Was the fear of dying a fear of being overwhelmed by a (supernatural or unstoppable) force? Did it mean lurking evil waiting out there ready to snatch you? Did it mean being alone and cut off from anyone else’s help, support or love? Did it mean being separated from loved ones who needed you or couldn’t get along without you? Did it mean missing out on all the good things and fun that would happen when you were gone? Death means very different things to different people. Try to be as specific as possible about what “death” meant to you as a child.

Are you using the best word or term?

Let's say you often stay late at the office.  A word like "ambitious" might come to mind as an answer.  Ask yourself-- is the term ambitious or hardworking?  Being ambitious is working for personal advancement but hardworking is being dedicated and conscientious.  Can you have both traits?  Absolutely.  But try to make those fine distinctions as you work through the questions.  Consider carefully what each word means.  Use a thesaurus to aid your creativity and to be more precise in your answers.

Remember, like all good screenwriting, this is a process. 

I’ve worked with many screenwriters who have created four or five versions of their Character Map. Every time they answer the questions they hone their choice of words and create a sharper, clearer more precise definition of their responses. If you want to review the questions, Click Here to go back to the Character Map Questions.

Are ready to move forward and map your answers? 

The pages that follow will provide additional tips and explain how to transfer your answers onto the diagram most effectively. Then we’ll look at your responses as if you were a character in a screenplay and show you how to build a script or teleplay from your Character Map information.  Click Here to continue.