AI character development is one of the great boons of AI, and the purpose of this article is to show you how AI screenwriting tools like Scriptmatix’s Character Journey Builder can help.
Long before AI screenwriting software, I was a budding film school product out of UCLA and feeling ready to take on the industry. It was this period that most creators in Hollywood go through, riddled with delusions of grandeur and a psychotic/delusional belief in one’s ability. I also remember when reality set in and I realized that I didn’t know how to write characters as well as I thought I did. In my mind, they were crystal clear. But to other readers, they weren’t quite registering with such fidelity on the page.
There was a subsequent period of about 6 months where I was rushing to figure out how to solve my character problem. Character development in screenwriting was somewhat elusive; there were literally no screenwriting books on how to create believable characters or how to write deep characters. This was problematic for me, and it changed how I viewed the entire screenwriting process. I distinctly remember realizing that I was trying to unlearn everything I had learned up until that point. I was so structurally focused that my characters were like puzzle pieces I needed to shape and mould so they fit into my plot.
By the way, that’s totally unnatural and wrong. I went to a top screenwriting program, and I didn’t get the character development education I needed. To this day, I still think film schools are teaching screenwriting all wrong.
I’m writing this to save you years of your time, so you don’t need to go through the growing pains I went through. I will show you the most powerful AI character development tool that will unlock your full potential, so let’s unpack this.
You’ve Probably Been Writing Characters Wrong
Most people focus on backstory, goals, and motivations. And yes, they are important aspects of a cinematic character. However, they are more of a plot progression device and not where real character depth derives from.
Now, if you’re an MFA screenwriter, you’re probably shaking your head in denial right about now because this is a challenge to everything you learned. So to illustrate my point, let’s define “real character depth”. If real character depth were backstory, goals, and motivations, then that means what makes you (or me) a deep individual is an accumulation of childhood events and life objectives. These are telling features, but they aren’t deep at all.
What makes a character have depth is the transformational pivots in the journey, and this is baselined by one key element:
The Lie the Character Believes
The lie is the beginning of the character’s journey. When done right, it’s a runway that allows the journey to take off and take meaningful turns. Because what gives true depth to a character? (drum roll)……. meaning.
Because the quality of your character work relies on understanding this concept. It’s not easy to do, which is why I make the case for AI character development tools like Scriptmatix’s Character Journey Builder model. But let’s dissect this concept first.
The lie they believe is the false belief that the character must form an epiphany around (and realize is a false belief) in order to pivot and mature on the spiritual journey. By nature, a lie will lead to failure, turmoil, and general unfulfilled expectations.
We’ve all experienced it in one way or another. When you live a lie, you might experience short-term gain, but failure suddenly hits like a ton of bricks. It humbles you, forcing you to confront yourself, excavate the truth, and form a life-changing realization. This realization sends you on a truthful path towards transformation, resulting in a real journey.
I’ll articulate this in a simple example:
Let’s say your character’s goal is to achieve fame (an objective that is vain and lacks virtue).
On the path to fame, the character exploits themselves, hoping it’ll get them ahead. And while they may have some short-term progress, it leads to failure and shame. The character begins to doubt their purpose. They are humbled by the cosmic order. This forces the character to eventually realize that the value they believed in a life, and that they should’ve placed value on something more honest, like – for example – the personal connection and love they sacrificed along the way.
The lie they believed was that they needed fame to feel accepted and loved.
What they learned through failure was that they needed to love and connect with the person/people who actually loved them.
Seems easy enough to write a deep character now, doesn’t it? (I’m being sarcastic). To be honest, I look back at my young and vulnerable years, and I know the reason I couldn’t write the characters I wanted to write was because I didn’t have enough wisdom, understanding, and life experience to grasp the concept. And you may in that situation right now. The good thing is Scriptmatix Story Engine’s Character Journey Builder, an AI character development tool that does all this for you. It also does it with a unique twist…
The Character Journey Builder is an AI character development tool built by Scriptmatix, a complete AI screenwriting software that uses birth information to map an entire character journey using astrological blueprinting, something I personally built and think is awesome. It’s a little “out there”, but it’s the way I’ve been able to create truly unique character journeys consistently. This is one of the perks of AI screenwriting software like Scriptmatix Story Engine; it’s not a set of generic AI screenwriting tools that generate predictable content. It has tools like the Character Journey Builder that can genuinely show you how to write deep characters.
Back to the point…
The lie they believe is just one piece of the puzzle. Now let’s layer in the depth with:
Flaw vs. Growth
I’ll explain this by continuing with the same example from the previous section…
Let’s say our same character (the one who pursued fame) also starts the story with an entitled attitude, but they end up humble by the end.
We can now easily see how either of those Flaw vs. Growth add-ons creates more depth. I’ll put it in action and layer in the Flaw vs. Growth just so you can see how the depth is built:
Let’s say your character’s goal is to achieve fame. They begin by being entitled, posturing as if they are superior to their peers and more deserving.
On the path to fame, the character exploits themselves, hoping it’ll get them ahead. They are attracted to people who serve as a security blanket, echoing praise. The character becomes easily coerced by those voices, making the character more vulnerable to being exploited. And while they may have some short-term progress, it eventually leads to failure and shame. The character begins to doubt their purpose. They are humbled by the cosmic order. This humbles the character, helping them realize that the whole pursuit was a lie, and that they should’ve placed value on something more honest, like – for example – the personal connection and love they sacrificed along the way.
What they learned through failure was that they needed to love and connect with the person/people who actually loved them. And they also learn that they can redeem what they have lost through humility and self-sacrifice.
Use AI Character Development For Creative Discovery
I just layered in a very simple Flaw vs. Growth. It was very subtle (you may not have even noticed the exact changes), but it created another layer of depth and meaning to the journey.
And so that’s the point. The character’s motive and objective were clear, but it wasn’t the causality behind the story’s meaning. In other words, it didn’t give the character depth.
What gave the character depth was the spiritual metamorphosis that we crafted through these two key techniques:
1. The lie the character tells themself.
2. Flaw vs. Growth
One of the benefits of AI screenwriting software like Scriptmatix is that you can quickly generate these two concepts together in a way that feels real and personal, and that also strikes a chord. What you’ll find is that your characters will contain a quality that feels authentic.
Build Transformational Characters with Scriptmatix
Scriptmatix Story Engine is an AI screenwriting software with the best AI screenwriting tools in the market. It boasts a screenplay development process that is unlike anything else in the AI screenwriting app market, including tools that show you how to fix character development. So if you want to write complex characters:
Login or Create a Scriptmatix Account and “Start a Screenplay”.
Under “More Models,” you’ll find the Character Journey Builder. Start that model and you’ll notice something odd the moment you begin…
It’s going to ask for birth information. My suggestion is to start your first Character Journey Builder experience by using your own birth information. Why? Because it’ll build a character journey that is very relatable to you and your unique life experience. It’s my personal experience that the more personally resonant your story is, the more powerful it will play on the page.
When using AI character development tools like the Character Journey Builder, your stories can explode with richness and meaning. I’ll leave you with this…
Nothing is random. Everything we experience in life has meaning. It’s hard to figure out the meaning in the moment, but in retrospect, when we all reflect on our lives through an honest lens, we can evaluate the meaning behind our choices, failures, wins, and relationships.
In your stories – and in particular in your lives – don’t let a moment go to waste.
