Class 12 In Her Skin - Giving the Transitional Character Motivation and Point of View

Motivation Write drama knowing what your Transitional Character needs and wants Put your Transitional Character into Dramatic Situations Avoid explaining – rather have your character show what he or she wants When you write a scene or a sequence, set up actual challenges (from people or things) See how your Transitional Character Responds in a given Dramatic Situation

What is motivation? Immediate need – e.g. get food to eat, get a sick child to hospital, catch that bus, avoid that flood, save that precious photo from a fire… A reachable need – explain something to a loved one, get a light for your room so that you can study at night... A far-off need – get affirmation from a loved one, plan towards a goal, achieve something that would change your life

What is Dramatic Situation? Character in a dramatic, existential context – e.g. Woman forbidden to leave home has to go somewhere for a compelling reason; or a teenager debates whether to tell her mother the whole truth… Present tense What is happening right here and now to the transitional character

Dramatic Situation is… Where consequences of action really count Where what a transitional character does, tells audience what he wants (often at odds/ in conflict with) somebody else Action – what the character does next could determine life or death Verbal – some cost involved… Somebody could get hurt Signs – Action, however small, is a clue to the inner thoughts of the transitional character Context in which transitional character RESPONDS (either negatively or positively) An encounter that transitional character might win or lose (could lose the battle but win the war!)

Dramatic Situation is NOT… Exposition of the character by description Flashback Explanation A reason to stop the action to insert “important” biographical detail Past tense – what happened before must play into what is happening right here and now

Point of View See it the way the transitional character does Focus on the actions of the transitional character in order to understand their view Show the bigger picture through their eyes Avoid generalised descriptive story in favour of their angle on what’s happening Let the transitional character be changed by the goal they seek Don’t have things just happen to the Transitional Character like victims of circumstance, bound to Fate Transitional characters are proactive

Make the goal clear Don’t leave audience confused about the transitional character’s goal Have them say it (more than once) Have them sign it and act as if they want it Put in dialogue, action or images that reinforce the striving towards goal Make the Transitional character active not passive

Conclusion Characters need motivation to bring audience along with them Characters form goals that audiences root for Characters have points of view that we follow Write the bigger picture from the perspective of the Transitional Character Write and direct what is going on in the drama by giving a clear POINT OF VIEW (perspective)