How To Write Authentic Characters And Dialogue - Corey Mandell

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#writing #screenwriting #screenplay

[@filmcourage]

Check out Corey Mandell's two full video interviews on KZbin here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZuYpZ95eaqXmac and kzbin.info/www/bejne/novKiKprn9qDgJo

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Corey is great! Thanks, Film Courage!

[@AjayKumar-fs6yt]

Lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

[@tomhelmsmann8907]

If you're an established or beginning screenwriter, I encourage you to sign up for one of Corey's courses (via his website). I have taken them myself, and while I'm still not yet published as a result of his workshops I am much more confident in my ability to structure a story around a compelling character with essential stakes that will pull in a reader/audience member.

[@marcioventura3135]

Never thought about learning structure and organic writting separately. But it makes sense, since stories are about giving some true feelings, and the structure changes with time. I dont know. I have to think about it. Thats interesting

[@evanward3964]

Well said! Best of luck to you!

[@tezzo55]

It's like the difference between a songwriter and an orchestrator, a songwriter can write from a limited knowledge base, but the orchestrator has got to know all the techniques. One's creative with a little technicality, the others technical with a little creativity.

[@bandolrose]

I took a class with Corey Mandell a few years back. I grew exponentially as a writer. His technique is challenging to learn, but it will fast track your career for sure.

[@robintate]

I’m considering a workshop as well but thanks to Film Courage, I feel like I’ve gleaned a good amount of his content already-either way I would join the workshop for the potential contacts.

[@lp4265]

Such a GREAT INTERVIEW! Thank you !!

[@CraigHinrichs]

Corey is amazing.

[@KimTownsel]

I cannot recall what Corey said to put my head in the zone, but a possible fix to a tabled problem occurred while I listened. I need to make my story smaller, geographically speaking. Thanks, Corey and Film Courage.

[@Sophia-wv6yf]

Cory’s passion to teach great storytelling is an excellent example on how writers must dare to go deep into their heart and soul to entertain. Thank you Cory and Film Courage 🥰

[@vinkarume6205]

Reminds me of that one video, characters who serve the plot are less interesting than those who motivate it.

[@charlesku4308]

your Hero TAKES action, he/she Never reacts to action he/she hasnt started.

[@CalmaxFilm]

Yeah, characters have to have AGENCY.

[@rentosnyggt]

This guy is truly inspiring with his insights!

[@Htrails1952]

I look forward to both workshops.

[@theblacksmith0880]

What producers from major studios have told be that a lot of writers do is change the voice of the characters. If the character is intelligent then keep them intelligent. The structure depends on your approach. Don't over think it. If it's Action then the hero is saving the world or the girl, if Romantic then they are trying to find love or help it. Above all research and try to be somewhat original.

[@m.talmagemoorehead]

Another awesome video, Corey! Thanks. I hope you keep sharing your unique, honest, and insightful perspective with the rest of us. I wish you taught novel writing, but I'm sure your lessons apply there, too.

[@katecosettevocals]

I’ve taken 6 of his workshops, they fully and 100% apply to novel writing!

[@micahpediford]

Amazing upload!

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Micah!

[@laurencheng2279]

This guy is a Real Expert, know what he is talking, not like some others who just repeating nonsense principles on textbook.

[@attilarza2488]

He explained it soooooooo good !

[@gonzaloleon-gelpi9151]

This is good, this is really good.

[@filmcourage]

What are your thoughts on this process?

[@user-rv4wn5qk7q]

With Film Courage help I was able to write authentic character and authentic dialogue. In my small experience being a Screenwriter, my thinking is that you can't look at archetipes or something like that. The biggest reason we don't see real people in archetipes, we see in who they are (in how they are too) - trying to write characters walking from this direction seems easier to me, because it is easier to write about someone than about "a character". The same in the dialogue.

[@roymarsh8077]

This is fascinating, though essentially it's still a familiar approach - 'know thy character'. The hard part is to get the horse to keep going in the right direction (= plot) while it's still doing its own thing).

[@the7thseven873]

This is it✨

[@dear_totheheart]

I appreciate the emphasis on being genuine and to allow thoughts to flow intuitively. However, I wish the video matched the title more clearly, with how to actually produce quality dialogue instead of simply leaving it up to free flowing thoughts. Maybe that's a great point that's needed, especially if many writers are trapped by preconceived notions of what a story or character ought to be, such as feeling compelled to adhere to a certain plot structure or archetype. I think we need to remember the importance of the individual and write each character as though they were actually a living human being encountering a certain set of circumstances and interacting and reacting to them. He basically said to be organic and of course that's the goal, but his recommendation is a bit vague and I wish there were more practical tips on how to formulate dynamic and authentic discourse. Still, always appreciate your helpful videos, thanks so much!

[@Darfaultner]

I'm sure Corey would be happy to yeach you.

[@charlesku4308]

thats why i paid $ to take his class - your question was answered in the first hour of class and the next 6 weeks are devoted to learning how in a scene, act, and script - his class is AMAZING!

[@dear_totheheart]

Charles Ku this video does not present the topic in the light of paying for his course in order to gain his insight, of course that makes the most sense but it’s frustrating when a video pretends to cover a topic that they vaguely do at best. Glad you learned something from his course

[@KrypticWarrior2]

fascinating

[@simonburton992]

If anyone is interested in the psychology (or neuroscience) behind these two "minds" that Corey talks about, I would recommend the book "The Master and His Emissary" by Iain McGilchrist.

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for the recommendation.

[@c4n940]

I woke up one morning.. My characters were writing their adventures by themselves on my computer. Weird day..

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Yeah, I'd agree story structures and authentic or organic character developments are definitely different subjects... Being able to act or create organically is a far cry from what we consider structure... As soon as you start speaking to structure (for one thing) the immediate imagery in mind is something crystalline, latticeworked, engineered... When you think "organic" it's probably more like the weird curls and waves and rounds that you'd find in a tree, an animal, or a human body... even if it has structure to it, the organic ideal is kind of "naturally all over the place". Being a GM, Characters aren't that difficult... (okay, 30+ years of them prob'ly makes a difference)... BUT in about a page of college rule notebook paper, I can have a reasonable profile to work with... Everything from the obvious physical (height, weight, hair, eyes, scars/tattoos) to figurative Stat's for numerical representations of limits (Strength, Dexterity, Health, IQ, etc...) and some psychological, aspects... maybe bad tempered, or a bestial atavism, and maybe a code of honor, or ethical attribute... Don't forget the skills, each also with some numerical value. (You can't work with dice in a game without those numbers and probability)... AND at the onset of the actual Game, we (as Players) develop and explore our Characters... interact with each other, and figure out backstories... and all that... Some Players are a bit more skilled, experienced, or just clever about creating alternative personalities than others... "adding voices" or accents, even speech impediments to their Characters... and changing things around. Others often seem like "cookie cutters" stamped out with different listings and numbers from one to the next, but no different personality-wise... and it shows. In RPG's however, there is as close to "absolutely zero" story structure as you can find... The whole of a Campaign can last years... and from the beginning to the end of the game, the grandest reveal, and final "Nemesis" for the group, and the fallout of the final battle are often so far removed you'd be hopeless at trying to guess where we were going or how we'd get there from where it all started... I once ran a two year War Campaign... With three friends who created military careers, became nobles in their conquests, and eventually were integral part of an Evil Empire being overturned... ...and their whole intent against this Emperor, his Empire, and the War Campaign all together was hinged upon and started over "Not getting proper wheat rolls with ONE Character's spaghetti..." These were (point of FACT) truly connected action and consequence... from "No rolls for the spaghetti" to "Crush the empire"... I want you to think seriously about that... just for a moment, how far off the figurative rails something goes, to get from the first, to the end... In the midst, there are such highlights, as rescuing a heroic former teacher from slavery by fighting her in the pits (think gladiatorial)... Jumping (on purpose) into the maw of giant monstrous beasts in the very plan that killed them (yes, more than once)... Rescuing a unicorn from a Demon, who'd "used" a virgin daughter of a wild-elven chief to capture it for sacrifice... and meeting a true to life Great Elder Dragon-Lord... Wandering about the Underdark a bit to rescue and then marry a drow princess who was "too gentle for the Underdark"... and a litany of others that read more like just "wandering the land to make messes" than anything that would tie together to "fixing the lack of wheat for rolls" or "taking on the Empire"... That's the weird thing about RPG's though... They are remarkably organic (unless the Party gets "railroaded" into module storylines) but structure... erm... A Plotline for an RPG Campaign tends to look more like spaghetti hurled at the wall than what you'd recommend in a class. ;o)

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Are you not of this Earth?

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@scottslotterbeck3796 If you refer to the wall of text... I've been typing "on the fly" almost as long as I've been Playing D&D... SO I don't always even think about it when the keyboard's rattling longer than about three minutes... You don't have to read it, and CERTAINLY NOT all in one sitting... Yes, I'm as earthly as anyone... If there's something else, since in response to the question of the vid' I had a fair chunk of info' to cover, you might be best advised (for a precision answer) to note what you wish to know... Characters (in case you wonder) really aren't that hard to "get into" and "RP" (Role Play to us dice throwers)... It's exploration, and conversation when someone at the Table "has issue" with your Character Acting... In time, you run into all types who Role Play for various reasons, and some are cathartic... SO you can find just about anyone to talk out any psychological issue or profiling you're "trying to pull off" and get useful corrections... or make better sense of the matter. ANY of this still requires paying attention, and accepting critique as more of a "do this for that effect" rather than "this is why it's a rule, and you're just wrong"... I know, sucks a lot when "you're doing it wrong" seems to be a mantra... BUT, being able to reword it in your head helps... and takes more practice. ;o)

[@RobertShaverOfAustin]

The first step sounds like "free writing" or "automatic writing". This does sound quite interesting. I've tried free writing but didn't stick with it. I did it by dictating to an open Google Document and it was transcribed into text, with plenty of errors.

[@elaineOiwish]

Sometimes the characters in my head are more real than the ppl in my real life.

[@tolvfen]

letting the character make the story? Reminds me of the serie called Heroes, and to lissen to,Tintin soundbook

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

It is difficult to write characters who have a different thought process. I have a friend who is pretty functional, but lacks social intelligence. He just blurts out whatever's on his mind. Making a character sound like that is not easy, because it's going against a lifetime of training and experience you, yourself, has. Yet that is certainly authentic. We all inculcate the norms of our culture, and fashioning a character with a radically different mindset is extraordinarily difficult. I think the only saving grace is that if you write about a familiar place, like Western societies, everyone pretty much has at least been exposed to the same basic societial structure, so there is not a terribly wide variety of possible reactions to situations that arise. That makes writing different cultures much more difficult. Not impossible, certainly, but much more work and research involved.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

I know you meant well... but... you lost me at "inculcate", "expised" and "Mot". I'm just being honest. I understood MOST of it, but... indeed, janky spelling, mate! :)

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

@@Novastar.SaberCombat Thank you for your support.

[@KEP1983]

Thankfully I have multiple personality disorder. :-P

[@RobertShaverOfAustin]

@@Novastar.SaberCombat That's what makes it so authentic, don't you think? “Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination.” ― Mark Twain

[@kitty7644]

You are so right. I have a friend who is also a writer with the same dilemma as you, only she is the one who’s functional yet lacks social awareness. She has autism. (And she’s aware of it BTW.) So, imagine writing every character who is normal, which is not her, and coming up with dialogue, tone, character voices. Etc. Is there any advice to offer for this?

[@JP_AZ]

💎💎💎

[@roathripper]

just find a chair, find a desk, find a pen, find some paper - then WRITE.

[@ComicPower]

I am extremely intuitive I just need more structure

[@lurkzie]

There are many working writers in Hollywood who can do great story structure but can't do authentic characters

[@ViMi1]

The horse? It's a Golden Retriever :)

[@jackijura249]

a w e s o m e

[@film_magician]

7-10 split

[@whitemansucks]

[@danbee998]

8:12 & 11:16 Organic writing. He speaks of, in novel writing terms, pantsing vs. plotting (and writing prompt exercises to warm up a writer's pantsing skills). Take home message.... Follow structure, but make it seem like natural dialogue and actions from the character(s). Some people function well with pantsing and some do not; i.e. they need more structure to tell the story. However, I think it is important to make the characters sound and act as if they are real, rounded characters.

[@wiggleworm5423]

so how... do I start doing this on my own? :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

[@brunowalterz]

Damn! I’m late!!!

[@filmcourage]

Bruno, you're not late. This one just went up tonight. Keep creating!

[@jonathantrauner3742]

FOR THE MEMORIES OF KOBE BRYANT, KOBE BRYANT'S DAUGHTER GIANNA BRYANT, AND EVERYONE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN CALABASAS CALIFORNIA // In the loving memories of Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, and Kobe and Gianna's beloved family friends who passed away this week in Calabasas California in a devastating helicopter crash outside Los Angeles, our loving hearts and souls never stop loving and remembering how Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and their beloved family friends touched the lives they loved and our humanity. We will never stop missing you all. We will always carry on your legacies through us. // How you Kobe, Gianna, and your beloved family members you traveled with had proudly lived your lives, taught me the lesson, never stop loving and touching the world through our daily lives. The legacy you cemented Kobe and the legacy you cemented Gianna and the legacy of the helicopter passengers you proudly loved, will always illuminate and touch our lives for the rest of time. // Kobe, Gianna, and all who lost their lives in Calabasas, we will never stop remembering how you all touched the lives you had by how you lived and loving the legacies you carried out as you shared your lives with us. Your lives went beyond being inspirational, empowering, motivational, and loving. // Until we all are reunited with you Kobe, Gianna, and your beloved seven family friends in Heaven, we will always live through your souls. Love never expires. Love your beloved loved ones endlessly and hold them extremely close. You never know when your last seconds of life will be. Light in death never shuts off.

[@PrawdaTV]

This guy wrote Battefield Earth...No, thank you!

[@filmcourage]

Corey revealing the real story behind Battlefield Earth has been our most popular video of the year. Maybe there is nothing for you to learn, but others certainly have - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKiwlJpslKaIlck

[@greghughes6098]

His only two credits are Battlefield Earth and a TV movie from 1991, his only award is the Razzie for worst screenplay. Truly, those who can't do teach.

[@filmcourage]

Here is what really happened with Battlefield Earth - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKiwlJpslKaIlck Others have learned a lot from his story.

[@formulaic78]

You can go read his spec script Metropolis he wrote for Ridley Scott. It shows the talent he has.

[@davidram9511]

Corey, lovely stories, you give good advice, but Mohammed why did you write about “mind head” (Scientology cult crap) and a bad script as well/or did director make bad changes, Jesus you must have needed the money, don’t bargain with the devil

[@jonathantrauner3742]

CLUTCH // Clutch champions under title-pressure never let their toughness get defeated. // The mentality of our championship winning caliber makes doubt less daunting. // Being molded into legendary champions means accepting failure and growth. // Failure and growth allows ourselves to become the best champions we can be. // Clutch basketball shots and jumpshots in crunchtime can get made by practice. // Champions get driven most by setbacks and losses. Push yourself to the limit. // Setbacks strengthen our title-winning mentality. Greatness has no limitations. // Pressure never exists. Get up tomorrow and drain title winning shots on the line. // Dribbling to greatness and striving to reach your fullest potential is being clutch. // Drain your clutch game-clinching shots. The basketball shots you take inspires.

[@curtisnewton895]

wow...the guy just wrote for 2 movies.... one being battlefield(garbage), the other one , never heard of it

[@katecosettevocals]

The final product of battlefield was not Corey’s doing. You can look up his explanation of what happened.

[@magnuskallas]

Sorry, weird as it might sound but... teaching a writer how to write. So are they writers or are them 92 out of 100 learning to write? I'm a bit bitter on this subject matter, but there's a difference between being a copywriter/social-media writer and a story teller. Are you really telling me a bimbo or hunk will get into story writing out of the blue and maybe 20K or two per semester?

[@halfxbreed23]

If you need to be taught how to write...

[@jonathantrauner3742]

Every day of my life I will pay tribute to Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant in my current hometown of Mekor Hayim Baka Jerusalem Israel in every way I can through the Mamba Mentality and I will win my Oscar in the memory of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant

[@charlesku4308]

um ok...