Walter White in Breaking Bad, for example, is a white, male, middle-aged school teacher, but he also becomes a ruthless drug lord. These qualities shape Walter White and all of the decisions (and emotional reactions) he makes.
The character of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs wants to succeed and advance within the FBI, but deep down she also needs acceptance (probably from a parental figure). Both her wants and needs lead her to engage with Hannibal Lecter, but in different ways, thus giving her character nuance.
For example, Don Draper in Mad Men is actually an army deserter named Dick Whitman. This is his biggest wound and biggest secret, and it drives much of what he does and how he acts.
Let’s say you’ve written a 26-year-old, black, female detective. Every once in a while, stop and mentally change some of her characteristics in a given scene. Imagine that she is a 26-year-old white woman, or a black man, or a much older black woman. How do her decisions and/or reactions change or stay the same?
The character Lisbeth Salander in the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a whip-smart, socially withdrawn computer hacker with a traumatic past. The fact that she is a woman is important, but these other defining characteristics are what drive her.
Thinking again about Walter White, the inciting incident in Breaking Bad is that Walt finds out he has very advanced cancer. His reaction to this news is what drives the plot line of the entire series, but more importantly, his reaction reveals who is an a person.
The film Gone Girl challenges the mystery-suspense genre, by supplying an unreliable narrator, and the unique character of Amy Dunne is created.
The family dinner scene that happens near the beginning of Little Miss Sunshine provides each character with an opportunity for introduction and reaction. This scene is an excellent example of how to introduce an ensemble cast through action.
A great example of this is Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. By understanding her background, family life, and upbringing, we better understand what makes her tick, and why she does the things she does.
Too often female characters are either “the angry one” or “the cheerful one. ” Without a range of emotional reactions, female characters are wooden. A good example of a woman with emotional range is the character Cheryl Strayed in Wild.
Examples of archetypical depictions include the Oracle in The Matrix, Tatum Riley in Scream, and Cinderella in Disney’s Cinderella. Examples of female characters who move beyond their archetypes include Elsa in Frozen, Vivian in Pretty Woman, and Amy Dunne in Gone Girl.
