Tricks you use to make your characters likable

[ScriptShadow]

We all know about saving the cat. Coming up with a unique scene to make your main character likable (or the en vogue term nowadays, "relateable") is one of the more enjoyable challenges of writing.

But for the lesser characters, characters who you don't have the luxury of giving an entire scene to, but still want them to come off as likable right away, how do you achieve this? What little tricks do you use to instill an immediate likability to these characters (whether they're cliche or not)?

note: don't take the word "tricks" too literally as I know some writers will be offended by the word. "Tricks?? There are no TRICKS in writing!" I'm using the term loosely.

[SCRYPTREADER]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

don't make them likeable or relateble... make em advance the story. they are not important beyond their relationship to the story. do they belong or not. do i as a listener need to know them or not as you tell this story in a bar?

forget the formulas... tell me a story - a good story - the best way u can.

[jillybob]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

Two things that come to mind when I think of likable minor characters is that they are often either funny or endearingly socially inept. (There's also the minor character who's sort of amusingly brazenly obnoxious. But I'm not wild about that one.)

Obviously it depends on your genre and what function you need that character to serve later, if any way. If it's a hardcore drama and a joker or geek is inappropriate, then a character who is an underdog in some way -- someone being abused, or someone about to be evicted by a horrible landlord -- will immediately garner sympathy.

That's all I have off the top of my head.

[ScriptShadow]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

Thanks Jilly. In the current script I'm working on, it's a "Hitch" or "Liar Liar" like comedy.

Scrypt, while I like the sentiment and agree with your approach, I don't see anything wrong with trying to make your characters likable as well.

[sasqits]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

What tricks do you use to make yourself likable? What tricks have you seen others use to make themselves more likable? Try to incorpoarate those tricks into your scenes.

[Angeloworx]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

If it's a comedy, give them a funny line that you would normally write for your protag. and then play down your protag in the same scene.

I saw CLICK again recently. Remember the guy in the store watching Sandler sleep? When Sandler wakes up, he has a few lines that made me chuckle. Something like that...

[Darkman]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

"Liar Liar" is a tough example of this because most of the secondary characters are intentionally unlikable or straights for Carey to bounce off of.

When I think of likable secondary characters, I think of people who are so sharply drawn with such few lines, they're memorable and we'd like to see a movie just about them.

I think of the two brothers Barry & Ira in "City Slickers" who were secondary, but were given funny, self-deprecating lines early on that made us instantly like them.

The Coen brothers are masters at this. Their walk-on characters with just a few lines of dialogue are sometimes the most memorable parts of the movie. Like the 2 cops in "Barton Fink", or Tony Shalub - who appears for one scene as a producer and delivers the best line about trying to find a screenwriter in Hollywood "Jesus, throw a rock in here, you'll hit one. And do me a favor, Fink: throw it hard!"

"Fargo" is another example - the Old Man shoveling snow who tips the cops off about the killers. He has just one scene but it's one of the best in the movie.

All of these minor characters feel like they're visiting this movie from another movie or sitcom, just to deliver a few lines. I think it's because we usually expect these characters to walk on screen, deliver their dialogue, laden with plot points, and walk off, but the Coens have their supporting cast come at the main cast from odd angles, with quirky agendas (sometimes known only to them) and unexpected attitudes.

[stuy]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

At tip from William Akers book for small characters that don't make it through and entire scene or maybe just have one line in the entire story was to make that line memorable. I think the example was if your protag is in an IHOP and orders pancakes have the waitress abrutly drop the plate in front of him and say "Here's your dam pancakes". I can't remember it exactly but it was something to that extent.

[Biohazard]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

I just make sure my characters have to suffer through something that myself and others can relate to.

[Why One]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

It's a tough balancing act in my opinion. You see certain ingredients and techniques used in some movies to make the audience empathize with the characters, and they work well. Yet, you see the same techniques used in other movies and they don't.

Although I can point out what I didn't like about a movie, if I had to REALLY think about it, it's actually quite hard to pinpoint exactly why certain ingredients didn't work as well as they should. You can see what they're trying to do and, technically, the audience should buy into it.

In my opinion, it not about tricks but more about execution and getting your technqiues to work. It can often be simplistic and cliched; but, if executed well, you can get the audience to give their hearts to the characters on screen.

[umo]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

IMHO I don't think it's about making secondary characters likeable...it's about making them interesting, which in turn, makes them memorable.

Your script is a comedy so your options are endless--perhaps a physical trait, unique way of speaking, etc., etc.

Think of the "mumbler" (can't remember his name) in Office Space. Unforgettable character--even though I can't remember his name.

Good luck with this.

[zenplato]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

IMHO Think of the "mumbler" (can't remember his name) in Office Space.

Milton

[umo]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

Yeah, Milton! How could I forget. Thanks, Zen.

[jillybob]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

I know a lot of folks here have no love for Apatow, but if you look at stuff like "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," they have very memorable supporting characters.

I actually love the supporting characters in "40 Year Old Virgin" 'cause they're ostensibly this band of goofy screwups, but each of those guys has their own little arc in the film. And Kristin Wiig's character in "Knocked Up" was a really minor character, but a memorable one.

(A lot of Apatow's actor's stuff is improvised, so it's hard to say how much of what you see was in the script, but you can still look and see what works, whoever the source was.)

Actually, in a lot of successful romantic comedies, you have minor or supporting characters that kind of steal the film. Romcom protags usually have wisecracking sidekicky friends, and there are also usually funny minor characters that play key roles in stand-alone comedic scenes. (I mean, think how Rob Reiner's mother Estelle basically became entrenched in pop culture with just one line, "I'll have what she's having.")

In romantic comedies, the protags are usually busy a lot of the time actually playing straight person and, you know, working out the whole romance. It's these minor characters that come through and do something outrageous or make the funny remark or say the balls-to-the-wall stuff that your protag won't say.

I don't know if this adds anything helpful to what I've already said, but I had further reflections and thought I might as well share them!

[roscoegino]

Re: Tricks you use to make your characters likable

I know a lot of folks here have no love for Apatow, but if you look at stuff like "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," they have very memorable supporting characters.

I actually love the supporting characters in "40 Year Old Virgin" 'cause they're ostensibly this band of goofy screwups, but each of those guys has their own little arc in the film. And Kristin Wiig's character in "Knocked Up" was a really minor character, but a memorable one.

Good of you to mention Wiig's performance. For me, it was the film's only saving grace. In fact, the audience I was a part of laughed the loudest when she was on screen.