To convey that your hero is thinking about someone, create a physical object that represents that person.

They play with language through slang, sarcasm, exaggeration, manipulation, and evasiveness.

Quirks help distinguish a character - In rom-coms, you need little quirky traits that annunciate a character’s personality.

The key is identifying the force that will get in the way of your character’s goal and building the scene around that.

Good dialogue comes from characters talking AROUND their issues, not ABOUT their issues

When you introduce a bad guy in an action movie, make sure to show us he’s bad right away

Beginner writers are notorious for leaving out important information when they write. As a result, the scene they’re writing and the scene we’re reading are two completely different things.

Deposit multiple mysteries in the bank for later withdrawal

give your dark protagonist some personality. Rocky makes jokes to Adrian. He talks to his turtles. He gives advice to a wayward girl on the way home. He plays with a racketball wherever he goes. Your movie may cover heavy subject matter, but it doesn’t mean your main character has to be a bore.