One of the most difficult learning curves for screenwriters is finding ways to write characters who have unique voices. It’s important that you avoid having your characters read and sound interchangeable, because it’s so much more difficult for anyone reading your script to visualize those characters and differentiate between them.
When the reader has to stop and remember who is who, it slows the momentum of the read. It even extends to the eventual casting of the movie because if the screenplay doesn’t offer a distinctive and diverse array of characters that have unique voices and personalities, it’s hard for casting directors and agents to ascertain who to cast in the roles.
Remember:
- Actors are going to want to play unique characters or specific character types.
- Directors are going to want to take on a script that has depth in characterization.
- Studios, networks, and streamers are going to want a wide variety of characters to cast to draw in box office numbers, ratings, and views.
One of the biggest challenges for screenwriters is to give each character a voice that feels authentic and distinct. It’s not easy, but it’s a skill you need to learn as a screenwriter.
With that in mind, here are some proven ways to test how your characters stand out, and how to fix them if they don’t.
1. Don’t Depend on Accents or Speech Quirks
The easy fix is to give a character an accent or quirky syntax as a shortcut to uniqueness. However, it rarely solves the problem. Sure, an accent or dialect can technically make characters different, but if that’s all you are relying on, you’re not really offering true depth and uniqueness. It’s all just a facade.
Don’t mistake that notion for meaning that diversity in language and accent doesn’t matter. They do. But if you’re attaching accents and dialects to force distinction, without any deeper meaning or character background that affects the story, you’re missing the deeper work.
A character who is bland or indistinguishable at their core will remain just that, even if they speak in an Irish lilt or Southern drawl. True uniqueness comes from different qualities like perspective, personality, world view, humor, fear, and habits. Accents should compliment those things, not replace them. So, remember to not use accents and such as a cheat code to fake uniqueness.
2. Read the Dialogue Out Loud
Sometimes screenwriters need to become actors to discover what their characters should sound like. We’re not suggesting that you need to pull a Sylvester Stallone and demand to star in your own screenplay (ala Rocky) to get the character right. But reading your dialogue out loud to yourself - while emphasising the emotion the character should be feeling in that moment - is a great way to begin to hear if your characters are unique and different from one another.
- Do they have different energy?
- Do they have different rhythms in their speech?
- Do they have different ways they express emotion?
- Do they have different types of reactions to conflict?
If each character sounds alike, that is an easy red flag.
Don’t be shy about performing your script when you’re doing your read throughs.
- Do it privately.
- If you’re in a coffee shop or library, do it under your breath.
Sure, you could gather your friends to do a reading or hire a troupe of actors to take on the script, but always remember that you’re going to need to learn how to do this without outside help, because when you do make the leap from novice screenwriter to pro, you can’t share what you’re writing with anybody while under contract. So, learn to figure it out yourself by reading the lines out loud in any way you can.
3. Hide the Character Names
An easy pro tip is to hide the name of your characters as you do a read through of your script. You can do this through Final Draft software, or by simply blacking out character names on a PDF or hard copy of your script. Then, once you read the script without being able to read character names, you’ll hopefully be able to tell whether or not your characters have their own unique voices.
It’s a simple exercise that forces you to confront whether your characters are truly individuals or just placeholders delivering plot. If their voices are strong and distinct from one another, you’ll know exactly who is talking without the label of the character name to guide you.
4. Avoid Expositional Dumps in Your Dialogue
Few things drain the life out of a character more than turning them into exposition dumps. If you’re only using your characters to tell us the story and plot through the dialogue, none of your characters are unique. You’re just using them to tell the story, and for the cinematic platform of film and television, that’s a big misstep.
When characters stop the momentum of the story to have to explain what’s happening in the story, why that matters, and what’s at stake, the result is always generic and interchangeable dialogue. Which then leads to generic and interchangeable characters.
Audiences don’t want to be lectured. And actors don’t want to play exposition machines. If any character in your script could deliver the same block of information, you’re not giving your characters a chance to be unique.
Yes, exposition is necessary sometimes. But the trick is to deliver it by weaving it into the conflict, subtext, and visuals of the story. Find creative ways to deliver information organically, instead of dropping long and lifeless chunks of explanation.
5. Find a Character Type for Each Character
Okay, you’ve utilized the above four steps to figure out which characters aren’t unique. The next step is to give them distinction by clarifying their roles within the story.
Every story has character tropes and archetypes that come into play. There’s no avoiding that. Your job as a screenwriter is to utilize those tropes and archetypes, and create more depth by subverting expectations of them in unique ways.
In essence, you use natural character tropes and archetypes to perform the necessary duties of a story using commonalities. The fun comes into play by picking and choosing which ways you subvert those expectations to create twists, turns, and ironic moments that stand out.
- Natural leaders will lead the group, assess the situation, and take action.
- Natural followers will fall in line, be more quiet, and be more reactionary.
- Disruptors will question the leaders and try to sway the followers in their direction and beliefs.
- Peacemakers will strive to find common ground and peace among the group.
- Antagonists will, well, antagonize and work against the protagonists wants and needs.
All you need to do is look through your list of characters and see what character type they match with for any story type. They don’t have to be outright character tropes, but you can use those archetypes to mold your characters and, especially, subvert reader and audience expectations of them to keep the story even more interesting.
6. Create Distinct Personality Traits
Character types will give you structure to build a character - but assigning personality traits will give your characters true flavor. A character’s personality traits - whether they’re positive or negative - will shape not only what they say, but how they say it. Their distinct actions and reactions will set them apart from the rest. Think of it this way: when you’ve accomplished the first five steps above, now is the time to grab your sugar, salt, pepper, and spices to make your characters that much more flavorful.
- Optimistic characters will frame things with hope.
- Sarcastic characters will bring levity to a situation.
- Nervous characters will bring chaos and anxiety to a scene.
Are your characters:
- Persistent
- Determined
- Patient
- Happy
- Faithful
- Religious
- Honest
- Loyal
- Loving
- Kind
- Sincere
- Ambitious
- Content
Or are they:
- Unforgiving
- Obnoxious
- Wicked
- Dishonest
- Disloyal
- Demeaning
- Disrespectful
- Impatient
- Greedy
- Angry
- Cruel
- Pessimistic
Assigning character traits to each of your characters gives you a compass - one that can be used to create more conflict in your story, or give you options to help the characters overcome any conflict you throw at them.
As you write dialogue for each character, you can ask yourself if the line or lines reflect this person’s outlook, beliefs, temperament, and habits. If it could just as easily belong to another character, there’s some more work to be done.
7. Remember, Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Dialogue only goes so far. Sometimes what a character doesn’t say can be far more impactful and unique than what they do say. A truly distinct character voice comes from the way characters behave when faced with a conflict.
- Do they fight, freeze, flee, or joke?
- Do they intellectualize or lash out emotionally?
- Do they lead with their gut, or over-intellectualize?
Look at two very different action-driven characters - James Bond and Indiana Jones. James Bond projects calm sophistication, while Indy is always scrambling and muttering through danger. The contrast between these two iconic characters isn’t between their words - it’s how they move, how they react, and how they carry themselves in every situation.
Actions, silences, and choices speak far louder than dialogue. Use actions and reactions of characters to define their uniqueness, and help script readers and audiences to distinguish the differences between your characters.
Extra Pro Tips for Differentiating Characters
Accents and syntax can be used. They just can’t be relied on. With that in mind, here are some of the more subtle ways you can create unique voices in your characters.
- Play with Subtext - People rarely speak the whole truth. They don’t outright share how they are feeling. Let characters hide their true feelings behind words that say otherwise.
- Use Unique Vocabulary - Give characters preferred words, phrases, and terminology. One may swear constantly while another may never. One may wax poetic while another may grunt and mumble.
- Dabble in Formalities - Does a character use slang, speak in fragments, or use more formal sentences? Go watch Tombstone and see the difference between the formalities of Ike Clanton and Doc Holliday.
- Listen to Real Conversations - Watch debates, listen to people talking in a bar/library/coffeehouse. Notice how different people speak, how conversations play, and how much people interrupt or are interrupted.
You can borrow these different rhythms of speech and assign them to different characters within your script. Using this technique and the others above will ensure your screenplay attracts a stellar cast, and has more of an opportunity of succeeding in the marketplace.