Saturday, March 3, 2012
Brené Brown's TED Talk - For Screenwriters
I love this TED talk, both because I find it valuable in my personal life, but also because it offers insight into how to write complex characters. Don't just ask "What does my character want" or "What does my character need;" if you really want to write a three dimensional, complexl character, ask "What is my character ashamed of" and how does the story force him or her to confront it.
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I've come to believe shame occurs when one does something they believe is bad. What would cause you're character to do something they believe is bad? That is, what would cause them to violate their conscience? Consequently, believing something is bad, pre-supposes a belief in something good that opposes it. What does you're character believe to be good? Good easily becomes relative without a perfect moral basis. I think these questions point to a more usable understanding of shame, than what Mrs. Brown presented. I've only listened to this once, but it seems like she roots shame in our relationships with other people, which I don't entirely agree with because I've carried things around that I feel shameful about whether someone was there or not. The shame caused me to hide from people, which I think she pointed out, but those people weren't the source of it.
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