The Joy of Conflict
Posted by Andie Ryan Blog at 3/12/2010 9:11 PM 
Categories: Conflict
Tags: conflict revisioncharacter research believable characters characters in fiction symbolism Oscar writing workshop Best Screenplay Best Writing character flaw plotting caricature Best Original Screenplay characterization Crash Paul Haggis conflict in fiction
Categories: Conflict
Tags: conflict revisioncharacter research believable characters characters in fiction symbolism Oscar writing workshop Best Screenplay Best Writing character flaw plotting caricature Best Original Screenplay characterization Crash Paul Haggis conflict in fiction
Crash, directed by Paul Haggis and released in the US in 2005, won the Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Writing, Original Screenplay Oscars in 2006. If you want a great lesson in creating characters with truth, this is it.
Key characters want something that they either can't get or will find very difficult to get -- this establishes conflict, the life-blood of fiction. One of the more compelling things about Crash is that what each character wants shifts as they travel the arc of the story and realize things about themselves. These shifts are brought about by changes in what they desire.
They experience profound changes as people. Look closely at how the characters are drawn at the beginning of the movie and compare that with how you see them at the end. In the beginning, they are almost caricatures, but as the movie progresses, the writer lets us see their flaws, and glimpse some of the influences that deepened those flaws over time. When crisis strikes, we see how each character has really been forged, and they see themselves. They face painful, heart-wrenching decisions, and we can relate to much of it, even though the situations may not exactly match our own. They descend or rise with their enlightenment.
When I read through old writing workshop notes, I see that I was often told (and still am) that my characters had to actually make decisions, make their own choices, and not just be carried (by me) along the story's path. This takes some time to figure out as you work through the plotting and the story. It comes a small length at a time as you progress through revision.
Connections are also important in Crash. Look at how the characters lives are intertwined, how they come together in unexpected ways, and how they influence one another's behavior. It's like watching the pieces of a puzzle float into position, and it's not overstated or heavy-handed -- a risk with the technique that can often make the reader (or filmgoer) feel as if he's being beaten over the head with symbolism.
This is an area where your character research can be beneficial, because all that thinking leads to subtlety -- an image, a feeling, or a choice that feels natural because it actually comes from somewhere. It isn't forced because it is steeped in real emotion, real truth.
Look at some of your earlier drafts and see if you can spot opportunities to deepen your characters' experiences. Give your characters real, personal conflict and make them work hard to resolve it, and you'll soon see them take shape before your eyes.
Key characters want something that they either can't get or will find very difficult to get -- this establishes conflict, the life-blood of fiction. One of the more compelling things about Crash is that what each character wants shifts as they travel the arc of the story and realize things about themselves. These shifts are brought about by changes in what they desire.
They experience profound changes as people. Look closely at how the characters are drawn at the beginning of the movie and compare that with how you see them at the end. In the beginning, they are almost caricatures, but as the movie progresses, the writer lets us see their flaws, and glimpse some of the influences that deepened those flaws over time. When crisis strikes, we see how each character has really been forged, and they see themselves. They face painful, heart-wrenching decisions, and we can relate to much of it, even though the situations may not exactly match our own. They descend or rise with their enlightenment.
When I read through old writing workshop notes, I see that I was often told (and still am) that my characters had to actually make decisions, make their own choices, and not just be carried (by me) along the story's path. This takes some time to figure out as you work through the plotting and the story. It comes a small length at a time as you progress through revision.
Connections are also important in Crash. Look at how the characters lives are intertwined, how they come together in unexpected ways, and how they influence one another's behavior. It's like watching the pieces of a puzzle float into position, and it's not overstated or heavy-handed -- a risk with the technique that can often make the reader (or filmgoer) feel as if he's being beaten over the head with symbolism.
This is an area where your character research can be beneficial, because all that thinking leads to subtlety -- an image, a feeling, or a choice that feels natural because it actually comes from somewhere. It isn't forced because it is steeped in real emotion, real truth.
Look at some of your earlier drafts and see if you can spot opportunities to deepen your characters' experiences. Give your characters real, personal conflict and make them work hard to resolve it, and you'll soon see them take shape before your eyes.
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