Cracking Concepts #3: Very

The great characters in film and TV tend to be extreme in some way. They’re “very” something.

Michael Dorsey in Tootsie is a very committed actor and very difficult to work with.

Andy in 40 Year Old Virgin is, as the title suggests, very sexually inexperienced.

Al Swearengen in Deadwood is very ambitious, very ruthless and very profane but his language is also very lyrical.

Ferris Bueller is very charming and charismatic.

Dory in Finding Nemo is very forgetful.

Joey in Friends is very stupid.

Idea Starters:

Look at a list of character traits, find one that interests you, and then exaggerate that particular quality in a character.

What situation would most challenge this character?

What world would this character most dislocate?

What does this character most crave? What would happen if they actually had that?

Who or what does this character most fear? What would happen if this nightmare eventuated for them?

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