Write to TV, 3rd Edition

18 CREATING COMPLEX AND COMPELLING CHARACTERS

“It struck a chord of relatability. The show was not trailblazing. It was about relationships people knew, wanted to know, or liked.” — Emmy Award-winner Max Mutchnick, co-creator, Will & Grace, on why that show was such a big hit

Without a doubt, the most important component of any story is the characters. Characters are the force that drives the story forward. They are the reason an audience tunes in. Without interesting, well-defined characters, your story won’t work because the audience won’t care. Therefore, it is imperative that you create multi-dimensional characters. These are characters that have many layers. Like most human beings, they are not perfect. They have flaws and weaknesses ...