What if Character Sheets Weren't Awful

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PATREON + EVERYTHING ELSE:
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JOHNNY:
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CONTENTS:
00:00 - it has arrived
11:21 - bonus page 1
13:26 - bonus page 2
15:03 - bonus page 3
18:29 - limitations and FAQs
23:40 - goodbye

[@localscriptman]

For the newest version (2.1) I changed some things so people would be able to understand the sheet without watching this video. I replaced “core belief” with “core urge.” Belief made it sound like a conscious philosophy, which I think was tripping people up. What I really meant to convey was a sense of “I must do this.” “Drive” felt too conscious as well. “Compulsion” too many letter. So urge it is. We urging. 2024 it’s urge or get urged on. I also think my emphasis on backstory was a bit confusing, so I changed some language in the first box - That slot is really just there to communicate that the urge is an adaptive mechanism to get one’s needs met. Just some small tweaks. Version 2.1 on website in resources tab :)

[@hestiuhhh]

"2024 it’s urge or get urged on." I'm keeping this. Legendary line.

[@th3logician]

I like the change but I still think it's a little bit confusing. In your 'How (Not) to Write Motivation, Complexity & Mental Health | Storytelling Theory' video, you mention that the core belief is something that the character believes about themselves (like "I am a threat to others" etc) which makes sense, but I don't see how to connect that to a coping mechanism and am wondering if maybe one causes the other and they are two separate things? (I love your videos btw, huge fan! Thanks so much for everything you have done for the writing community. It means the world :)

[@localscriptman]

@@th3logician Thanks! The self belief would be the lie

[@schm00b0]

All the shaking of the camera is really great... if I wanted to find out how seasickness felt without getting on a boat. (◔_◔)

[@tsunamiscientist568]

You talk about moralizing language in the video, and how you kinda tried to avoid it because that's not what this model is about. However, on the character arc sheet, it asks, "Do they overcome their core urge?" and one of the options is, "It's even worse now". Is this not somewhat moralizing language? Doesn't it mean that their core belief was bad to start off with, which isn't necessarily true? Maybe it'd be better to replace it with, "It's been amplified." That doesn't imply whether it was good or bad.

[@mangoalias608]

if you mute this video it looks like 20 minutes of angrily pointing at a piece of paper and i thoroughly enjoy that

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@ratastic]

The Pointer

[@DrabWallDevice]

I'm an engineer. You can distill anything into a flow chart, even the human essence.

[@localscriptman]

Engineer approved 😤

[@ultimaxkom8728]

I love it when my pie is 3.

[@EzaleaGraves]

​@@ultimaxkom8728 it's about equal to e

[@ultimaxkom8728]

@@EzaleaGraves *Pi.png* *e.jpeg* Engineers: _"They're the same picture"_

[@williamli8708]

can one distill a flow chart into a flow chart?

[@LightGardenFlowing]

"You were born confused and screaming" DANG man that hit HARD

[@localscriptman]

Googoo gaga

[@AndrewWilson-ol6jb]

This would make a SICK t shirt

[@ratastic]

When i was born i simply locked in

[@debrachambers1304]

Not I!!! (I be built DIFFERENT, hoss.)

[@jb-kx3rk]

not really

[@mangoalias608]

instructions unclear, tried to bring this to dnd night. i rp'd really well but i was useless in combat

[@localscriptman]

I cast trauma dump! 🧙‍♂️

[@cheddarcheezit2647]

​@@localscriptman"Okay, hold on, lemme roll for psychic dmg..."

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@EMLtheViewer]

@@cheddarcheezit2647Lol that makes me wonder about making a character with no magic or physical abilities, but whose sole method of combat is by just making enemies really depressed. Like how Marvin from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books has destroyed multiple sentient structures by telling them his miserable perspective on everything, which makes them instantly self-destruct out of misery.

[@Delmworks]

TBH I’ve been thinking about how to work this into an RPg system…

[@kiaranecessary7972]

Your character HAS to have a bad thing happen to them. If you’re going for a spoiled naïve character, make the bad thing super minor. “One time daddy’s manservant wouldn’t play croquet with me, so I bribed him to. Now I solve problems with money.” Your character won’t be so hellbent on solving problems a certain way unless they've actually solved a problem that way.

[@localscriptman]

Precisely. Even if their solution is "let others take care of it"

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@N0monis]

Honestly, yeah. You might even argue that them being raised spoiled and naive *is* the bad thing that happened to them all on its own

[@lennysmileyface]

That would be a rather surface level motivation. Wouldn't the disconnect between living in luxury solving irrelevant rich child "problems" with money from daddy and solving real problems be more relevant?

[@Henle_]

WE MAKING IT OUT OF THE CONFUSION AND SCREAMING WITH THIS ONE 🔥🔥 🗣🗣

[@Gm-ce5kg]

yes, be silent please

[@based9671]

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@Lazypackmule]

Instructions unclear; got stuck at the 'Character Name' field Also it's worth noting that "negative experience" does not have to be inwardly perceived as negative, or even recognized as negative by anyone in-universe- a character could easily just have a history of being positively rewarded for behavior they think is positive, but which causes conflict in whatever new context they find themselves in, thus making it indirectly negative

[@localscriptman]

Yea being rewarded would be the coping mechanism, and “not being rewarded unless ___” is the negative basis for that

[@ultimaxkom8728]

@@localscriptman If I were to make my own ripoff based off yours, I would've replaced _"negative"_ with _"core"_ which can include positive experiences - or I can alternatively just split the two. The reason is that core belief does not necessarily form from _trauma._ It can simply form from _euphoria_ *(Note: This is just my spontaneous ideas. I don't know if this is already coined or not),* which is helpful in making characters with genuinely rotten core like villains, mobs, and psychopaths. If I were to succinctly distinguish the two, then it would be: Trauma needs to be _fixed._ While... Euphoria needs to be _shattered._ Let's say a rich second generation noble living lavishly without any negative experiences throughout their lives. This is euphoria instead of trauma. Their genuine core belief is that they deserve all of it and it can't be anything less, while the lie can be anything as the conscious justification for the rotten core, such as _"because I'm noble"._ The lie can be technically true, or untrue, but it doesn't change the character's true personality. Another example is a genius with true talent who never fail in anything they do, and they believe they _can't_ fail in anything they will do. This is euphoria. As a designated antagonist, this character lie and belief is based on overflowing pride or it can even be something religious. The story and its characters, of course, need to shatter both the noble's and genius' lie to let the world see their rotten belief. And if this core is also shattered (which either very hard to do, or it can be impossible (e.g: true villains)), then they will see their own euphoria, the source of their rot. The outcome then can be either to stay course as an antagonist, or redemption. Whichever it is, they now realize their own euphoria. Anyway, if I say anything wrong then I apologize. I am simply pouring my ideas at this moment without any fact checks or knowledge checks. You can treat it as an impulsive essay, if you will.

[@oliolion]

@@ultimaxkom8728 You could also say that your genius and noble examples both share the "trauma" of never experiencing (and thus growing from) adversity.

[@ultimaxkom8728]

@@oliolion I can't call the lack of trauma or adversity, or the non-experience as trauma or negative experiences. So I use euphoria; the opposite or lack of trauma.

[@localscriptman]

⁠@@ultimaxkom8728I mean if you wanna go there, happiness is really an evolutionary incentive system. It’s meant to guide people away from destruction, towards generally healthy things. Food. Mates. Community. Behaviors that correlate to survival and reproduction. Of course it’s crude, and it wasn’t designed with excess in mind (because excess didn’t exist back then), but fundamentally “euphoria” is just the device that tells you what you should keep doing to avoid BAD THING. Positive experiences and negative experiences aren’t apples and oranges. More like an apple floating in an endless dark ocean

[@myhandle365]

SO BEAUTIFULLY WORDED. 01:33 "I think arguing about the meaning of a word is childish because the whole point of words is to agree on what they mean so we can USE them to argue about the things that actually matter."

[@bodhihouareau-rose8964]

Came here to appreciate this line and you already did it for me ❤

[@myhandle365]

@@bodhihouareau-rose8964 Hehehe, glad to be of service!! /bows

[@princessthyemis]

fantastic!

[@chfitti]

arguing ... is childish because the whole point ... is to agree You really think that sounds smart?

[@myhandle365]

@@chfitti Hey! Thanks for asking. It doesn't sound smart because you accidentally misrepresented the contrast. It's not arguing vs agreeing. It's arguing about X vs arguing about Y. He's saying it helps nobody when a person insists that everyone use only their specific language (pairing their definitions with their words). What's beneficial is learning how to translate. When I figure out what somebody's words mean, I'll often switch to using their words with their definitions cuz it facilitates our communication. I don't start insisting that their words should pair with my definitions. A really good example is when folk don't have a word for what I'm trying to say. One option is for me to take one of their words and critique it (eg love). But often times, folk just argue "that's not what that word means" ...and we get nowhere. And if I push back, they just buckle down, get grumpy, and I'm still not being understood (which is the whole point of communication: being understood). So, at that point, I'll literally just use a word from a foreign language and define it for them. After doing that a few times, they tend to start loosening up their definitions in general, and communication becomes so much easier. Imagine two grumpy, insistent people, demanding their word-definition pairs. All that ends with is two angry, divided people who THINK they understood each other when actually they didn't. Welcome to half the world's problems. Cuz folk often fight for the same cause, but don't realize it cuz they insist on their own pairings and don't know how to translate.

[@MainAcc0]

I understand you're using the pen as a pointer, but alas I have ADHD and suddenly understand how babies feel when they see dangling keys. Also thanks for all your work, this is amazing.

[@ultimaxkom8728]

I envy those who got to experience being a baby.

[@oliveriscoolerthanu7834]

@@ultimaxkom8728tf did u do bro. come out of the womb as an adult??

[@bloddrinkeraka]

​@@oliveriscoolerthanu7834Yes

[@ultimaxkom8728]

@@oliveriscoolerthanu7834 I was born on the hospital as a 15yo without the womb business. My head was full of bandages back then, but that's beside the point.

[@Minceraft69]

@@ultimaxkom8728 damn, athena is that you?

[@mikevincent8728]

Most writing advice on YT pokes your characters gently in the face and ask 'But what do they want?' LSM crams his arm down their throat, pulls out what should be their heart and says 'Oops, no soul.'

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@anothercastle17]

@@cookies3294 ?

[@samuellinn]

​@@cookies3294bro is desperate

[@dusty_telescope]

This... this is exactly what I've been looking for without knowing it. The way I make and think about my characters is almost akin to roleplaying. I understand them on a subconscious level, but I can't describe them worth my life. Especially trying to define their wants. Any time I've tried to turn to character sheets for help I've gotten questions like "What are their three favourite foods?

[@localscriptman]

Yeah I think empathy (or sympathy?) holds people back because they subconsciously fill the holes of a character. Like the illusion of a person is very strong, even if you don’t actually have much info

[@dusty_telescope]

@@localscriptman I suddenly feel very called out... I think that's exactly what I've been doing. Your approach to characters has really been a much needed breath of fresh air for me, and now it looks like I have some character sheets to fill out

[@futurestoryteller]

You know there was a certain German Chancellor who apparently liked to draw pictures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and really loved dogs. Like just imagine what those character sheets imply by suggesting those interests are personality defining.

[@MrRudiMentary]

@@futurestoryteller That's very true but that's also an inherently interesting contrast in his "character" which is why you brought it up. That would be good stuff to include if you wanted to explore him in actual dramatic work.

[@futurestoryteller]

@@MrRudiMentary I usually use this as a way to illustrate an inherent resistence I feel towards how most people view adding dimensionality to a character - usually, in contrast to the above example, "flaws" when it comes to their heroes. People take it as a mandate to explore, and sometimes violate a character's moral landscape by adding huge peaks and valleys. In reality liking cartoons, or cute things, or animals does not make you a better person. It's simply a quirk of psychology that the average person finds these unexpected qualities for an evil person to have, because we have trouble reconciling the fact that all of these qualities may not be interrelated in any meaningful way. There's a pretty brilliant moment in the martial arts show Warrior, where an Irishman we explicitly know to be racist (against Chinese immigrants) intervenes on BEHALF of a black patron who's almost badgered out of a bar he frequents. He points out that the black man (plural) didn't come to America by choice, and says he should have his drink, because he paid for it... Then he tells him to leave because "No one likes your kind around here." If you'll notice, nothing about this really makes him a better person, it just sharpens the tip of the spear. We do KNOW him better. And that makes it a good scene of character development. Though it's possibly not the most precise example of what I mean specifically. Another example I like to use is Brienne from Game of Thrones. Most of her "flaws" don't reflect on her morality, they're just things that stand in the way of her being who she would most like to be. She would like to be pretty, feminine, and petite. She would like to marry a specific man, out of love, who can't love her. That's where the vast majority of the extra dimension we see comes from. We know objectively there's nothing wrong with who she is, but because it's a problem for her, these qualities make up the bulk of her character "flaws;" making her a more well rounded character.

[@SolarSeaSlug]

since most of my characters end up with trauma anyway (i have ptsd lol) i find it helpful to remember that trauma is defined as toxic stress. Not stress that meets an Objective Threshhold, but stress that is too much for an individual to process. something traumatizing to one person may not be to another. so your negative experience doesnt have to be like, The Worst Possible Thing.

[@localscriptman]

Yup it could be something very subtle. Subliminal messaging from peers or parents

[@futurestoryteller]

I guess this is what he was talking about, because I heard trama was defined as "an event that shatters a longstanding presupposition about the world, often with a negative impact" - it was a therapist who defined it that way, if memory serves.

[@SolarSeaSlug]

@@futurestorytellertbf something that is earth-shattering to one person can be just a particularly bad day, or even the norm for another person. Especially in thinking about fiction, like killing someone can be horrible and, well, traumatic for a character who grew up in a wealthy suburb and never had to hurt anyone or been in a survival situation; killing someone might be Just Another Tuesday for a soldier in a warzone, or a high-powered sci-fi protagonist.

[@raina4732]

Yes. I get so confused when books on writing say you have to put your character through “The Worst Thing Imaginable”, since that’s pretty general. For example in Black Swan, the worst thing ever for a dancer would be getting severely injured so she couldn’t dance anymore, but that doesn’t happen at all nor does it make any sense whatsoever for her story. And if that did happen the movie would be really bad. Her worst moment and most intense emotions happen when her understudy is dressed and ready to go on in case the main character can’t handle dancing the role. That’s objectively not that big of a deal, everyone has understudies, and she never actually is replaced, it was only a suggestion by the director. But that stresses her out in such an intense way that it’s more exciting for the audience to see how crazily she overreacts to the idea of this understudy than it would be to watch her actually get replaced or get injured.

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@JaphethG]

I write professionally for a big studio here in town and, dude… this method should be exported to story rooms all over Hollywood. It is the system I have been using for years, but never crystallized into a simple PDF. I’ve been trying to scream “ all character’s behavior is just reaction to insecurities and trauma” to anyone who would listen, but I just seem crazy

[@JaphethG]

Also, FYI, every studio I’ve worked at (Marvel, Disney, Warner Bros, etc.) has always used the word “theme“ to mean moral debate. I think John Truby has infected everyone lol.

[@abdallahhakeem5185]

A month late but, would you say this is universally applicable, or are there situations where you would consider there to be ‘more to it’

[@eddiepollau4577]

“Most people aren’t aware that their core beliefs are coping mechanisms”

[@ultimaxkom8728]

My core belief is that I do not have any coping mechanism, 100%.

[@ambrosesutter8972]

@@ultimaxkom8728 stated belief, LOL

[@ahobimo732]

Assuming that all that exists are "coping mechanisms" is a pretty miserable view of life. People lie to themselves all the time, but we can also have values that we simply believe in for their own sake. If all we're ever doing is "coping" then why bother? Anyone who claims to be an absolute nihilist, yet chooses to continue breathing is also lying to themselves.

[@user-uc5xr9hd9y]

@@ahobimo732 or maybe thats something u explore within a character? I think thats what a lot of his videos are about.

[@RePorpoised]

Well, the world is fully of sources of pain, everywhere. It’s remarkably rare for a person that reaches adulthood to have not experienced pain or turmoil of some kind. It’s also pretty well known that negative experiences often last much longer in memory than positive ones. Therefore, for most to be able to ignore or reject that suffering, they’ll build a worldview that helps them be less sensitive to those sources of pain. Sure, some will learn to understand or accept those pains but those are far fewer in number than those who simply navigate around their suffering. Values come after that. Values develop when we start thinking about what we are, what we want our role in the world to be. I think of it like the negative experiences that form core beliefs starting from the absolute youngest of ages. Meanwhile, values start being defined in teenage years and often solidify in adulthood. Granted, we often depict adult or near-adult characters, so interactions between adults often end up being about personal values interacting in odd ways. Hmm. Come to think of it, that may be why I don’t see kids written really well in works of all kinds, most aren’t as driven in a singular direction as adults are. As such, kids either get depicted as either too mature or too immature. Of course, a person’s values can end up warring with a person’s core beliefs and that’s how you stir up some of that juicy *_internal conflict._*

[@juliuschuang6098]

I am not a psychologist, but the part about addictions jumps out to me since it's often stated that people become addicted to things is because they make their bad feelings go away. Being addicted to porn or gaming while procrastinating on homework is innately about avoiding the unpleasant emotions around homework. Basically I'm saying that maybe instead of addictions/habits, there could be a specific carve-out for "how does my character avoid confronting the problem", since an easy way for this template to be accidentally misused is something like "my wife died a year ago, and to prevent this from happening again I must smoke a lot of weed" which is kind of its own thing.

[@FabbrizioPlays]

When people say you can't distill the human essence into a flowchart, what they're failing to recognize is that the complex version still has a strong throughline, it just has a lot more little branches that, while yes they're more complicated, don't radically change the trajectory of that through line. Impactful experiences shape a person in ways that are visible with a broad brush. Go figure.

[@wren_.]

it’s like a tree. you wouldn’t define a tree based solely on the tree trunk, but without the tree trunk, there’s no tree.

[@M4TCH3SM4L0N3]

I significantly prefer this model over the old "what they WANT vs what they NEED" chestnut for character description, and I am excited to take this tool and run with it. This is a super cool graphic organizer that helps me model the cognitive process you are using, which is teacher speak for "I'm going to steal this for my classroom somehow." Seriously, I wish I had money to support/hire you. For now, please accept my gratitude and KZbin comments engagement!

[@M4TCH3SM4L0N3]

On a slightly unrelated question: would you say that this maps pretty neatly with how you view human behavior and drives? I know that you have spoken about "core hurts" or something to that effect, and I can definitely see this fitting with that regardless of your disclaimers about the inevitable reductivity of any model meant to capture characteristics. I'm talking specifically about the idea that these traits have to be based on some negative experience. Personally, I think that it's an ideal principle for modeling any sort of round character, but I struggle with accepting the idea that most of our traits are foundationally based on the times when our needs weren't met. I think this actually does tie into what you're talking about regarding characters having only one core belief: a story should encapsulate one, because the character has to pick one. At a later point in time, in another story, the character might grapple with or prioritize a different core belief, but that doesn't belong on the sheet because it is not in this story.

[@cookies3294]

Is there a way to put this in google docs?

[@littlelostmeme]

You're straight up the only writing advice KZbinr I've ever respected.

[@LightGardenFlowing]

Ooh also check out Schnee!! Both of them are 11/10

[@MadelynofHell]

second

[@hakunadamatta]

Bro is the only channel I’ve seen that’s genuinely process focused and that is massive for people who need to learn about the process of writing instead of the results of “how the audience feels” and other stuff outside crafting the story. Inspirational stuff

[@afellownerd]

you should check out Jed Herne

[@ARandomerUser]

@@LightGardenFlowing schnee is more analysis than advice, and in that regard, he is *really* good, but when it comes to extrapolating advice from analysis, he can sometimes generalize to a bogus degree. I watched all of schnees' videos when Arcane came out (and I still watch his new videos), and I got no where in my writing. His advice can be good if you're already done the outlining phase, but chances are if you're looking for writing advice from these online writing gurus, you aren't. That's why LocalScriptMan is so radical, because his entire catalogue of videos is dedicated to perfecting the outline of your story, in a way that's universally applicable to any story with any genre, theme, or format.

[@harrybriggs2586]

"Fear is the grease that keeps this machine running."

[@timhaldane7588]

I thought fear was the mindkiller.

[@sony23sk.49]

@@timhaldane7588 when too much it is. So maybe made my cha face it would sound like a good development maybe.

[@Ramonatho]

This isn't just good writing advice, this is solid ground for personal analysis. I bet I'd learn a lot about myself if I was brave enough to fill one of these out about me.

[@lilacgrace6025]

I actually disagree with this take, because characters aren't people. You don't have a handful experiences, but an entire socialization that has formed who you are today, so I don't think it could fit neatly here. You're more complex with that. If I didn't correctly respond to what specifically you're thinking of when you say this then my apologies 😅

[@freeloading_toad]

This is a complete game changer! Like, why do I need to know my character’s favorite color or, god forbid, EYE COLOR, when I don’t know how he reacts to certain kinds of social pressure? Fun facts can wait until they are relevant to the story.

[@JackLowry]

thanks man, this has finally convinced me to actually include some characters in my story!

[@localscriptman]

This is big

[@atomykebonpyre]

HOLY SHIT DUDE you released this *while* I was in the middle of struggling figuring out my characters' core beliefs and arcs. Timing was fucking immaculate. Thanks a thousand times over broski.

[@oj5826]

I once tried a character sheet and it was pretty useless. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time and forgot it until now but looking back it was just a table full of meaningless information like eye color and personality traits. This video really clarifies how right you are about everything

[@TheDevinMT]

Where do I put the character's equipment?? This doesn't even have a place to put your ability scores

[@localscriptman]

Use da blank space

[@chesspiece4257]

that’s what the backs for

[@GastricProblemsHaver]

​@@chesspiece4257Yoo a two-sided sheet with the character map on one side and gameplay stats on the other would be nifty! Of course it would be incredibly useless if your table just goes "I'm a goblin and my thong is a bag of holding" and does not expand on this at all,

[@cheddarcheezit2647]

​@@GastricProblemsHaverGotta pull coins outta ur buttcrack like an anime lady pulling a sword out of her cleavage.

[@azlanadil3646]

@@GastricProblemsHaver Then where do I put my spells? This only works for martials.

[@knightshousegames]

1:00 "What do you want me to do, just bask in the vibes?" made me laugh out loud. Theres at least one line in each of these videos that pops me like that.

[@samuraipizzaman]

I think it can work for an innately evil character. To them the negative experience could be something or someone who stopped them from doing their evil acts so the core belief is how they believe they must behave to ensure they can do their evil act. Like a serial killer who was caught harming an animal as a child could then have a belief about whatever stopped them which then informs their MO. Basically you can adjust the moralist meta thought that exists prior to the negative experience for such a character.

[@localscriptman]

Congrats that’s the one objection I’ve read that actually has some weight

[@zalamazu]

Yess I was just about to comment something similar. To add to this I think what we have to take away here is that you can't assume all characters are a product of the same environment. A person doing something objectively horrible but grew up doing it because it's been their normal is different than a person doing the same bad thing but only recently became used to doing it and knows it's bad (ie. Todd vs. Walter from Breaking Bad). This is why I've been so frustrated with the trend of villains with tragic pasts. Tragic pasts in general, really. Of course there's nothing with having a trauma rooted in life or death stakes, but a lot of the trauma I keep seeing is too general. What we the audience see as tragic or not tragic shouldn't matter that much. It's what the character at hand sees as tragic. I don't like stories that go "this character had such a tragic, depressing, don't you think?". Like yeah, probably. But what does the CHARACTER think? And if I don't care about the character to begin with then I'll be thinking about how I would deal with said tragedy... and that takes me right out of the story. I also think the generalization of villain's tragic pasts has to do with the rise of people lacking media literacy but that's another topic that I will save you the time not to read right now :)

[@localscriptman]

@@zalamazu No, latching onto a cultural norm is a coping mechanism in the first place. That would still fall within my system. The reason I pinned the above comment is because it points out how you could theoretically do this for something that isn’t “human.” It’s still somewhat functional as a way to describe deviation from nature, no matter what that nature is. But I don’t want people to think this opens the floodgates to positive core experiences. It doesn’t. That’s why I singled out this comment and not any of the “but what if they received unconditional love” essays you’ll find if you scroll down. Even if the core nature were “evil” in a moralistic sense, I’d still describe deviation from it as negative. Because my basis for the ideal human isn’t moralistic - it’s naturalistic. So I wouldn’t even say the pinned comment is suggesting a different moral meta, it would be more akin to a different natural meta.

[@zalamazu]

@@localscriptman Oh, I think my comment was misleading. I am not open to positive core experiences. I was suggesting that a negative core experience for a villain doesn't have to always follow under the lines of "family tragically died" but it could be something like "I was told no when I asked for a 10th pet". It might not be super negative to us but to someone who has grown up wealthy and spoiled, it is. And due to the environment they grew up in they think they have to fight their way to get what they want (misbelief is them wanting the wrong things). Not sure if my example was the best but "pure evil" people can still work as characters, even if their negative core isn't very relatable. Also I think I read a comment where someone said the template only works for specific genres like dramas? Have to disagree. I think the template is flexible for nearly everything, just depends on how dramatic or relaxed you want to make it.

[@derekmaverick5986]

@@zalamazuthis is big Jack Horner vibes in Puss In Boots 2 lol

[@May-xt6iz]

Thanks for the character sheet! 😊

[@localscriptman]

You’re welcome for the character sheet 🤙

[@ARandomerUser]

@@localscriptman damn cuh, i didn't know you was chill like that-

[@pebblestein]

your love of the canadian alternative rock band metric reflects incredibly positive on your character for me

[@localscriptman]

Top .01 percent Spotify listener right here

[@joannaingold6979]

omg thank god u talked about THEMES. since high school english i have struggled with "identifying themes" in literature and whether i'm supposed to analyze vague words like "death" "love" "war" etc... and how to decide what a theme even is, loved that you broadened the definition and basically rejected the word theme lol genuinely helps me

[@antiquatedannomaly]

One of the best character's I ever made coincidentally followed... pretty much this model. She has a childhood full of unfair rejection and discrimination, so she started to act out to try and force recognition for herself. Her stated values would have been along the lines of "It's a dog-eat-dog world," and "I'll be strong enough to survive," but her core belief was "They can't ignore me if I act out hard enough!" She was Very fun to write because of how much she enjoyed causing problems. And that need for control and recognition colored a lot of her life choices and relationships in a very interesting way. So, for anybody on the fence, this can be a great way to make characters.

[@isaacnykamp8083]

I love your campaign against the 'want.' I find it really compelling and it shows up in the stuff I try to write, when a character gets what they want right away, and it's unfulfilling. They suppose they might be unworthy of it, but the arc revolves around realizing the want is a sham. When you reintroduce the idea of being worthy of that thing they have surpassed the need for it

[@Technopath47]

So, INTJ 5w6 Sp/Sx here to talk on the subject of psychopathy (as I've ASPD and I do manage it). As far as writing a character is concerned, it basically means you don't have a "meatware" conscience. This means that you'll essentially be open to act in any manner regardless of social or ethical norms, but it does not mean that you'll break them just because as it's usually more advantageous to follow them just to minimize friction when doing stuff. People with ASPD still follow this sort of logic, and in particular sociopaths (people who are made into this instead of born into this) are even more driven by that ingrained trauma, core belief, and the lie they tell themselves (which usually boils down to "to keep myself safe I must"). In the case of psychopathy (like me, where it's genetic), it's more of there just not being a built in filter. In my experience, a lot of people with psychopathy will actually develop a strong sense of honor to take the role of what would be a conscience for most people, having to be proactive about how we deal with others. The reason you end up with the dangerous ASPD cases can basically be boiled down to someone with ASPD going "there's no point to me doing XYZ because of 123 thing" (in other words "the social contract is already broken, so I'm not going to follow it"). From how I understand it both with myself and with others, we follow this Trauma > Core Belief > Lie logic even moreso than regular people do as a far more extreme version of that. It doesn't mean we'll act inherently evil but rather we can end up biased to it because of social pressures as we're basically living as aliens on a planet not built for people like us. On a tangentially related note, writing personally helps me develop cognitive empathy as I work to understand my characters, what drives them, and how they fit into the world. I've also found your videos to be far more helpful than most KZbin channels on the subject, so thank you. :)

[@SomeTomfoolery]

"I think arguing about the meaning of a word is childish, because the whole of words is to agree on what they mean so we can use them to argue about the things that actually matter." THANK YOU! I've been trying to understand this for a while, now you've put it into words.

[@themindfulmoron3790]

I think you just helped me FINALLY figure out why I've been having so much trouble with theme. My smaller scale practice character writings always ended up being more cohesive than my longer stories, and the longer ones always took more work to conceptualise because I kept holding myself to a messy, poorly defined system. I question so many writing conventions naturally, but for some reason, analyzing theme as a concept just never occurred to me. Thank you for pointing that out.

[@Minusoh]

When you said the new version would have extra details I wasn't expecting three whole extra pages. The way I immediately started thinking of how to fill them out and had to rewind the video multiple times to actually hear what you were saying, haha. Thank you so much for the resource!

[@bo_unerro]

If I made a character map of myself, I would try to explain how the fact that my favorite Metric song isn’t sung by Metric’s lead singer is actually a result of my trauma

[@rottensquid]

I like what you said about characters not needing to have a "lie that they believe," but I think there's always some kind of certainty the character hangs onto that needs to be disillusioned. Sometimes, it's not the lie that they don't have the problem they have, but the lie that there's no way to overcome the problem. "I know I'm bipolar and therefore can't have a relationship, because my condition will always sabotage it." It may be true that the condition has always sabotaged it, but the lie is that there's nothing to be done. And of course, that actually may be true, but only as the character is at the beginning of the story. The story becomes about how to get to the point where the character CAN overcome that problem. So the "lie" isn't a lie for the character at the beginning of the story. Or rather, the actual lie is "I can't become the person I need to become." Which ultimately is the core of most stories.

[@judahmoar2533]

I just finished the original avatar the last airbender and basically every character is written this way

[@BearsAudioEmporium]

This isn't just great for characters, but also for sense of self. No joke helped mentally figure things out with myself just now LOL Thanks again for the tools!

[@ssnina4133]

I can’t believe you’re handing this out for free, the amount of care and thought you put into it is astounding. Your videos get me thinking every time. Thanks much!

[@dbrooke3629]

I'm a pantser so I dont do well knowing what's going to happen in my story beyond the next scene, however something I've wanted to do for my next project is focus on structuring my characters first before they even step foot in the story (as opposed to finding out about them as i go along). This is precisely what I've been looking for. Thank you!

[@martinebonita2658]

"you were born confused and screaming", this sentence is the plot of Beau is Afraid, Dead Ringers

[@beelzebon]

I can sum up my writing experience as 'before LSM' and 'after LSM'. A month ago i couldn't even imagine writing a short story but now im 20k into my first draft and its in no small part due to this channel. I don't take everything as gospel but i do leave every new upload with a new tool or perspective that will make me a better writer down the line. Cant wait to see what i develop with this new character map!

[@liamthellama8386]

Thank you, I love organization but have yet to encounter any character sheets or similar writing tools that were not god awful. This will be my first time actually filling one of these out.

[@margareteagle4666]

You can absolutely use this to write a character that is a psychopath or socialpath. They will also have negative experiences too that shape their identity, beliefs and their worldview. I think pure evil characters are more of a prop/symbol/force of nature than actual characters so you wouldnt need to treat them as characters. Then theres the “born evil” ones which is basically writing for animals since they have a certain predictable way of functioning dependent on survival/perogative programming and imediate environmental interplay

[@philosophynfilm]

This is actual psychology, not just story psychology. I'm glad you are mentioning this. It is how real humans work and serves not only to help us write better, but also to try and heal ourselves personally; bringing us one step closer to doing so by understanding how our past traumas-yes I said it-affect our present behavior; understanding that if we can rewrite our core belief according to reality rather than according to our trauma that we can stop overcorrecting, as you put it, and begin acting in a fashion that is appropriate to the situation and circumstances we are actually in and not according to what we are erroneously perceiving them to be. And this is the exact story arch that you are talking about taking our characters through. Brilliant! IMHO

[@philosophynfilm]

Also, the false belief/lie is relevant, as it is our justification for our choosing to act upon our core belief. It makes us feel like we are right without, as you said, having to admit to ourselves that our real motivation is fear of pain; it allows us to falsely believe that we are righteous in our actions and not merely a scared little puppy that can't help but bite out of instinct.

[@SnakeWasRight]

Would it work to build a story, or at least the beginning of one, on the character not knowing any of their core beliefs, due to being horribly abused for their life until they are suddenly free? A sort of "who am i" arc?

[@greenbutler3682]

15:45 Thank you so, SO MUCH for pointing this out! I thought I was stupid not completely knowing what a theme is, but it turns out I'm not, it's just one of those things that are hard for people to understand and agree on

[@coomstick]

Damn this is really thorough! Definitely gonna download this instead of doing word vomit in my notepad app. I personally like writing down the "want" even if it's as vague as possible to hang my framework on. I also find including the psychological need to grow is one thing that helps me plot out my arc. I also like to include "possible outcomes" for the character arc to cast a wide net and not limit myself in my writing. This is still the best character sheet I've seen. The ones that I got in college are a two-pack of ass. They were uninspired trivia and not really applicable to writing my script. This is a way more streamlined way to get my thoughts in order.

[@reaganbartels9993]

I think it's interesting that you said you don't know anything about addictions because this character sheet reminds me a lot of a therapeutic technique that we use in recovery a lot where we identify a negative experience, the beliefs we formed because of it, and the behaviors/unhealthy coping mechanisms we engage in because of that belief. You can also go in reverse--starting with the behavior and working the other way, which I think might actually be helpful for writing certain characters too.

[@1Cr0w]

Maybe one reason why starting with the positive experiences (which are at least as important to actual living humans) is not as *helpful for writing* in this framework is that there is likely little or nothing to overcome. The character does not need to heal from their positive experiences, they don't need to overcome them, they don't need to face them, they can't succumb to them, they wouldn't run away from them -- positive experiences may be very important to who they are, but don't give you fuel for a story. They could maybe be useful in what a character can provide (and mean) to another character, which will though be again motivated by the other character's negative experiences.

[@AndrewWilson-ol6jb]

WAKE UP BABE NEW LOCALSCRIPTMAN VIDEO JUST DROPPED

[@croissantpanda96]

the amount of information you provide on here is insane and i cant wait to dig in to this video

[@straps-of-skin]

I would love to see a deep dive into your sticky note process. I know we saw a bit in the ride or die video but ide love a full video dedicated to your outlining process

[@localscriptman]

It really doesn’t get much more specific. The basics are the only constant

[@straps-of-skin]

@@localscriptman did we see the entirety of your outline process in that video? I feel like my own process is very underbaked and feel like a need a more thorough process.

[@localscriptman]

@@straps-of-skin Yeah pretty much. I mean a lot of the time you spot errors and have to go back. Or there’s a stylistic thing that just feels wrong. But those are project specific, I’m not sure how I would go about describing them…

[@straps-of-skin]

@@localscriptman do you go straight from the sticky notes to the first draft? Or whatever the first draft equivalent is to a screenplay.

[@localscriptman]

@@straps-of-skin I usually create a more condensed version of the sticky note list in a google doc. But I also don’t do this THAT often. Like I’m not a full time writer, I spend a lot of time consulting on other peoples’ projects but it’s rare for me to be involved with a project to the extent that the sticky notes would come into play

[@TheRedMC]

I can't believe you're just giving us this for free, thanks so much. You've really got a unique way of explaining the writing process that has helped me immensely since I found your channel, always look forward to your next video

[@NotLegato]

This is literally the only writing advice I've ever seen on the internet that I've found helpful.

[@Lakatu]

I also think it’s interesting that two characters can have the exact same negative experience and become wildly different as a result. (Ie, Doflamingo and Corazon)

[@trethidskies4609]

Regarding the model of 'core of pure goodness covered by scars' that you mentioned not having a name for at the end; it didn't really click for me until you described it that way, but that's classic Humanistic Psychology. Personal growth, self-actualization, innate goodness of humanity, true empathy and understanding on a personal level, etc.

[@ConcavePgons]

18:46 I wonder if the multiple core beliefs could be used for multiple stories featuring the same character though?

[@localscriptman]

I suppose you COULD make that work, but personally I just don’t see the point. The character IS the deep stuff for me. And the personality is kind just of the skin. So you’d basically be using the same skin/name for two different characters. I think a lot of people see characters are personalities first and foremost, but I’m not really keen on that

[@wynsonrao5177]

@@localscriptman What if it's the lie/stated belief that changes as the character progresses? That sounds better to me, the character's soul is retained but their ideologies still undergo a natural progression

[@localscriptman]

@@wynsonrao5177 Yeah I don’t think that would be an arc though, that would be just developing a more thorough and adaptive lie

[@yay29823]

​@@localscriptmanBut if two beliefs don't contradict each other, then why would that make it two different characters? Why can't people have two or more coping mechanisms for different circumstances? Let's say a person undergoes not one, but two different negative experiences with no correlation, will she learn the same lesson?

[@SalayaSkystone]

I essentially see this as the second book or more in a series. Like if the answer at the end of a book/story is "yes they overcome their core belief and this is the outcome", then the next could be about their new core belief. Key word: Could. As there are also books/series where the core belief of a character does not change and still make for engaging/fun stories. I suppose those are not really about the character themselves as they are about how they react to certain situations.

[@Teethmafia]

8:50 I love what you said here. Because it reflects something I’ve learned as a coding student this semester. An algorithm is just a thought system to solve a problem. There are different ways to build algorithms. What was described to me was a top down and bottom up approach which focus on different ends of the process. When people establish the writing advice that a character needs a specific want to pull them through a story that’s an example of setting up a narrow extrinsic motivation rather than an intrinsic one that can naturally lead them to their destination in the plot. They’re focusing on the wrong end of the process.

[@Call_me_Fred]

Theme is a short phrase or a word you can use to describe the plot. Examples: depression, drug adiction, drug dealing, war, intergalactic fights, medieval war, magic school, sex, etc. The important thing is that the event goes around that theme throughtout the whole story. (There are also secondary themes for side characters) So, if your story is about a child that gets bullied and tries to gain respect and get through middle school then the theme is bullying. You don't need to think around a theme as you will already do so just by doing a summary of what you want to tell in your story, a sinopsis

[@LightGardenFlowing]

LOCALSCRIPTMAN thank you!!! I'm using your videos for my animation class, you are a LIFESAVER!!!

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

At time of writing I'm about to start running a ttrpg, I'm looking at some of the npcs I've made so far through this lens and noticing some themes emerging. The theme is the point. It's the why. It is, to use a phrase you used after dismissing themes as a concept, what a story's about. A story without a theme is a story that doesn't have a reason to exist, since the reason the story exists is its theme.

[@HumanAki]

Dude, you are incredible! I often hear writers/teachers/prose bros do their best to help simplify this beautiful craft of hours, but not once have I had someone answer questions I have on their material IMMEDIATELY! I don't know how yet, but I'm gonna find a way to collab/work with you somehow, brother, you're incredible! 😁

[@masontheartist]

I've been struggling because a character I was working with did not have some grand desire or "want." I really think the question of asking what a characters wants to "avoid" and how they will do that is a great way to get to who a character is, or even a way to give them a "want." Fantastic work! Thanks

[@duck2059]

my love of character sheets has always been more a matter of liking to fill out forms vs finding them useful writing tools, but i do in fact also like useful writing tools, so this is a big win all around honestly

[@jq9690]

I can't even put into words how grateful I am for your channel. Your advice is so damn helpful and you explain things in a way that makes so much sense for my lizard brain. Definitely going to use these sheets!

[@Nicolaspereyra7]

Great video as always. I still believe theme, even in it's vagueness as a concept, is the foundation of the conflict. I think of it as the link between the beliefs of the characters, the thing that keeps it coherent; whether it's subject matter, a question or whatever. Also it's the aspect of the writing that can be called ethical. Not in the moral (Good/Evil) sense, but in the question "how one should live their life?". Outside of this framework some stories can struggle bringing the philosophical/ideological discussions it's grappling with to the forefront. Because of that it can feel like we can only distill the essence of a character in psychological terms, wich is a bit blindsided. Of course, maybe I worry about this things cause I'm a philosophy bitch but I will always defend you theme my beloved. P.S: Holy shit I'm sorry for the fucking essay.

[@localscriptman]

Sounds you have a definition of theme that other people don’t agree with

[@Nicolaspereyra7]

​@@localscriptmanwell shit

[@Diamondfoxy-ot2wc]

I have a similar way of defining 'theme' when coming up with viewpoints

[@chesspiece4257]

i’m a sociology bitch so i also defend theme. theme is what connects your characters and plots and worldbuilding together. it’s the social perspective that draws your whole story together. though i don’t think you need to name it. you link things together and eventually YOUR core belief comes out from the story (the “lie” if you will) that you tell.

[@liamellis9898]

one (not so quick) question mr script man, i have a main character (engrm 6) in a dystopian fantasy who’s a homeless veteran, and (backstory) in the ‘war’ he denied orders and led his platoon into an ambush bcs they wanted to keep pushing, and he decided to go along with the group. him being a type 6, he still wants to have a social/secure group around him when the story takes place, but is afraid of being a leader again in case he fucks up. from what i could tell the core belief would be “if i dont form relationships i wont hurt anyone” but im stuck on how i could then lead that into a stated belief/lie that he believes.

[@localscriptman]

Yeah that’s why the lie is unnecessary, sometimes it suits the character really well and sometimes it doesn’t. In a survival scenario it’s hard to live in a fake reality, unless you’re in one of those weird dystopian communities

[@Wake64]

Great working with you man, this was really cool to work on and glad I could help!

[@buboniccraig896]

I get starting with a negative situation first, but I could see a character who grew up with everything going right for them. Then again, at some point in the story, theyd have to have SOME problem show up and theyd have to develop a mechanism to face it anyway, likely drawn from their experience of... not experiencing anything bad like this before.

[@lilowhitney8614]

It's impossible for a character to live a life where 100% everything going right for them, if only because they had no need to develop coping mechanisms and so smaller stuff could register as "traumatic". If someone was never told "no" in their life, then someone doing so for the first time would be a big experience that leaves its mark on them.

[@uthergoodman401]

Such a characters negative experience would probably be the guilt or shame in oneself for not having a negative experience

[@ltpunkrocket522]

I just stumbled across this today and it's exactly what i was looking for. Incredible template, brings up many of those "Oh, I didn't think about that yet!" questions to ask yourself. Your explanation of the sheet was very understandable and entertaining, your delivery skills are great! Thank you!

[@jasonsomers8224]

So good I wrote some notes. Thought I'd share them: *What surprised me:* The ways the core belief can affect the character was a practical touch for building characters that are deeper than their place in the plot. As he said, the five categories are not quite arbitrary, but still, they are a useful starting point. I like how he dealt with traits unrelated to the core belief, a list of attributes that generally get further away from meaningfulness. The “At First: What Reinforces Their Core Belief” section ties in nicely with the “ordinary world” to “special world” format of plotting. Themes are not a useful word. For many it means the message, for many it means a pattern, for many it means the emotional logic of the story, for many it means the problem the characters grapple with. I think I use the word to mean something like “the purpose of the story”, which could be anything from what the reader is supposed to empathize with, to the question the characters grapple with, to the message the reader is supposed to see. The only purposes that were not covered by my uses of theme was escapism and entertainment. What if a character has multiple core beliefs at once, I guess multiple arcs? You could use two linked sheets that then overlap venn diagram style. Or what if a character changes their core belief throughout the story? It wouldn’t be hard to craft another character sheet or them as they are then changed, a different character. Characters are not people, and on that note, its worth asking, should a character have multiple core beliefs at all? Local Script Man says they shouldn’t, I think because the two core beliefs won’t map onto each other well, though to be honest, that part of the video had little logos and instead relied on fast-talking ethos. *What I disagreed with:* Does a person’s core personality have to be driven by a negative experience or a trauma? I think not. Generally, a negative experience works best, cultivating a fear of a situation and thus a reactionary core belief. Fear is not the only motivator though. What if someone had a profound religious experience or they witnessed something enviable-what if they remember something enviable? These could all create a meaningful core motivation. The vitriol against the want worshipers caught me off guard. Many of the arguments made analogy between character and human. Another argument, “the want limits your possibilities to ambitious characters” I think doesn’t work. You could write a character whose want is to be free of responsibility or whose want is to get away. The Want is not there primarily for the character, but to integrate the character into a plot. I did not find his breakdown of character perspectives useful. My characters almost always have very different traumas. Its the core beliefs that need to contrast and the traumas are only a means to that end. One consequence he brought up with this system is the moral implications. Because all the complications that propel the story, generally starting bad and ending good, happen due to a “Negative Experience”, it is implicit that nature is good and nurture causes evil. One really simple way to get around this is to have characters who don’t have a traumatic backstory and simply serve themselves as their core beliefs. Maybe your villain is power hungry because he grew up wealthy but lost it all when his parents were framed for terrorism, or maybe he just really wants to have control over others because that’s the kind of person he is. Maybe your hero begins the story avoiding responsibility because when he was young the only way to avoid the humiliation of losing to his twin brother was by not playing against him, or maybe he’s just lazy, inherently avoiding work. *Things that were stated well:* Arguing over the meaning of words is absurd. The whole point of words is that we agree on their meaning. I love the distinction between worldview motivations and bodily motivations (food, water, danger, instincts, etc…) PS I was reading through the comments and I found a great idea from @juliuschuang6098. Essentially he said that there should be a section of these sheets to put "things the character does to avoid facing the problem". Addictions of avoidance don't always come out as a direct consequence of a core belief, but rather as a consequence of not wanting to confront the belief and the trauma behind it. I would add it to the "At First: What Reinforces Their Core Belief" section.

[@elijahkashburn21]

Your channel has put something out into the world that can’t be taken back. Thank you. Also thx for the shoutout

[@toad1222]

I'm gonna use this for a project I'm working on, thank you Local.

[@saltlakeatrocity9771]

I attempted making a "bask in the vibes" character sheet, but it was quickly pointed out to me that said sheet was remarkably similar to a blank piece of paper.

[@FireForged_Music]

Damn imma use this I've been brainstorming a story for the past 6 years and this channel has really gotten me to think about the characters and world and take them seriously. I'm getting closer and closer everyday to actually writing it

[@redleafcreations]

The timing of releasing this was perfect for where I'm at in my writing journey! Thank you so so much for creating this!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@mayt4852]

I hate the people who cry about "nooo yuo cant simplify characters down to a model!!1! People are too complicated!!" Like ok moron i guess you shouldn't have been taught pemdas since calculus is more complicated

[@mycelia_ow]

How strange, this does the opposite of simplifying a character.

[@ultimaxkom8728]

While I kinda agree to the very first part... lol what kind of math parallel is that?!

[@Ouvii]

​@@ultimaxkom8728I think you are being genuine so I'll explain it to you. Pemdas is also known as "order of operations." It is an important skill in arithmetic and it comes up a lot in calculus. Since calculus is more complex than this singular facet of arithmetic, it is comparable to a real human being that is more complex than this character sheet which maybe only captures a facet of humanity.

[@ultimaxkom8728]

@@Ouvii I knew those, but the problem here is that a model is a simplified human while pemdas is not simplified calculus, and pemdas is required while model is not.

[@mayt4852]

@@ultimaxkom8728 pemdas is a basic math concept that simplifies all math (including calc) down to an easily understandable flowchart(parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subraction). a character sheet is a basic writing concept that simplifies all characters (including the complicated ones) down to an easily understandable flowchart (see video for flowchart i aint typing all that)

[@RoyalFusilier]

Your stuff is like a bolt out of the blue for me and many others, and I think it comes down to how different you are from the average hobbyist online. You've talked about observing the fanfiction community like they're aliens, and you're basically that in return to fandom people. A marketing-major coastal-striver bug-man sigma-grindset individual who doesn't get lost in the sauce or high off his own supply... just the perspective so many of us need, a dose of tough medicine about what the actual process of creation seriously means. You're living proof that the old 'introduce characters with opposing perspectives' is a great model, it produces real-world results for so many people, myself absolutely included. Many thanks.

[@umalunatica]

Man, thank you so much for this writing tip and guide. I also noticed that the most strong thing about a character is the thinking/belief rather than the goal, themes are also most likely to be revealed just when you structure the story and put a perspective around that

[@alacer8878]

My god. I've been flailing in the dark like a little dumbdumb baby, and here I've stumbled on documentation. Not only that, but information on how it's *used.* Not only THAT, but examples! Throughout the entirety of this video, I was mentally filling out those sheets, and it gave me angles on my little bastards that I'd never been able to concretely articulate or consider before. Suddenly, they feel so much more solid and real. Suddenly, they feel less like concepts and more like people. You've earned a sub, lol.

[@willc3900]

For an inverted character arc wouldnt a postive core be okay? Like trying to hold onto a good feeling that leads to something awful or being left behind in a dynamic world?

[@na5567]

It depends. I have a character whose negative core leads to positive behavior and his "lie" is actually true, but he descends into thinking his positive behaviors were bad and formulates a lie over time.

[@ScribblyDoodle]

So on the topic of characters having multiple core beliefs... What about characters whos arcs span several books? Is it a good strategy to give them different core beliefs to tackle in each book that are causally related to eachother, where the arc for each book lands them on a new flawed belief that is reinforced by the experiences within narrative? How else would you deal with that? Like... Sure, a character can potentially deal with the same belief over the series, but then how do you have satisfying arcs in each book?

[@jasonsomers8224]

Personally, I would limit it to one character arc per story, whether that story is a single book, a trilogy, or even longer. But if you are writing a different story in the same universe, something like the Star Wars sequels and prequels, you could have the same person be a different character in each story. They might be the hero of the first story and the mentor of a later story, so too they might have one arc in the first story and a separate arc in a later story.

[@mothmouse9200]

i heard character sheet and thought ttrpg, but this can actually be really helpful for thinking about a ttrpg character without any stats or game mechanics involved. this is super awesome work keep it up

[@proximal1846]

If you see this, thank you. Just the questions you have forced me to ask and embody when putting myself into the character shows has given me so much clarity. Knowing how a character would react to a situation is so much easier when placed through these filters making the feel so much more authentic. Thank you.

[@morningglory.2]

Huge thanks for your channel, I’m a high school student who really enjoys doing creative writing stuff in my free time and I’ve become really frustrated with the audience-catering and lack of objectivity in writing advice circles of the internet. Your approach to storytelling is simple and methodical and comprehensive and exactly what I’ve been looking for. I appreciate your videos so much!

[@mazeemadaline3091]

Thank you for never waffling

[@Frostweaver]

Thank you SO MUCH for these resources. I just finished filling these sheets out for the main protagonist in my current writing project and I have a much clearer idea of what I’m doing now. Your videos never cease to inspire me! I really love how you did away with the character being guided mainly by their goals. An ambitious character does help to push a story forward in a quicker and more determined way, which I believe is why that formula is used in so many stories, but the more I worked with that idea for this character, the more I realized it didn’t work. He’s someone who had to discard pretty much all of his previous hopes and dreams in the past. The “goal” he’s pursuing in the story is more of a situational objective, a personal goal rather than one that influences the entire story. Over time, although he thinks he’s reached it about halfway through the story, he realizes that it’s pretty much the opposite. In the end, he has not achieved that objective after all. But if that “goal” was the main point of his story and character arc, that sort of ending would feel hollow. This sheet eliminated all risk of that happening by making the character arc focused on that “coping mechanism” instead; at its core, my character’s arc is all about deconstructing and ditching that core belief, and he realizes that his personal goal was futile in the process of doing that. It makes so much more sense now, and I’m feeling a lot more confident in what I’m putting together! Also, I’m wondering, for the perspectives sheet, what exactly should I be filling in for the “relationship to main character” segment? Is that just a general role they have in the character’s life, or is it how the character views them and their personality, coping strategy, etc. on a more specific level? Apologies for the long comment, I’m just incredibly blown away by this video as a whole. Can’t wait for more like this :)

[@RarelyAChump]

THANK YOU for blowing the lid on the whole "theme" thing. I've been feeling gaslit for the better part of a decade feeling like everyone else seems to know exactly what "theme" means. It's vague and amorphous and can go to word hell at this point imo

[@jjju3]

god this is GOOD. really helped me quantify things I knew but couldn't organize.

[@adamdabbs7353]

I disagree with the logic of tastes and preferences being lower down on the causality spectrum. Rayne Fisher-Quann has a great essay called "standing on the shoulders of strong female characters" where she describes the IRL phenomenon of people expressing their values through tastes. Also there's great opportunity for intertextual dialogue when a character loves a piece or style of art.

[@AnnihilatorCZ]

You refuted your own argument. "People expressing their values through tastes" inevitably puts tastes and preferences lower on the causality spectrum.

[@Jayson-Gabriel_Castro]

I'm so thankful my recommended list brought me here! I've always struggled with character lists because they were insanely huge, I know anything and everything about them, yet it sucks to fill it all out on a page at once. This one is much smaller and will definitely help out with the main aspects of a character. Thanks!

[@roseville412]

You're going to find this hilarious...i got so attached to yhis character i made in freshman year named Dillon. I wanted so bad to update him and his story, but I just could not bring myself to change someone so close to me. The solution...I reskinned him. His name is Darren now.

[@janagax]

"I intend to leave this world the same way I came into it: naked, screaming, and covered in someone else's blood!" No idea where the quote is from but it's always been one of my favourites

[@Cristian_that_artist]

Your channel is revolutionary with writing.

[@GraphicReviews]

I have been having troubles hopping between different stories I am trying to write, not understanding why they’ve fizzled out. You’ve helped me a lot, I’ve been reconsidering a lot of things since I saw your videos, your episodic writing video particularly inspired me. Thank you very much, you are now my favourite writing channel next to Terrible Writing Advice.

[@OrdinarySpeaker]

I have applied your previous version of this sheet (without the "DLCs") to my characters and it helped a lot! However, I am not over your theme-approach because I interpreted it as "perspectives on the topic which the story should focus on" and that was also very helpful in coming up with ideas for characters and conflict in the first place. I feel like combining those so that I have a top-down as well as a bottom-up approach might be my way forward with your advice until now.