How to Write Great Characters: The Key to Your Hero's Growth and Transformation by David Wisehart

Author:David Wisehart
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Performing Arts, Arts & Photography, Theater, Reference, Movies, Writing, Screenwriting, Humor & Entertainment, Playwriting, Research & Publishing Guides, Movies & Video, Play & Scriptwriting
Publisher: Wisehart Productions
Published: 2015-03-15T07:00:00+00:00

How to Write Character Reaction Patterns

Writing teachers, story coaches, and screenwriting gurus often say:

“Story comes from character.”

Or:

“Story is character.”

And that’s true.

Unfortunately, these writing teachers rarely go into detail about what that actually means.

Or how it works.

Well, I’m about to show you exactly how it works.

Master the Pattern, and You Master the Game

In a story, when a character is confronted with a major stress, they react.

How do they react?

Characters react to major stresses in ways that are both unique and predictable.

There are patterns.

I call them character reaction patterns.

If you know a character’s type, then you can know how they will tend to react to major stresses.

Knowing these patterns can help you to write or re-write your story.

If you’re outlining a plot, you can use these patterns to come up with new scenes. This can be a huge help in plotting your screenplay or novel.

If you’re re-writing a story, and you sense that something isn’t working—or if you’re struggling with rewrite notes from someone else—you can check your character’s reactions against these patterns to see if there is a better way to write a scene, or maybe even change the plot.

But what exactly are these character reaction patterns?

They are part of the Enneagram, which I introduced in previous chapters.

Character reaction patterns are an advanced writing technique, so you may want to review these earlier chapters before moving ahead.

Okay, now let’s take another look at the Enneagram symbol:

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