3.1.1 How to Create Characters for the Script - Course Review and Basic Concepts

Reviewing the Five Story Approach Types

Hello everyone, let’s begin our class. Starting today, we officially begin writing the script. The first thing to do when writing a script is to create characters. This lesson is about how to create characters. Let’s first review the previous lesson. Last time, we also mentioned tasks, right? I talked about how stories generally have five approach types. Which five? Character-Driven, Goal-Driven, Dilemma-Driven, Encounter-Driven, and then Mystery or Puzzle-Driven. Let’s first emphasize these five approach types.

The Comprehensive Use of Story Elements

So, when we talk about characters this lesson, does it mean only this type? Not exactly. These are five story types. Actually, a complete story naturally has characters and also must have a goal. Furthermore, within the story, the characters or the situation must have a dilemma. An encounter might not be necessary, a puzzle might not be necessary. But often, many stories contain multiple elements. For example, a mystery-type story definitely has characters, a goal, and a dilemma, understand? Or an encounter-type story, a transmigration story, has someone traveling through, then has a goal, a dilemma, and might also create some suspense.

The Emphasis of Story Types

So generally, it’s very normal for a story to have three or four of these five elements, these five approaches. Some have all five. But when we talk about the story type, we mean which element serves as the narrative thread. You can understand it as: in a story, if its character is the most outstanding aspect, that’s a Character-Driven story. We’re here for this person, right? In a Goal-Driven story, the goal is the most outstanding—tomb raiding, treasure hunting, bank robbing—the goal is brilliant, anyone could be doing it, we just want to see this. A story often has several of these elements, but there is a focus, or rather, what is the creative hook. ‘Creative hook’ might be easier to understand. This is knowledge from the last lesson.

Applicability Note on Mystery-Type Microdramas

Also, last lesson I mentioned that I don’t recommend the Mystery type for microdramas, right? Let me emphasize: when I say not recommended, I specifically mean for mini-program microdramas, or the current heavy-payment microdramas. I don’t recommend mystery because heavy-payment microdramas focus on stress relief and satisfaction, and don’t need to trigger too much thinking from the audience. Because deliberately creating suspense actually consumes some of the audience’s mental energy, okay? But will there be mystery-type microdramas in the future? Definitely, but they won’t be heavy-payment. That is, microdramas have just become popular now; what the future development will be like, we can’t be entirely sure, but we can predict they will become more widespread, reaching more viewers. But the payment model won’t be as heavy as now, and then there will be mystery-type microdramas.

Scope of Course Knowledge Applicability

So, in our course, including future lessons, when I mention something is not suitable, I will emphasize that it’s not suitable for heavy-payment microdramas. The general theory and methods I teach are suitable for all types of microdramas. For example, when I teach character creation, the foundational knowledge I provide is applicable to all microdrama types. But if something is specifically unsuitable for heavy-payment models, I will point that out separately.