Nothing in life is easy, so why should \u201cmovie life\u201d be any different?\u00a0 Whether you are writing a drama based on true life events or a science fiction movie set on a distant planet, normally there is a common thread \u2013 characters.\u00a0 An audience has to identify with your characters in order to empathize with their plight and have an interest and emotional connection with their stories.<\/p>\n
So making your characters real is important.\u00a0 And equally as important is making the situations they are in realistic.\u00a0 That\u2019s why introducing conflict is critical to writing a screenplay<\/a>.\u00a0 If your characters say, do or get what they want without any obstacles then it will not reflect real life and as such you will lose your audience.<\/p>\n Whether it’s a psychological obstacle or a physical one, make sure your protagonist’s journey isn’t simple.\u00a0 If they’re hungry and drive to the store for food, make the cops stop them for speeding or give them a flat tire.\u00a0 If they ask someone out on a date, make that someone already have a partner.\u00a0 If they want to say \u201cI love you\u201d, give them a reason for holding back and make the fact that they don\u2019t say it at that particular time cause problems in their relationship.<\/p>\n Apart from drawing your audience into the story, using conflict also makes it more rewarding for your characters and the audience when the hero does finally get the girl or save the planet from imminent destruction.\u00a0 Having said that, don\u2019t go overboard and make absolutely everything a battle of words or actions.\u00a0 Pick your fights and choose wisely otherwise it will feel equally unrealistic.<\/p>\n And a final point: ensure that some of the conflict you introduce works on the scene level with nothing to do with the over-arching story or theme — such as your hero having a bad day and waking up the next morning to find out he\/she has run out of coffee — and also on the story and character development level, i.e. your hero is wounded in a fight scene making it harder for him to face the villain in the final showdown.<\/p>\n