About Say and Do

Post 1459:

Perhaps the most important component in writing is creating likable characters. It’s arguable, anyway. One quick solution is to have your character speak one way and do another.

If you want to look at a great example, watch Slow Horses, a typical British spy show made atypical by interesting plot choices and a wonderfully colorful performance by Gary Oldman, playing the old spymaster in charge of a bunch of losers the government has relegated to career Siberia.

Oldman is rude, cruel, and record levels of uncouth, untidy, and unwashed. He possesses that typical British emotional detachment but lacks the prim and proper shows of etiquette that usually run alongside such behaviors.

It’s a pretty fun show that I heartily recommend. But let me make my point about character right quick. Oldman is easy to love in this role because however terrible he is to the people he works for, he’s always trying to make sure they’re okay. The fierce loyalty is more interesting because he appears to loathe those he’s fiercely loyal to.

Do a hypothetical. If you’re on a team and you find out that the coach riding your ass has really been pulling strings behind the scenes on your behalf, this will make ass-coach much more complicated and worthy of time and thought. More interesting. I’ve had ball-busters like this. They get on your case for a ton of different reasons. Maybe they never got their shot. Maybe they’re emotionally scarred by life but still cling to a little hope through the people they guide. Maybe the whole thing is just a head game. Whatever the reason, it’s interesting. We want to find out. We want to understand the character.

Could be that in life the right thing is to say what you mean and do what you say. In character building, sometimes this is lame. Try to create some opposite people. Have fun with it. Invent the inscrutable asshole we all at times long to be. Cheers and see you after.