Journalism and Communication.

  Visual elements of your character also have the potential to imply deeper story elements. If he has a scar, the audience will immediately want to know how he got it, and the events that led up to the scar are now back-story that influences what your character is currently doing. The same can be said for dyed hair, outlandish clothing, or good luck charms. Categories to Know Character Name Hair Color Eye Color Weight Height Build Age Clothing Occupation Residence Religion Ethnic Background Personal Goal Quirks Likes/Dislikes Family Educational Background Personality Type Brief Life History

  SR  = Stage Right SL  = Stage Left SC  = StageCenter Enter  = Character enters the scene Exit  = Character exits the scene Beat  = A pause in dialogue e.g. “after a beat, Frank continued his lecture” Lights fade/rise  = Change of scene or focus in a scene Fade to black  = End of the play or end of a scene Int.  = Interior, scene taking place indoors Ext.  = Exterior, scene taking place outdoors Offstage  = Something is happening where audiences can’t see it such as sounds or dialogue from unseen characters. Aside  = Character breaks from speaking with other characters to voice thoughts about the current situation or to address the audience directly. Formatting Tips All descriptions and character names should be aligned with each other in the center. However, they shouldn’t be ‘centered’. In a lot of writing programs when you use the center justification option it aligns the middle of the word with the center of the page. You want your names and descriptions to be left-justified, but