Too often characters seem to have emotional amnesia, especially when off stage for a couple of scenes. What’s a character’s emotional status quo? It’s the emotional temperature of the character when he or she enters a scene.

Whenever a character is disappointed, rejected, humiliated or spurned (or has a set-back of any kind), he or she experiences a loss. The question is, how does experiencing this loss reveal character? The loss and grief cycle includes these character revealing steps.

How do you unblock yourself? A quick writing exercise is the best way I’ve found to quit obsessing and start writing. Here are some great examples.

“Einstein, in the special theory of relativity, proved that different observers, in different states of motion, see different realities.” That universal statement of the laws of physics and humanity is at the essence of the Nine Character Types.

Always ask yourself– What would make the situation more impossible? What would torture your character more intensely. Then make the strongest choice. Ramp up the conflict. Make it more personal. The higher the stakes for the character the more the audience cares about what happens next.

Every new media mimics what has gone before until it discovers its own form. Most online series are presented in episodic form, just like television. Why is this a good idea when online viewers have different habits and expectations?