Are you looking for another tool to help you create compelling, three dimensional characters? If so, try defining your character’s potential.
In reality, people spend 60% of their lives working -- and so do lifelike characters. Even if what they do for a living never makes it on the screen or stage, it informs and shapes their life ...
Knowing the potential of a character can help ...
Writers create realistic characters by giving then a method of thinking about and capturing the essence of what makes people unique and special, as well as lifelike.
Actors build a three dimensional back story they can draw on. It can also help you understand from a real perspective how well this character is living their dreams and living up to their potential.
Directors flesh out the characters and plot of a story with background details that can be used by set and costume designers, as well as casting agents and acting coaches.
Acting coaches assist their students by offering another tool to help their students understand and portray the life and arc of a character.
Writers of songs and ballads get a fuller picture of the issues of their characters, a larger real life vocabulary to describe their life, and a way to access more dimensions of character to bring into movie sound tracks.
Discovering Your Characters Potential
To see if this will work in your creative project, start by reading the recipe for discovering your work. Apply each element to your character and see if this helps you understand and create better characters. For example ...
Their gifts and talents describe what they excel at, what makes them unique and extraordinary. Their action skills, sensitivities, and ways of knowing are the things they would be great at and can use to accomplish their goals.
The things they love describe their belongings, their clothes and the sets they live in. The things they hate describe what they want to avoid, overcome or overturn.
The activities they love to do describe what they find fun, empowering and joyous, while the ones they hate define what makes them feel bored, powerless and frustrated.
The places they love describe where they long to be, where they feel most at home, while places they hate (the opposite from what they love) make them feel uninspired and out of place.
The people they love describe who motivates, champions, comforts and inspires them. The opposite type have the opposite effect and often describe people they are in conflict with.
The compelling issues, problems and needs create the things that draw them into taking action and working for a cause.
Their life calling pulls all of the above factors into focus and gives them an overall goal to work towards.
The extraordinary life they aspire to describes who they dream of becoming, the life they long for, their role models and values. The opposite type of life describes a life that lacks meaning, joy and happiness.
If this line of thinking helps you create better characters, consider using one of our guidebooks while in character (or on behalf of a character).
You can also think about how much their self knowledge (or lack of it) has affected (and is affecting) their life choices when they are making important life decisions.
Discovering Other Aspects of Your Character
You can also use the other areas of our site to help you get a handle on your character:
The nine life paths can help you better define and describe what they do for a living.
Life ways can describe how they look at life and what they are seeking.
