Crafting Compelling Narratives: Character Intentions and Screenwriting Techniques

To create well-rounded characters, it's essential to reveal their good intentions and the underlying goodness they strive for. This builds audience empathy and identification with the characters. When crafting narratives, particularly in screenwriting, every word carries significant weight due to limited space. Unlike books, screenplays require concise language because one page typically translates to one minute of screen time. The process involves vividly visualizing scenes, arriving late to a moment, and exiting early to enhance pacing and tension. For instance, in a dinner scene with an older couple, revealing crucial character dynamics through dialogue, such as a simple request for salt coupled with urgent commentary about health, conveys essential information efficiently. Emphasizing such techniques in writing—character-driven, judicious, and cinematic—allows for the integration of narrative nonfiction elements with a compelling storytelling style, resulting in narratives that resonate like fiction.