by Will Dunne
Some objectives are physical. They focus on not another character but a physical task, such as getting the room ready for the start of the day (Endgame) or trying to stick a birthday candle onto a cookie so you can secretly celebrate your birthday (Crimes of the Heart).
The only time that the story is not driven by objectives is during those moments, if any, when a character retreats in monologue to a world of imagery in order to explore innermost thoughts and feelings, or to relive a memory, as Edmund does in Long Day's Journey into Night when he recalls his exhilarating life at sea.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
Choose a scene to develop and use this exercise to figure out the main objective that will drive it. Exercise examples are from scene 5 of Betrayal by Harold Pinter.
YOUR CHARACTERS SCENIC OBJECTIVE
Answer these questions about the scene you are focused on now:
i. Main character of the scene. This is who drives most of the action and makes something important happen. The main character of the scene is usually also the main character of the story. In some scenes, however, the main character of the story may not be present or may be the object of action rather than the cause of it. In such cases, the main character of the scene is someone other than the main character of the story. In scene 5 of Betrayal, the main character of the scene is Robert. Who is the main character of your scene?
2. Key influences. Each scene centers around one main event that changes the world of the story and is caused by the main character in pursuit of a scenic objective. To choose this objective and write the scene, you need to know what's happening in the world of the story at this precise and unique point in time, particularly for the main character of the scene. Consider such factors as:
• Backstory. Think about what's happened in the character's life before the story begins. Are there any significant events from the past that might affect what your character wants now?
• Immediate given circumstances. Think about what's happened in the story so far and particularly in the last scene. What is the character's current situation as this scene begins. Are there any key circumstances-positive or negative-that will affect what your character wants now?
• Character relationship. Unless the characters here are strangers, they know each other to some degree and have been together before. Is there anything from their shared history-especially from the last time they were together-that will affect what your character wants in this scene?
• Setting. Think about where the scene takes place and what important objects and other physical elements may be present. Is there anything about this environment that might affect your character's scenic objective?
• Physical and emotional life. How does your character feel when the scene begins and how might this affect your character's scenic objective?
• Intellectual life. Focus on what your character knows and believes at this time in the story. What is the character thinking about when the scene begins and how might this affect your character's scenic objective?
3. Specific stimulus. While many influences combine to shape the character's needs, each scene is triggered by a specific turning point-a decision, discovery, idea, emotion, interaction, or external event-that occurs either before the scene or during it. If the stimulus occurs prior to the scene, the character enters knowing what he or she wants to accomplish. If the stimulus occurs during the scene, the character acquires the objective as a result of what happens early on.
In the world of Betrayal, while Robert and Emma are on vacation, for example, Robert goes to an American Express office to cash travelers checks, accidentally discovers a letter addressed in his best friend's handwriting to his wife, and suspects that they are having an affair. This discovery occurs offstage and triggers the scene which takes place the next day in Robert and Emma's hotel room. What specific turning-point experience triggers your scene? Does this stimulus occur before the scene or during it?
4. Possible character needs. Regardless of when it is aroused, the scenic objective remains intact until it is either achieved or thwarted, and this success or failure signals the scene's end. The scenic objective not only drives the scene, therefore, but holds it together. This does not imply that the character may act only one way during the scene. One scenic objective can produce many different strategies, which, in turn, create different beats of action.
To find your character's scenic objective, think about the specific stimulus for your scene and how it might affect your character's needs here and now. Take a few moments to explore different possibilities. Imagine that what will drive most of the scenic action is your character's need for one of the following:
• To make the other character feel good-for example, to flatter, seduce, impress, comfort, or cheer up. If Robert has begun to suspect that his wife Emma is having an affair with his best friend Jerry, he might want to try to win her back. This could be the scenic objective for a tender love scene in which the affair is never mentioned. Suppose that your character had a "feel good" objective in your scene. What would it be?
• To make the other character feel bad-for example, to threaten, warn, frighten, scold, or make feel guilty. Robert's reaction to the possibility of being betrayed could trigger a more vengeful reaction. Instead of trying to win Emma back, he might want to punish her and make her feel rotten and ashamed for what she has done. Suppose that your character had a "feel bad" objective in your scene. What would it be?
• To find out something important from the other character-for example, to ask questions directly, probe indirectly, or inspire confession. If Robert suspects that Emma and Jerry have betrayed him, he might want to learn if it's true and, if so, how long the affair has been going on and how serious it has become. Suppose your character had a "find out" objective in your scene. What would it be?
• To convince the other character of something important-for example, to prove a point beyond all doubt. This is not the same as "explaining" things. Like the other three behavioral objectives, it is an emotionally charged need to achieve an important end. Robert's reaction to his discovery might be to convince Emma that, for the sake of their children, she must end the affair. Suppose your character had a "convince" objective in your scene. What would it be?
• To complete a significant physical task-for example, to obtain an object of importance or make a meaningful change in the physical life of the character or environment. Unlike the four behavioral objectives, this physical goal may or may not demand a specific response from the other character. Perhaps Robert knows that his wife now has the suspicious letter he noticed at American Express. His physical objective might be to get the letter from her so that he can read it for himself. Suppose your character has a physical objective in your scene. What would it be?
5. Conscious need. To act with intent, characters must know what they want-or at least think so. In the Betrayal scene, Robert's conscious objective is to find out if Emma is having the affair and, if so, how serious it has become. Now that you have explored different possibilities for your scene, choose the conscious objective that makes the most sense for your character at this time in your story.
6. Subconscious need (if any). Some characters also have a more powerful subconscious need that is different from the conscious objective and rules the action. While Robert wants to find out how badly he has been betrayed, he may also have a subconscious desire to punish his wife for her infidelity. This deeper desire drives him to play a cruel cat-and-mouse game with her throughout the scene. Is there any subconscious objective at work in your scene? If so, what?
7. Motivation. Dramatic action will result when your character takes steps to pursue the scenic objective and encounters obstacles that make it difficult to achieve. To deal with these conflicts, the character must be properly motivated, with stakes important enough and urgent enough to make compromise or surrender unthinkable. What's at stake for Robert are his two most important relationships: with his wife and his best friend. He wi
ll do everything he can to learn the full truth about them. In your scene, what is at stake for your character?
8. First action. The character's first action in the scene may or may not be driven by the scenic objective, depending on when this need is aroused:
• If the scenic objective was triggered prior to the scene, the character's first action is driven by this need whether we realize it or not. When the Robert and Emma scene begins, Robert knows exactly what he wants to find out. His first action is not to ask her about the affair, however, but only to bring up the subject of Jerry in a seemingly innocent way. He is laying the groundwork for a trap which will later force Emma to confess.
• If the scenic objective is triggered during the scene, the character's first action is driven by a different need-usually of lesser importance. This keeps the character active until the scenic objective is sparked and begins to drive the action. Suppose that Robert were to discover the suspicious letter not at American Express the day before, but in the hotel room during the scene. His first action might be simply to find a misplaced tourist map. This lesser objective could initiate his interaction with Emma and lead to the unexpected discovery of the letter.
Whether your character's scenic objective is triggered before the scene or during it, what is your character's first action?
As you write, let your character's scenic objective lead you to spontaneous discoveries about each new beat rather than try to plot out the beats in advance.
9. Character information. We learn who dramatic characters are by observing them in action and making inferences about what they do. What they want tells us a lot about who they are. Robert's conscious need to learn the truth about the affair shows the importance he places on his marriage to Emma and his friendship with Jerry. His subconscious desire to torment Emma in the process shows how much he has been hurt by the betrayal. Think about what your character wants in your scene. What does this reveal about the character?
WRAP-UP
You can use these steps to figure out any character's scenic objective. Over time, you can adapt this process to your own needs and do it more instinctively. Once you know the scenic objective, keep your character focused on it. Remember that one goal can produce many different behaviors, and that the other characters and audience may not always know what the character is really doing. Allow the other characters to change objectives as often as makes sense in their responses to your main character's actions. Be sure to stop the scene when it ends, that is, when the scenic objective has been achieved or utterly failed.
THE QUICK VERSION
Flesh out the conflict of a scene
BEST TIME FOR THIS
When you are planning, writing, or rewriting a scene
CONFLICT: A TOOL TO TEST AND REVEAL CHARACTER
Conflict in drama is anything that makes a character's objective difficult to achieve. Simply put, conflict is obstacle. It's whatever the character must overcome in order to succeed. Conflict is often equated with argumentwhich is indeed a common and obvious type of conflict-but obstacles can take many other forms as well. In fact, anything, even love, can be a problem if it gets in the way of what a character wants. For example, after learning that her boyfriend is married, she wants to leave him, but she can't because, even though he lied to her, she still loves him.
Conflict reveals and heightens the character's objective. Without obstacles, we don't feel the importance of the character's needs. You can explain these needs in a speech, but it won't mean much dramatically, because we are getting the information intellectually rather than emotionally. For example, a man wants to pay his taxes. He writes a check to the IRS and puts it in the mail. No problem. And no drama. Suppose, however, that he owes much more than he can pay, that he's facing a prison sentence if he doesn't settle up within thirty days, and that no one will lend him money because of his bad credit. This is what incites the play Search and Destroy by Howard Korder. As we watch the character deal with these obstacles and go to increasingly unscrupulous means to get cash, no explanations are necessary. We can see what he's after and how important it is to him.
We often find out who people really are by observing their behavior under stress. Conflict has a way of exposing our true values and testing our commitment to what we claim is important to us. In drama, slowly rising conflict puts more and more pressure on the character and strips away superficialities. It tests the character and forces him or her to take bigger risks. This helps us see who the character really is.
When push comes to shove, for example, we discover that one who exuded bravado is really a coward, or that one who has cowered often is really a hero. Meanwhile the characters are affected by what they do and how the world responds to them. They change-for better or for worsebecause of what they've been through.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
Choose a scene to develop and use this exercise to flesh out the conflict of the scene. Exercise examples are from scene 2 of Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet.
YOUR CHARACTER IN CONFLICT
To explore possibilities for scenic conflict, consider elements like these:
i. Main character's scenic objective. A dramatic scene typically centers on one character pursuing one overriding scenic objective and encountering obstacles that make it difficult to achieve. Before you can define the conflict in your scene, you need to know what the main character's scenic objective is. This spine of action will determine what is and isn't a problem here and now. In Glengarry Glen Ross, the main character of the scene is Moss. His main objective is to convince his coworker Aaronow to steal important files from their real estate office and sell them to a competitor. Who drives most of your scene and what does this main character want most?
2. Another character's needs. In a dramatic story, the forces of conflict tend to be complex and challenging. They can arise from many different sources. The most common source of conflict is the other character: one who wants something contrary or contradictory to what the main character wants. Suppose Moss wants to convince Aaronow to rob the office. Aaronow becomes an obstacle to that objective if he wants instead to stay out of trouble. His desire for safety poses a major threat to Moss's success in the scene. In your scene, how might another character's needs pose obstacles to the scenic objective?
3. Another character's traits. The main character's scenic objective also may be threatened by the physical, psychological, or social traits of the other character. These obstacles may be inherent in the other character, such as defining personality traits, or temporary, such as current physical or emotional states. Since Aaronow is far from genius level, for example, it will be difficult for Moss to instruct him in the plan. Aaronow is also depressedhe has just lost a real estate sale-and this will make him unresponsive to anything but his own gloom. At the same time, Aaronow is fearful. Though he will be attracted to the prospects of instant wealth, he also will be overly cautious about even discussing-let alone pulling off-a betrayal of the bosses who rule his life. In your scene, how might the other character's traits get in the way of the scenic objective?
4. Main character's inner world. Conflict also may rise from within the character who is pursuing the objective. Personal characteristics (such as self-delusion, altered state of consciousness, or physical weakness) and emotional states (such as fear, guilt, doubt, or confusion) can make characters their own worst enemy. For example, Moss's view of the world is steeped in a bigotry and anger that can distract him from his goal. He also has problems articulating his thoughts clearly. Think about the main char acter of your scene. What inner conflicts might make the objective difficult to achieve?
5. External situation. Characters often find themselves in situations with social, economic, political, physical, or other dimensions that make their objectives difficult to achieve. For example, Moss and Aaronow live in a cutthroat sales world which has turned them into desperate and ruthless men. To convince Aaronow to rob the office, Moss must overcome the legal risk of proposing a crim
e and the professional risk of stirring up mutiny. Moss's objective is also made difficult by the plan itself, which asks Aaronow to do all of the dirty work and assume most of the risk while Moss is elsewhere having dinner. How might the circumstances of the scene pose obstacles to the scenic objective?
THE CENTRAL CONFLICT OF THE SCENE
In drama, problems tend to travel in packs and multiply like mad. Conflict is often a combination of obstacles that arise on many different levels all at the same time. Together, they represent the opposing forces that the character must face, with one force central to the struggle. The main problem for Moss, for example, is Aaronow's resistance to the plan. Think about the possible conflicts you have identified for your scene. Which of these would you pick-or how would you combine any of them-to identify the central conflict? This is the biggest problem that must be overcome in order to achieve the scenic objective.
THE OPENING PROBLEM
In drama, there is always trouble afoot-even when the scene is just beginning. The opening problem is usually large enough to put something at stake for someone, and yet small enough to allow room for the conflict to grow. The opening problem for Moss is not Aaronow's resistance to the robbery scheme, but rather Aaronow's depression over missing a sale. Before the scheme can even be presented, Moss must figure out a way to fire up Aaronow and make him receptive to betraying their bosses. Think about the possible conflicts you have explored so far and identify the opening problem of your scene. This will begin to define the jumping-off point for action.