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mbarker Original Posting 6/13/2020
Writer's Digest, December 1989, pages 34-37, has an article by Louis E. Catron about how to "adapt these acting techniques to create fuller, richer fictional characters." He starts off with a fictional scene of a writer typing away, jumping up and pretending to be various people, then typing some more, and so forth. He suggests that writers can use the techniques that actors use to make characters "vital, alive and interesting" as part of your bag of tricks. What techniques? Well, most of them come from Stanislavski. Here are the key points that he points out. First, be, don't act. The goal of the system is that the actor becomes the character, rather than simply acting as the character. Second, use "the magic if." Magic if questions answered by action based on emotional response? "If I were [a character], [in this situation, with these problems] what would I do? Present tense questions, about the character's major concerns. How does the character feel about themselves and about the other characters. If I were… What would I do? How would I feel? Third, motivation! What does the character want? What is he or she willing to do to get it? Why does the character take this action at this time? Motivation drives action drives plot. Use the questions in each scene, in each chapter, whenever you need action. Make sure the action is motivated, and fits into the superobjective! Fourth, establish the super objective. What is the character's primary motivation, their driving compulsion, their overall goal. Use active verbs so that the character is doing something. Make sure it's concrete, not abstract. What does my character want? Why does my character want that? What actions will he or she takes to achieve it? The character needs to desperately want to achieve that goal. Passionate! He suggests you may want to use a simple form for each character in your story. His or her goal, stated with action verbs. What he or she will give up to achieve that goal. Why? And the emotions that drive that. Fifth, obstacles! You need obstacles preventing the character from reaching the goal. Obstacle, reaction, evolution in the character, excitement! So, here are the questions that an actor asks. What exterior obstacles stop my character from achieving their goal? How does my character react to those obstacles? What interior qualities prevent him or her from reaching the goal? Is the character aware of those limitations, and what are their reactions to that knowledge? Sixth, employ emotional memory. Recall situations from your personal life where you felt the emotions you want to depict. How did you feel? What actions came from that emotion? Also, think about other people who have experienced an emotion. What did they do? How did they react? Seventh, every character, every role, is important. Even your minor characters, give them the Goldie Hawn treatment. Imagine Goldie playing a minor character. She'd come up with a super objective, come up with unique qualities for the character's clothing and accents, give them an attitude towards life, and maybe add some special ways for that character to do whatever bit part they need to play. You can do the same thing. "Give your character sparks of dimension and life." Eight, examine the character's offstage life. What is this character doing before and after their little appearance on stage? Try sensory recall. Think about what they might've been doing before this, and imagine it. What happened, who did they meet, what kind of weather did they have? Nine, try the James-Lange theory of flight or fright. The idea here is that sometimes action precedes emotion. When you see a big bear in the woods, you run first, and then you become afraid. The action produces the emotion. "Do the act, and the feeling follows." Try writing more than one experimental page about your protagonist encountering obstacles, antagonists, and so forth. Try a soft, shy approach. Try confrontation. Then look at the different pieces and see which one fits your character best. Tenth, business! Business is the little detailed activities of a character. They can "enhance characterization, establish emotional qualities, and show state of mind." How the character walks, drinks, fidgets. Finally, number 11, add that "touch of madness." A dash of craziness is just fine, for an actor, or for a writer. Aristotle recommended it, so… Go ahead. There you go. A little acting advice to spice up your characters and your writing. Put yourself in the character's place. Know what they are trying to achieve, both at this point and overall. Give them obstacles! Use your emotions as a guide. Make sure even bit parts come alive. What does the character do outside this story? Try giving the character some actions, and see how that feels. Oh, let them fiddle with things. And mix in a dash of madness for the crowning touch. Exercise? Take something you've written or something you're working on, and look at each character. Do you know what they're trying to achieve, what is their motivation and their super objective? What obstacles do they have to overcome? Think about the emotions, their background, and their business.