Character, Scene, and Story

by Will Dunne

  1. Characters. Focus first on the two most important characters in the scene and what your color associations might reveal about them.

  • Character 1 in my scene is Ella. Of my three most powerful color associations, the one that feels strongest for her is “heavy bodies.” This could be a figurative description of her at this time in her life. She has had an ethereal “tunnel of light” experience that she did not want to leave. As she sits in this room now with her husband on a rainy day, she feels heavy, weighed down in gravity, trapped in a physical state that no longer suits her. She is a “heavy body” yearning for flight. This describes her emotional state as the scene begins, and it will fuel her need in the scene to rekindle her marriage by making love to her husband. Of your three most powerful color associations, which feels strongest for your Character 1? Describe the connection, literally or figuratively, and how it might influence the dramatic action.

  • Character 2 in my scene is Hank. My strongest color association for him is “paralysis.” This again is a figurative description. What Ella doesn’t know is that, ever since the boating accident, Hank has lived with the belief that he is responsible for her drowning. Ella believes she was trapped under the water by a reef, but it was actually Hank’s hand holding on to her in an attempt to save himself. His feelings of guilt and betrayal have left him in an emotional paralysis that prevents him having an honest relationship with his wife. This fact will contribute to Ella’s failure in the scene to rekindle their marriage. Of your three most powerful color associations, which feels strongest for your Character 2? (If appropriate, you can repeat the association from before.) Describe the connection literally or figuratively and how it might influence the dramatic action.

  2. Scenic event. The main event of the scene between Elle and Hank is her failure to reestablish intimacy with him. My strongest color association for this event is “turning blue after swimming too long in cold water.” This figuratively describes what happens in the scene. The cold here is the isolation and neglect in which they have lived too long. Ella’s frustrated attempt to warm things up leaves them feeling even more isolated than before. Of your three most powerful color associations, which feels strongest for the main event of your scene? (If appropriate, you can repeat an association from before.) Describe the connection, literally or figuratively, and how it might affect the scene.

  WRAP-UP

  The physical life of a setting can be a rich source of story ideas as well as a tool to reveal characters and advance the dramatic action. Color is a powerful component of this realm because of the personal associations, memories, and emotions it can stir. As you develop your script, keep looking for new opportunities to use places, objects, and physical elements to root your characters in the reality of their world and embody important truths about them and the dramatic journey that is taking place.

  Related tools in The Dramatic Writer’s Companion. To explore physical life in more detail, go to the “Causing a Scene” section and try “Where in the World Are We?”

  THE EMOTIONAL ONION

  THE QUICK VERSION

  Explore how different layers of emotion can affect character behavior

  BEST TIME FOR THIS

  During scene planning, writing, or revision

  THE COMPLEXITY OF HUMAN EMOTION

  The thoughts, decisions, and actions of dramatic characters are influenced by how they feel. This inner life can be complex, since emotions tend to occur not in isolation but in layers—like the skins of an onion.

  If one could peel away the outer layers of an emotional onion, one might find many different feelings underneath. Characters thus may be affected not only by the emotions they sense but also by deeper feelings at a subconscious level. During an argument with his supervisor, for example, a desperate salesman might be aware of only one emotion, such as anger, but other feelings, such as fear or sadness, may contribute to his behavior as well. As you prepare to write a scene, you may benefit from taking the time to explore the mysterious realm of human emotions.

  ABOUT THE EXERCISE

  Use this exercise to flesh out the emotional life of a scene. You will be working with primary emotions, such as these:

  Love

  Happiness

  Anger

  Disgust

  Hate

  Sadness

  Fear

  Surprise

  Each primary emotion can lead to secondary emotions that reflect different degrees of that basic feeling. For example, love can range from affection to lust to longing, anger can range from irritation to frustration to rage, and fear can range from uneasiness to anxiety to horror.

  Examples are from an early scene in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a play by Simon Stevens adapted from a novel by Mark Haddon. Recipient of seven Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, it centers on an autistic teenager from Swindon, England, who investigates the killing of a neighbor’s dog.

  Character 1—who drives most of the action—is Christopher Boone, a remarkably intelligent teenager who has trouble interpreting everyday life due to his Asperger syndrome. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his street. Character 2 is Mrs. Alexander, an elderly widow who is hard of hearing. Their relationship: neighbors who have spoken only once before. The scenic event: Christopher learns why his mother left home—she was having an affair with a married man who lived nearby.

  To prepare for the exercise, choose a scene you wish to develop, identify the two most important characters—Characters 1 and 2—and define their relationship. Then sum up the main event of the scene as you see it now: what happens overall.

  ■ SCENIC CONTEXT

  Define the context for the dramatic action.

  1. Setting. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has a fluid, impressionistic style that enables the audience to experience the world through Christopher’s unusual mind. The scene between Mrs. Alexander and him stretches across two settings in the town of Swindon: Christopher’s front yard and a nearby park. Define where your scene occurs.

  2. Time. The action takes place in the afternoon a few days after the mysterious killing of a neighborhood dog. Define when your scene occurs.

  3. Given circumstances. Christopher’s neighbor Mrs. Shears had him arrested after discovering him in her front yard with her dead dog. When a policeman took his arm to escort him away, Christopher—who does not like to be touched—hit him and was subsequently charged with assaulting a police officer. The boy received a “caution,” or warning, which disturbs him because he believes it could affect his future. To find out who did kill the dog, Christopher has begun to interrogate his neighbors. This led him to Mrs. Alexander’s house yesterday, but when she left him at her front door to fetch some biscuits (cookies), he ran away in fear that, like Mrs. Shears, she might have him arrested. Think about what’s happening in the world of your story when your scene begins. Identify any physical, psychological, social, economic, political, or spiritual circumstances that could affect the dramatic action.

  ■ EMOTIONAL ONION: CHARACTER 1

  Peel away the layers of emotion that could affect your Character 1 during your scene.

  1. Outer emotion. As Christopher interacts now with a woman he barely knows, the outermost layer of his emotions is fear. What primary emotion will be most observable in your Character 1 as your scene unfolds?

  • Examples. Emotions have different triggers, take different forms, and exist with different degrees of intensity. Many fears affect Christopher during his encounter with Mrs. Alexander. He feels nervous around strangers; worries that she might call the police on him; dreads what would happen if he got arrested again with a caution on his record; fears living in a neighborhood where a killer is still on the loose; and feels anxious about breaking his promise to his father that he would not interrogate any more neighbors. What are at least three specific examples of your Character 1’s outer emotion at this time in the story?

  • Key feeling. Of
the fears that Christopher experiences now, the most powerful is his fear of living in a neighborhood where a killer is still on the loose. This will motivate his decision to interrogate Mrs. Alexander in spite of the promise he made to his father. Of the specific outer feelings you identified for your Character 1, which will most affect the dramatic action of your scene, and how?

  2. Underlying emotion. If Christopher’s fears could be peeled away like an onion skin, one might discover underneath a layer of love. Though his capacity for love is not foremost on his mind now, it influences his behavior and adds another dimension to his fears. Think again about your Character 1 at this time in the story. If there were another primary emotion underneath the first one, what would it be?

  • Examples. Christopher may not be focused on love now, but it is nevertheless relevant to the scene. He loves his father; loves his missing mother; feels affection for his pet rat, Toby; enjoys mathematics more than any other subject—he knows all of the prime numbers up to 7,507—and is proud of the fact that he will be the first in his school to take the high-level tests known as “maths level A.” These are all different types of love that influence his interaction with Mrs. Alexander. What are at least three specific examples of your Character 1’s underlying emotion at this time in the story?

  • Key feeling. Of the loves affecting Christopher now, the most powerful is his love of his mother. When he discovers that Mrs. Alexander knows why his mother deserted him, his love of her will drive him to learn as much as possible in spite of the painful truths that might be exposed. Of the specific underlying feelings you identified for your Character 1, which will most affect the dramatic action of your scene, and how?

  3. Deep emotion. If Christopher’s fears and loves could be peeled away, one might discover a layer of anger underneath. He does not act angry here and now, but his capacity for anger affects a number of his choices as the scene unfolds. Think again about your Character 1 at this time in the story. If there were a third primary emotion lurking under the other two, what would it be?

  • Examples. Because Christopher’s anger is more buried than his other feelings, he may not be aware of its influence. Yet it is there at work in many forms. He feels angry about being different from other people; angry about not having a mother; angry about being accused of killing a dog when he did no such thing and of telling lies when he is incapable of saying anything but the truth. What are at least three specific examples of your Character 1’s deep emotion here and now?

  • Key feeling. Of the angers that influence Christopher during the scene, the most powerful is his anger at not having a mother. This will motivate him to pry the truth out of Mrs. Alexander when she lets it slip that she knows why his mother ran away from home. Of the specific deep feelings you identified for your Character 1, which will most affect the dramatic action of your scene, and how?

  4. Dominant emotion. You’ve been exploring Character 1’s emotional life with the premise that at any given time, more than one primary emotion may be present to some degree, even if the character is not aware of this. Of all the feelings that affect Christopher in the scene, the one that dominates the mix may be anger. It does not manifest itself directly now—he never yells or fights—but it may be what pushes him through his fears to find out why his mother deserted him. Think about your scene and the layers of emotion you’ve uncovered. What single emotion dominates the mix?

  ■ EMOTIONAL ONION: CHARACTER 2

  Now do a similar exploration for the second most important character in the scene.

  1. Outer emotion. Mrs. Alexander feels surprise as she interacts with the autistic boy from across the street who inexplicably fled from her door yesterday. What primary emotion will be most observable in your Character 2 as your scene unfolds?

  • Examples. Mrs. Alexander feels astonished by the discovery that Christopher ran away yesterday because he thought she might call the police on him; feels amazed by his display of math genius; and feels shocked by the realization that no one has told him why his mother left home two years ago. What are at least three specific examples of your Character 2’s outer emotion here and now?

  • Key feeling. Of the surprises Mrs. Alexander experiences during the scene, the most powerful is the shock of learning that Christopher does not know why his mother deserted him. This will motivate Mrs. Alexander to reveal the truth: his mother was having an affair with Mr. Shears, who used to live down the street. Of the specific outer feelings you identified for your Character 2, which will most affect the dramatic action of your scene, and how?

  2. Underlying emotion. Mrs. Alexander may also be affected by some degree of love as she interacts with this young and vulnerable autistic boy. Think again about your Character 2 at this time in the story. If there were another primary emotion underneath the first one, what would it be?

  • Examples. Mrs. Alexander feels amused by Christopher’s earnest and innocent approach to life; feels compassion because of the difficulties his autism creates; and feels protective of his well-being. What are at least three specific examples of your Character 2’s underlying emotion at this time in the story?

  • Key feeling. Of the loves that affect Mrs. Alexander now, the most powerful is her protectiveness. This will lead her to be cautious when Christopher grills her about why his mother deserted him. Think about the underlying emotion you chose for your Character 2. Of the examples you identified, which will be most powerful during the scene, and how might this affect the dramatic action?

  3. Deep emotion. If Mrs. Alexander’s surprises and loves were to be peeled away, one might discover a layer of fear underneath. For your Character 2, suppose there were another primal emotion lurking under the other two. What would it be?

  • Examples. Mrs. Alexander frets about missing out on things because of her poor hearing; fears she might say the wrong thing and scare Christopher away again; worries about his emotional well-being, especially after she lets it slip that she knows why his mother left home; fears that Christopher’s father will be upset if she tells Christopher the truth about his mother; and fears that the neighbors will disapprove if she interferes with the boy’s personal life. What are at least three specific examples of your Character 2’s deep emotion here and now?

  • Key feeling. Of the fears that influence Mrs. Alexander during the scene, the most powerful is her concern about Christopher’s well-being. This is what motivates her to overcome her other fears and tell Christopher the truth about his mother. Of the specific deep feelings you identified for your Character 2, which will most affect the dramatic action of your scene, and how?

  4. Dominant emotion. Of all the feelings that affect Mrs. Alexander in the scene, the one that dominates the mix may be love. Her caring for Christopher and her concern about his well-being drive most of her behavior and lead to the scene’s main event: her revelation to him about his mother’s marital infidelity. What emotion dominates the mix for your Character 2?

  WRAP-UP

  When you are developing any dramatic scene, it is important to know how the characters feel in order to understand how they might act in the present circumstances. Keep in mind, however, that characters may be influenced simultaneously by different layers of emotions, including some in the subconscious. To learn more about characters at any given time, and especially at critical moments in the story, try peeling away their obvious emotions to see what deeper forces also may be affecting them.

  Related tools in The Dramatic Writer’s Companion. To continue exploring character feelings, go to the “Developing Your Character” section and try “Getting Emotional.” To examine emotion at the scenic level, go to the “Causing a Scene” section and try “Character Adjustments” or “The Emotional Storyboard.”

  WHY THIS? WHY NOW?

  THE QUICK VERSION

  Explore the importance and urgency of a dramatic event

  BEST TIME FOR THIS

  During scene planning, writing, or revision

  WHAT MAKES A
SCENE “DRAMATIC”

  Importance and urgency are basic ingredients of dramatic storytelling. If a scene has importance, it is worthwhile. Something meaningful occurs and affects the dramatic journey in either a good or a bad way. If a scene has urgency, it centers on a course of action that cannot be put off until later; it has to happen now.

  Importance and urgency are distinct elements that can exist without each other. Something can be important but not urgent. For example, he needs to go to the dentist to have his teeth cleaned. That’s important, but he doesn’t need to do it this instant. He’ll schedule an appointment for next week.

  Urgency implies importance, but something can require immediate action—the pressure of necessity—without being significant. For example, she is playing tennis with a friend. The ball heads her way. There is an urgency to swing the racket and hit the ball, but not much is at stake other than a point in a friendly game.

  In a dramatic story, some scenes have more importance and urgency than others. What happens during the climax, for example, is usually more important and more urgent than what happens in the middle of act one. However, each scene—if it is indeed a dramatic scene—has some degree of both importance and urgency.