantial amount of colorful, interesting supporting characters. The first PIRATES comes to mind (the sequels felt bloated). It is a balance, but the story should always move because of the actions of your protag / antag.

          The sequels got in the habit of trying to give too much screen time to fan favorite supporting characters, just because they were so well liked in the first movie. That's why it felt bloated -- too many scenes were devoted to playing with the pieces instead of keeping the film on task.

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          • #6
            Re: Don't Delegate!

            Originally posted by asjah8 View Post
            +2 with sc111 and catcon.
            -- recall the film van helsing. .
            No. hell NO!


            On topic: I find my support characters get some of the 'better' lines as my protag is generally the straight guy. The support characters can diverge from the straight and narrow with greater ease without ditracting from the story
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            Last edited by Southern_land; 05-13-2011, 07:35 AM.
            I heard the starting gun


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            • #7
              Re: Don't Delegate!

              Originally posted by Southern_land View Post
              No. hell NO!
              lol. which part are you objecting to -- that us girls are sticking together or that i'm referencing van helsing?
              life happens
              despite a few cracked pots-
              and random sunlight

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              • #8
                Re: Don't Delegate!

                Originally posted by Southern_land View Post
                No. hell NO!


                On topic: I find my support characters get some of the 'better' lines as my protag is generally the straight guy. The support characters can diverge from the straight and narrow with greater ease without ditracting from the story

                The majority of iconic lines in films throughout the decades are spoken by the lead(s).

                Of course a protag can be a straight man, on the straight and narrow, but one runs the risk of colorful support characters not only stealing scenes but swiping the viewer's interest from the lead(s). Sometimes even becoming more simpatico than the lead(s).
                Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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                • #9
                  Re: Don't Delegate!

                  Bioprofessor, don't rush to that conclusion just yet. At least, don't overgeneralize your insight into what you see as a problem in your writing.

                  The plot problem that I find most often in scripts that I read for board members is that everything is about the protagonist without enough attention to the denizens of the world where he lives. You can create richness by looking at these characters in their relationship to the protagonist and the main plot. It is really helpful if you can involve them in subplots.

                  Maybe the real problem is lack of focus. Maybe the protagonist does not have a clear role to play.

                  "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Don't Delegate!

                    "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

                    Hell, what about: "Badges. We don't have no badges. We don't need no stinkin' badges!"

                    Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                    The majority of iconic lines in films throughout the decades are spoken by the lead(s).

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                    • #11
                      Re: Don't Delegate!

                      Originally posted by jamypac View Post
                      "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

                      Hell, what about: "Badges. We don't have no badges. We don't need no stinkin' badges!"

                      Okay -- you've got me. Give all the great lines to your supporting characters.
                      Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Don't Delegate!

                        Ah, c'mon now. I agree with you. I just don't believe in absolutes--that's all.

                        Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                        Okay -- you've got me. Give all the great lines to your supporting characters.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Don't Delegate!

                          Originally posted by jamypac View Post
                          Ah, c'mon now. I agree with you. I just don't believe in absolutes--that's all.

                          Absolutes? Where did I dole out stinkin' absolutes!

                          Quoting myself (note the qualifiers):

                          First post -- As I rewrite and refine, I often reassign some of those lines to my protag.

                          Second post -- The majority of iconic lines in films throughout the decades are spoken by the lead(s).

                          As for the cannoli line -- I'd say it's trumped by the Don's "...make him an offer he can't refuse." line, hands down. Imagine that line uttered by another character -- um, Fredo, for example -- loses something, doesn't it?
                          Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Don't Delegate!

                            Just give the best STUFF to the protagonist.

                            If I remember correctly, "... take the cannoli..." was ad-libbed on set. Best line in the movie, and I doubt many could recall who said it. (we all know where, but who exactly.) Sometimes the best lines come from the villain.

                            But you shouldn't have anyone but the protagonist shoot the cop in the throat.

                            Think about the trailer. If all the lines in the trailer are spoken by people other than the protag, there might be an issue. However, the best lines are usually given to the comic relief.

                            I like the point about delegating though, but any good leader knows that sometimes certain things need to be handled by experts. It's just good to remember who will lead the charge when the time comes.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Don't Delegate!

                              Poor choice of words on my part.

                              Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                              Absolutes? Where did I dole out stinkin' absolutes!

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