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Creating the Character’s
Mask
as the Story Opens
Using the Emotional Toolbox
By Laurie H. Hutzler
 Every
character (and every person) has a public face or public persona. In
the psychology of Carl Jung a person constructs his or her mask
or facade to cope with the demands of social situations, social
convention, social expectations, social institutions and/or in
response to the social environment.
This public facade doesn’t represent
the inner self or true identity of the person or character. It’s
a disguise or protective outer shell used to camouflage one’s
self in order to conform, fit in, be popular and/or appear successful.
Alternatively, it is a way to provoke others, snub convention,
set one’s self apart from the crowd and/or flaunt how (supposedly)
little social acceptance or success means to the character.
This carefully constructed exterior
veneer is always the first image or impression the audience has
of the character. The audience forms
a superficial opinion about the character. They accept the character’s
attitudes and actions at face value. But there is always more to
the character than what first meets the eye. It’s your job
to turn those surface views and expectations up side down and inside
out by exposing the character’s more complex inner truth
over the course of the story.
Begin by asking yourself: What image
is your character trying to project (or protect) by his or her
choices. What does the character try
to conceal through his or her choice of external trappings: clothing,
accessories, hair, and makeup? What does the physical paraphernalia
the character uses or owns (or avoids) conceal about him or her?
How does the character’s actions and dialogue reinforce this
false projected image?
Each character (and every person) has
carefully constructed a facade out of hundreds of crucial details
and specific choices. Who and what surrounds
the character at the beginning of the story? What types of people,
material objects and environment does the character choose or seek
out when we first meet him or her? What image is your character
trying to project or protect with every physical and material choice?
How does the character’s actions and dialogue build the pretense?
The fun of watching a movie is watching
the character’s carefully constructed outer veneer being
stripped away. Audiences love to watch
the unmasking process. How does your character finally reveal his
or her true colors? How does the character face his or her deepest
fear and expose the naked, vulnerable inner self? Or does the character
choose to continue to hide behind his or her protective shield?
If the character refuses to let go of the mask he or she becomes
the mask and falls to the Dark Side (and is doomed to be driven
by his or her fears).
Build your character’s outer shell
then let your audience watch it being taken apart—bit by
crucial bit. Let us watch how your character
gradually sheds his or her carefully constructed mask. Let us watch
how the character transforms into his or her truest highest most
authentic self. What painful choices must be made? What revealing
actions must be taken?
Characters (and writers) become successful
by becoming more true to their real inner core of self. Hiding
behind one’s mask is living a lie driven by fear. Telling
the truth about one’s self is the hardest thing a character
or a writer can do.
More on Masks
Click
here to go on to Question
Two.
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