The Dramatic Writer's Companion

by Will Dunne

  STEP 3: MOVE THE CLOCK BACK ...

  ... one week from the point-of-attack time, give or take a few hours or even a day. Answer the "At this moment in time" questions again.

  STEP 4: MOVE THE CLOCK BACK ...

  ... one month from the point-of-attack time, give or take a few days. Answer the "At this moment in time" questions again.

  STEP 5: MOVE THE CLOCK BACK ...

  ... one year from the point-of-attack time, give or take a few days or weeks. Answer the "At this moment in time" questions again.

  STEP 6: MOVE THE CLOCK BACK ...

  ... five years from the point-of-attack time, give or take a few weeks or months. Answer the "At this moment in time" questions again.

  STEP 7: MOVE THE CLOCK BACK ...

  ... ten years from the point-of-attack time, give or take a few weeks or months. Answer the "At this moment in time" questions again.

  WRAP-UP

  The backstory offers a wealth of ideas and insights for your story. However, when you spend time figuring out the backstory, you may find yourself wanting to write as much of it as possible into the story so nothing is wasted. This can lead to a lot of explanations and enlightened analyses from the characters, and can be the dramatic equivalent of meeting a windbag at a party who wants to tell you his life story.

  To keep the dramatic journey moving forward, try not to explain the past so much as suggest it. Remember that we will be making inferences about your characters and their lives as we follow story events and read between the lines. We are more likely to be emotionally engaged when we are leaning forward, piecing clues together, and figuring out the characters rather than being told about them.

  THE QUICK VERSION

  Explore one of your character's dominant traits and its impact on the story

  BEST TIME FOR THIS

  Any time you need to know a character better

  THE BOLD STROKES OF THE CHARACTER

  A complex character has a wealth of physiological, psychological, and sociological traits that are revealed scene by scene through the character's actions. Among these traits, some are more important than others: they dominate the mix and often play a pivotal role in story events.

  For example, certain physiological traits may come to mind first when you think of Helen Keller from The Miracle Worker or the title characters of Hunchback of Notre Dame or Edward Scissorhands. However, when you think of Ophelia from Hamlet, McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, or Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard, your strongest associations might be psychological traits. And, when you think of Walter Lee Younger from A Raisin in the Sun or the title characters of Norma Rae or Erin Brockovich, your strongest associations might be sociological traits.

  Whether inherited or acquired, positive or negative, what traits most loudly and clearly define your characters? How might these traits alter the course of the story?

  ABOUT THE EXERCISE

  This discovery exercise can help you find new story ideas by exploring a defining trait of an important character. You may wish to do the exercise more than once to explore other traits of the same character or other traits of other characters. For best results, think of "defining trait" as a dominant feature of character identity that has-or could have-a significant impact on the dramatic journey. Most of the exercise examples are from Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill.

  A TRAIT THAT DEFINES YOUR CHARACTER

  In O'Neill's play, a defining trait of the father, James Tyrone, is his attitude toward money: he is a cheapskate. Many people may be stingy, and this quality may not matter much except occasionally to irritate others. In O'Neill's play, however, James Tyrone's stinginess is paramount to the story. It's what has led to the ruin of his family and will incite the here-and-now crisis that erupts around the failing health of his son Edmund.

  Think about the physiological, psychological, and sociological dimensions of your character, both positive and negative, and select a defining trait to investigate. Then describe it in a word or phrase. If your character were Helen Keller, for example, you might write "deaf mute." If your character were Ophelia, you might write "mentally unbalanced." If your character were Walter Lee Younger, you might write "economically deprived."

  THE ROOTS OF THE DEFINING TRAIT

  I. Primary Cause. Why is James Tyrone so stingy? The reasons lie in a backstory which we can infer from story events. Perhaps he grew up in a poor family with barely enough to eat and much suffering from lack along the way. This childhood poverty could have made him fearful of ending up that way again and might be the main reason for his stinginess now.

  Think about your character's defining trait and how it might have developed. Its causes may be rooted in heredity or environment or both, and may trace back to the recent or distant past. You can probably find a number of different reasons that this trait has become so prominent now in your character's identity, but what is the main reason? Take a creative leap, find an explanation that makes sense, and briefly describe the primary cause of your character's defining trait.

  2. Secondary Causes. Other factors besides childhood poverty may have contributed to James Tyrone's penny pinching. Perhaps his rise to fame as a commercial actor gave him a taste of wealth that makes it even more unbearable to lose. The fact that his income was tied to an unstable careerthe life of an actor on the road-also must have made his good fortune seem all the more impermanent and easy to lose.

  The roots of your character's defining trait probably include a number of other contributing factors as well. Take another creative leap, look for explanations that make sense, and briefly describe at least two secondary causes of this trait.

  THE EFFECTS OF THE DEFINING TRAIT

  I. Backstory. James Tyrone's stinginess has led him to make a lot of bad decisions that have, in turn, led to major family crises in the past. For example, when his wife Mary took ill, he searched for the cheapest doctor he could find and ended up with a quack who overprescribed morphine. Mary became addicted, had to be institutionalized, and has been struggling with addiction, on and off, ever since. Her addiction is, in part, an effect of her husband's stinginess.

  Think about your character's dominant trait and how it may have affected the world of your character before the story begins. If you haven't thought much about the backstory, this is a prime time to do so. Take a creative leap, look for specific examples from the past that make sense, and briefly describe one important positive or negative consequence of your character's dominant trait.

  2. Actual story. After the curtain goes up on Long Day's Journey into Night, James Tyrone's stinginess has an immediate impact on much of what we see. Some of the effects are small. In the dark of night, for example, he has a fit if anyone lights more than one lamp in the house. Other effects of his stinginess are far more significant. When his youngest son Edmund is diagnosed with tuberculosis, James Tyrone wants to send him to the cheapest possible treatment center. In other words, he would rather risk his son's health than spend the money needed for proper medical care. This decision unleashes the family's demons. It sends the older son Jamie into a drunken stupor, pushes his wife Mary back into morphine addiction, and leaves Edmund feeling alone and helpless.

  Think about the effects of your character's dominant trait during the here and now of the story. If you haven't worked out much of the actual story events yet, this is an opportunity to explore some possibilities. Take a creative leap, look for specific examples from the story that make sense, and briefly describe one important positive or negative consequence of your character's dominant trait.

  3. Potential story. Think about your character's dominant trait and how it could affect your story in ways you have not yet considered. Let this final step of the exercise be your biggest creative leap yet. Look for at least one new positive or negative event that could possibly occur as a result of your character's dominant trait. Try to make a choice that surprises you but still makes sense in the unique world of your story. Brief
ly describe what might happen.

  WRAP-UP

  As you develop your story, the dominant traits of your characters can guide you through deeper more complex explorations of who the characters are, what they have experienced in the past, and how they might behave and influence events in the present. These bold strokes also give you a simple way to compare and contrast your characters so that you can see how they work together as a story population.

  THE QUICK VERSION

  Use ally relationships to explore a character and find new story ideas

  BEST TIME FOR THIS

  After you are well into the story

  HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS: THE HEART OF DRAMA

  Through drama, we see how certain individuals connect or fail to connect in times of stress. We also see what they gain or lose in the process. Consider the relationships that have shaped your character's identity by the time the story ends. Among them, you will find significant allies who tried to help the character and either succeeded or failed. These relationships can be a rich source of character and story development.

  Some allies may be family members or friends. Others may be less personally involved in the character's life. Either way, their power depends on the resources they have to offer. Such resources may be tangible-such as money, tools, or information-or intangible-such as wisdom, love, or political influence-and their worth is measured by the unique world around them. In most stories, for example, a box of dirt would have little value. In Dracula, however, where the title character must sleep by day in a coffin filled with earth from his homeland, a box of dirt is key to survival and he who guards it is a critical ally.

  ABOUT THE EXERCISE

  Use this exercise to explore the past and present allies of your main character or a principle character. As you do this, remember that the distinction between "ally" and "adversary" is not always easy to draw. Human behavior may change from day to day, a friend may cause harm, a foe may do good, or an action that seemed wrong at first may turn out to be right over time. This exercise gives you definitions to simplify all this so that you can learn more about your character's allies and how they might influence the dramatic journey-even if they do so from the backstory. For best results:

  Define "ally" as anyone who wants to help the character. For the purposes of this exercise, therefore, allies are defined not by the results of their actions but by their intentions: they mean well. Allies may be individuals, such as a classmate, sweetheart, or spouse, or groups with a common purpose, such as a baseball team, business corporation, or law enforcement agency. Over time, allies may evolve into adversaries, and vice versa.

  Interpret freely. As you explore ally categories, translate terms such as "close," "distant," "powerful," and "weak" any way that feels appropriate. A powerful ally might be a world leader in one story and captain of the patrol boys in another. Over time, one character may fit more than one category.

  Remember that this exercise is designed to spark creativity, not test organizational skills. If you're not sure who fits what category, just make a choice that feels right and move on. Keep your focus on information that could carry into the story and help you understand why or how things happen.

  YOUR CHARACTERS ALLIES-THEN

  Who are the most influential allies from your character's past? Use the following categories to trigger ideas as you explore the backstory:

  Basic types of allies

  Allies may be powerful or weak, close or distant. These qualities may combine in different ways to create at least four basic types of allies.

  I. Close, powerful ally. This is the greatest of friends: one who has not only a strong personal investment in your character, but also the means to provide the kind of help that makes a difference. Suppose that the character is Jake and that one of his greatest past allies was his Uncle Billy. When Jake's mother couldn't afford to send Jake to college, Uncle Billy provided the cash to send him to beauty school. The result: Jake found a purpose in life-to become a beautician.

  Who in your character's past acted as a close powerful ally? Identify the name and relationship. Then give an example of what this ally did for your character and what important effect resulted from that action.

  2. Powerful but distant ally. This ally has the means to provide help, but isn't invested enough in your character's personal life to be an automatic source of support. Assistance must somehow be earned. A powerful but distant ally in Jake's life was Mrs. Jordon, an upper-middle-class woman for whom his mother did weekly ironing. After much pleading, Mrs. Jordon agreed to hire Jake as her chauffeur for the summer. The result: he began to see how the other half lives and developed a strong thirst for the rich life.

  Who in your character's past acted as a powerful but distant ally? Identify the name and relationship. Then give an example of what this ally did and what important effect resulted from that action.

  3. Close but weak ally. This friend means well and has a strong personal investment in your character, but often lacks the resources necessary to solve problems effectively. A close but weak ally in Jake's past was his mother Linda Louise. When Jake got arrested for possession of marijuana, Linda Louise couldn't handle the stress and got dead drunk instead of raising bail money. The result: Jake spent not one but two nights in the county jail, where he met a guy named Stomper who would later introduce him to a life of petty crime.

  Who in your character's past acted as a close but weak ally? Identify the name and relationship. Then give an example of what this ally did and what important effect resulted from that action.

  4. Weak, distant ally. Though on your character's side, this friend is minimally involved in your character's personal life and has limited resources available. A weak distant ally in Jake's life, for example, was his father Joe. When Jake was seven, after a strange Christmas dinner, Joe took out the garbage and never returned. The result: Jake grew up with longing for a father, anger toward the world, and a deep fear of abandonment.

  Who in your character's past acted as a weak distant ally? Identify the name and relationship. Then give an example of what this ally did and what important effect resulted from that action.

  More complex types of allies

  Whether powerful or weak, close or distant, some allies may have other distinctive characteristics that set them apart from the others in their category. For example:

  I. Dangerous ally. This friend wants to be on your character's side and is full of the best intentions, but tends to cause more harm than good. A dangerous ally whom Jake met in the past, for example, was Art, an ex-con running a small-time extortion ring. After Jake dropped out of beauty school, Art took him on as a protege and, like a father, taught him everything he knew. The result: Jake became hopelessly entrenched in a life of petty crime.

  Who in your character's past acted as a dangerous ally? Identify the name and relationship. Then give an example of what this ally did and what important effect resulted from that action.

  2. Adversarial ally. An ally is, by the exercise definition, one who wants to help. Sometimes, however, it is not assistance but opposition that your character needs for his or her own good-such as when the character is acting in error or doing something potentially harmful.

  If your character is trying to punish the wrong person for an injustice, for example, or use dangerous drugs, or commit a criminal act, one trying to stop this effort may be an adversarial ally who has the action of a foe, to thwart, but the intention of a friend, to help. This is one who believes "You'll thank me for this some day." In Jake's life, Ms. Chin, his math teacher, was an adversarial ally who wouldn't let Jake coast through her class as a D student. Ms. Chin pushed, punished, and harassed Jake ruthlessly through senior year. The result: Jake earned his only A in high school and acquired a love of numbers.

  Who in your character's past acted as an adversarial ally? Identify the name and relationship. Then give an example of what this ally did and what important effect resulted from that action.

&
nbsp; YOUR CHARACTERS ALLIES-NOW

  Continue to think about your character's key allies as you look ahead to the story. For quick reference to types of allies used in the exercise, see the table.

  I. Start of story. Think about the allies you have identified from the backstory and how your character might see these relationships as the story begins. When Jake's story begins, for example, he might see his three most important allies as (I) Mrs. Baker, his client and powerful but distant ally; (2) Art, his boss and dangerous ally; and, (3) Linda Louise, his mother and close but weak ally. From your character's point of view-right or wrongas the story begins:

  • Who are the character's three most significant allies now in order of importance? For each, identify the ally's name, relationship, and type.

  • For each ally, write a "because" statement to explain why he or she seems important-for example, "Because Mrs. Baker has agreed to slip Jake extra cash if he secretly gives the incriminating videotapes to her."

  • Briefly describe what these relationships suggest about your character's values, beliefs, and situation here and now-for example, "Jake values money above all else, naively believes he can outwit his boss, and is putting himself into greater jeopardy than he could ever imagine."

  2. Midpoint. If story events matter, your character's life is affected as the dramatic journey unfolds. Some things change. Some don't. Take a leap forward and think about what's happening or could be happening halfway through the story. From your character's point of view-right or wrong-at this midpoint:

  • Who are the character's three most significant allies now in order of importance? For each, write the ally's name, relationship, and type. These may be the same allies in the same order as before, the same allies in a new order, or a new set of allies. Or, one type of ally may have become another-for example, a powerful ally once close may now be distant.