I somehow know a little something-something about my characters when they first pop into my head -- a very basic who-am-I and what-do-I-want sort of thing. I'm okay with going several days using monikers like Fighter Boy and Therapist, Architect, Boss, etc, but I get anxious to get my peeps named. And I work hard at finding just the right names -- I want them to mean something and feel like that's the only possible name that character could have. And once named, I'll defend that name forever. Years back I wrote a rom com I originally dubbed "Saving Grace". And then boom, here came an indie film out by the name. But by then, Grace was Grace; she just couldn't suddenly become Maggie or Jen or Sadie!! So I changed the title. Once they're named, I just "hang out" with my characters -- call it vivid imagination, call it daydreams, call it talking in my head, whatever. I visit where they live, sit on their furniture, open their fridge and cabinets, I look through their photo albums, I poke through their books and cd's and closets. I observe them in action and note things I learn -- until I feel like I know not only historical/family stuff, but also simple behavior stuff -- does she carry a purse or stuff her pockets? What's in her purse? What must she have on her wherever she goes? What kinds of books does he read? Or does he read at all? What sort of TV shows do they watch? How do they act if someone barges ahead of them at the grocery store? Do they blow a gasket if stuff in traffic? Are they good in an emergency? Will they faint if they see blood? What's in their shopping cart? Do they cook? If not, why not? What excites them? What scares them? What makes them cry? Laugh? Roll their eyes? Lose their cool? Honestly, it's almost like characters present themselves to me, what they're like, what makes them tick, what they want in life and what's stopping them .. and I just have to pay attention and take note. I understand I won't use everything I learn about them, but I also feel I can't tell their story without knowing this stuff, whether it seeps onto the page or not. I'll have a general sense of how they look and carry themselves. Age/sex is easy; I mean the other stuff -- shaggy, preppy, tall, short as a fire hydrant, gloomy face or glowing, sullen eyes or sparkling, etc. I know I need to be able to describe them in a potent few words -- you know, the stuff that would make an actor/actress sit up and say "Yeah, that's me!! I want to be that!!" So I do that. But I also could, if asked, blather on about them for a few hundred more words. Yes, I do like to select particular actors and actresses to cast in my head -- I find with a familiar face attached while I write, I am that much more able to "HEAR" my characters talking and SEE them moving through the world I've created. I remember abandoning a few projects in the past because for as much as I knew about the characters, they weren't vivid to me and I sure couldn't hear them talking -- this was with children characters -- that was just too tough. Adults are much easier, and it's FUN to pull friends in on an idea and say Hey, can you imagine So-and-So falling for What's-His-Name? And how about You-Know-Who for So-and-So's rival? To my left now is a page of photos -- head shots of 8 recognizable actors I've cast for current project to aid me in the writing process. Crazy -- if Queen Latifah and Dane Cook only knew their supporting characters keep me company each day at my desk.... I will say monologues have been helpful in the past. No pat questionnaires like you see if some of those books but I do carry on random chats with characters to learn about them. Hanging out and observing them in their daily lives -- as imagined as that has to be in this line of work -- is what enables me most to learn who I'm writing and living with for the next however many weeks/months.

I write the draft spec script as quickly as I can and the characters come alive for me as I write and they tell me the story. I do have a sense of who the characters are - very generally speaking - and I have my 9 beats - and then I want to see how they show up on the page and show me who they are. Often I am surprised - I think of a character and then I am writing through the scenes and picking up their personality and characteristics - aha! moments! I couldn't have seen such details in my mind before I start writing! I also like to find the names for the characters - it really helps to call them by name for me. So, concept, beats, and names and then I'm off and writing - learning about these characters as I first draft away!

I visualize scenes in my head with the actors and I'm able to hear their voices, see their mannerisms while I'm building a scene. I narrow it down to two or three actors I feel, can deliver what I'm trying to convey, Then I build an outline for act 1 and write five scenes at a time to build the first act. I like the ability to do set direction without any dialogue at all or less as possible for the opening scenes. I want the viewer to connect with character first. Whether its playing with a yo-yo, narrowing their sunglasses to the bridge of their nose, from what clothes they wear; what they eat; are they a neat freak or slob; do they text and drive? Have a temper; dry sense of humor. Once that is established I build an outline for act 2. When the characters are now fully invested in the plot, I challenge them to get out of their own messy choices. i want the audience to see their choices have perpetuated the peril and circumstances ahead so by Act 3, they have reflection even at the darkest hour so the viewer can relate and keep rooting for them to overcome their obstacles. Then I build a draft script to see how it looks.

Interesting, Joni, and similar in fashion to some of the techniques I promote. The assumption is this: The characters EXIST. The story universe EXISTS. Therefore the directive is to -- here it comes -- GO INTO THE STORY AND FIND THE ANIMALS! And largely that is, as you suggest, hanging out with your characters, engaging them in conversations, getting curious about their backstories, and so forth. After all, it's THEIR story! So thanks for those thoughts, Joni. Some newer writers may have a difficult time bringing themselves around to this way of thinking, embracing the 'reality' of characters. The more they see comments like yours, hopefully the more they will go into their stories.

Lisa, that whole naming thing IS important, isn't it? It provides a specificity to the character and in some ways help to bring them to life. After all, they don't wander around in their story without a name. So we need to figure that out in order to get a handle on them. Of course, names can have meaning, which is always a fun thing to play around with, isn't it?