Character Introductions: Part 11

Think there’s nothing to introducing characters in a script? Think again!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been doing a deep dive into the subject of character introductions. Why? For an explanation, check out Part 1.

Part 2 here.

Part 3 here.

Part 4 here.

Part 5 here.

Part 6 here.

Part 7 here.

Part 8 here.

Part 9 here.

Part 10 here.

Part 11: Introduction Through Surprise

One of the most effective ways to introduce a character is to use surprise. Professional readers expect the… well… expected.

“Here comes a new character. Okay, physical description? Check. Some dialogue? Check. A bit of action? Check. I got it… but it’s… all… so… been done… before.”

For example, one critique I hear from professional script readers is they loathe scripts that start with a typical day-in-the-life. Alarm clock goes off. Character wakes up. Struggle out of bed. In the shower with water streaming down their face with their eyes closed. Brushing their teeth. Getting dressed. Eating breakfast. And so on.

That may well establish a baseline for the character’s ordinary world [in contrast to the New World they enter once the plot kicks into gear], but it makes for a pretty boring read.

Try going for surprise with a character introduction. Here are three ways:

· Cold open: This is a technique where the story begins in the middle of the action, immediately yanking the reader into the plot.

· Ending first: Starting the narrative with a scenario that occurs at the conclusion of the story establishes a mystery: How does the plot get there?

· Dream / nightmare: This works as a feint, causing the reader to think they are experiencing reality when, as it turns out, the events described are a character’s illusion or fantasy.

Here are some examples of each.

Cold Open: Lethal Weapon 2 begins in the middle of a frantic car chase. Lethal Weapon 3 starts with Riggs and Murtaugh defusing a bomb. Maverick opens with Bret getting strung up and just about to be hanged. Apart from all three of these movies starring Mel Gibson, each uses a cold open to thrust the moviegoer straight into the action.

One of the most notable cold opens in recent movie history takes place in Fight Club.

This puts us right into the action — Tyler with a gun jammed in Jack’s mouth. Introduces the larger plot (“ground zero”). Establishes the power dynamic between the two characters (Tyler in dominant position). And of course sets the hook for the story’s big ruse about Tyler’s true identity. All of it constitutes a surprising character introduction.

Tomorrow in Part 12, two more ways to introduce characters using surprise: Ending First, Dreams / Nightmares.