ABSTRACT
Screenwriting is an incarnational art. The screenwriter is creating characters that flesh-and-blood actors will bring to life on the screen. But character cannot dimensionalize a story and make it complex and compelling unless the characters are dimensionalized, complex, and compelling. In a space- and time-bound medium like screenwriting, a screenwriter only has room for the most telling details and the most telling dialogue. Connection and compassion are both essential to the art of creating unique, complex characters. A screenwriter does not have to like the characters he/she creates—and they do not have to be likable—but the screenwriter does have to find a way to connect and understand them.
