{"id":1408,"date":"2023-02-07T09:56:27","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T09:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=1408"},"modified":"2024-08-14T14:40:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T14:40:53","slug":"creating-compelling-characters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Compelling Characters"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Actor and drama school teacher Des Fleming shares his advice and practical exercises to help you create compelling characters.<\/h3>\n<p>Des Fleming hosted a brilliant workshop at our recent Open House event where he explained that bringing characters to life requires a process of exploration and investigation. Here, we summarise some of the valuable insights he shared with Spotlight members. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n<h4>Get Under the Character\u2019s Skin<\/h4>\n<p>Getting under the character\u2019s skin comes down to work ethic. If you do your job as an actor, you\u2019ll know the character better than\u00a0anyone\u00a0else.<\/p>\n<p>Ask yourself about your character:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Who am I? * (this is probably the most important question)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Where am I? What meaning does this place have for me? Are there memories or fears associated with it?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What time of day is it?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What\u2019s the date?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What\u2019s the weather like?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What am I doing? Is it a professional or personal activity?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What am I wearing?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How old am I?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Who is here with me?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What is my social, cultural, religious, and socio-economic point of view?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What physical situation do I find myself in?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>*Remember, it\u2019s who\u00a0am I? \u2013 not who\u00a0are they?<\/p>\n<p>If the play or sides don\u2019t provide answers, use your own creativity to come up with logical answers. There should be logic that relates to the story. Don\u2019t feel tempted to bring something to your character that has no bearing on the story \u2013 work with what you have.<\/p>\n<p>Directors, producers, writers etc. want to work with the best talent and in this case, your talent is about your capacity to take the time to prepare efficiently.<\/p>\n<h4>Read Your Script. Read it Again. And Again.<\/h4>\n<p>It\u2019s been said that Anthony Hopkins reads his script 200 times. Viola Davis has also talked openly about how she will read her script repeatedly. Take inspiration from them and get to know your script. Read it like a detective; mark anything that gives you an insight into who your character is.<\/p>\n<p>Your goal is to be as specific as you can be; the more specific you are, the more freedom you\u2019ll have when portraying your character.<\/p>\n<h4>Give Yourself the Freedom to Play<\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"quoteMacro style1 noAuthorImage\">\n<div class=\"quoteText\">\n<div class=\"quoteTextInner\">Be the character. Don&#8217;t play the character<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<div class=\"quoteAuthorInformation\">\n<div class=\"quoteAuthorName\">Des Fleming<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Being the character means having a lived experience \u2013 rather than a preconceived notion of who that character is. Be specific and avoid generalities and stereotypes at all costs.<\/p>\n<p>There is a broad range of qualities to draw from when building a character. Think about your character\u2019s qualities such as their:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Belief system(s)<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Posture<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Voice patterns<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Behaviour pattern.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Emotional intelligence, or the lack of it<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Likes and dislikes<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Sexuality<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Physicality<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Personality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Part of this process is to discover those qualities in the materials available to you.<\/p>\n<h4>Know Your Character\u2019s Place in the Scene<\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"quoteMacro style1 noAuthorImage\">\n<div class=\"quoteText\">\n<div class=\"quoteTextInner\">I worship at the altar of intention and obstacle.\u00a0Somebody wants something, and something is standing in their way of getting it. They want the money, they want the girl, they want to get to Philadelphia. Then the obstacle to that has to be formidable, and\u00a0the tactics they use to overcome that obstacle are what shows us the character.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<div class=\"quoteAuthorInformation\">\n<div class=\"quoteAuthorName\">Aaron Sorkin<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>To move deeper into your work, look at what happens to your character in the scene. Ask yourself:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Why am I in this particular scene?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What would be missing if I wasn\u2019t in it?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What do I say about myself?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What do others say about me?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Are there any other relevant details I need to discover?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>No two actors interpret a character in the same way. You\u2019re given clues about your character and their point of view in the script, but ultimately, it\u2019s up to you to flesh them out.<\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s Your Character\u2019s Point of View?<\/h4>\n<p>Your character\u2019s viewpoint of the world and their feelings and thoughts towards the events, people and objects in their life greatly influence their behaviour.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If your character is breaking a promise, how do you feel about it?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If they\u2019re going overseas, what do you think about that?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What\u2019s your political viewpoint?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What\u2019s your point of view on someone you&#8217;re attracted to?<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What\u2019s your favourite flavour of ice cream?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Point of view is your character\u2019s feelings or thoughts towards the events, people, and things in their life. Humans have views on everything in their life which can change depending on how we\u2019re feeling, so having a specific point of view is an essential part of creating truthful characters.<\/p>\n<h4>Redefining Relationships<\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"quoteMacro style1 noAuthorImage\">\n<div class=\"quoteText\">\n<div class=\"quoteTextInner\">You have to define in every scene who the other character is to you emotionally and how that changes from scene to scene. This is called the redefinition of a relationship. As you read the script, keep asking yourself: Who are they to me now, emotionally.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<div class=\"quoteAuthorInformation\">\n<div class=\"quoteAuthorName\">Larry Moss, The Intent to Live<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Be discerning about the information available to you in the script and remember that the other character is always the most important person \u2013 you want something from them, what is it?<\/p>\n<h4>Your Character\u2019s Backstory<\/h4>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that when you\u2019re bringing a character to life, you\u2019ll need to have an extensive autobiography of them \u2013 if your character knows it, you need to know it.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes we play characters with whom we don\u2019t have a shared life experience, Let\u2019s say you\u2019re playing a murderer \u2013 that\u2019s when we need to work harder than ever to justify their actions and portray them authentically.<\/p>\n<p>To help you discover your characters truth, play out scenarios, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">I do that because\u2026\u00a0<em>\u201cI have a dull life and need attention.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">I have a dull life because\u2026\u00a0<em>\u201cI don\u2019t apply myself.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">I don\u2019t apply myself because\u2026\u00a0<em>\u201cMy upbringing was controlled.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">My upbringing was controlled because\u2026\u00a0<em>\u201cI was mollycoddled.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">How does that make you feel?\u2026\u00a0<em>\u201cI have a lack of control in my life.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Art provides medicine for the soul and is a crucial service to humanity. The actor\u2019s job is to be in service to their character \u2013 and you now have some tools to do exactly that.<\/p>\n<h3>Further Reading:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em>The Outstanding Actor<\/em>\u00a0by Ken Rea<\/li>\n<li><em>The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential As An Actor<\/em>\u00a0by Larry Moss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>This article was written from notes taken at Des Fleming\u2019s \u2018Character Building\u2019 session at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/open-house\/\">Spotlight\u2019s Open House<\/a>. If you\u2019re a Spotlight member and would like to sign up for future events like this one, check your membership email settings to ensure you\u2019ve opted into receiving our newsletters.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Des Fleming has been acting professionally for 30 years on stage and screen in the UK, Ireland and in Australia. He\u2019s worked across multiple genres: drama, comedy, musical theatre, Shakespeare, sitcoms, feature films, short films, TV, movies, and soap operas and is very familiar with the audition process. Des teaches Acting for Camera at Mountview to undergrad and post-grad students. He also runs online workshops and a weekly in-person scene study class in London.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Visit Des\u2019 website to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/desflemingacting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">find out more about his workshops and classes.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Photo Credit:\u00a0<span class=\"Details-module__contributor_name___lugKP\">SDI Productions<\/span>\u00a0\/ iStock\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Actor and drama school teacher Des Fleming shares his advice and practical exercises to help you create compelling characters. Des Fleming hosted a brilliant workshop at our recent Open House event where he explained that bringing characters to life requires a process of exploration and investigation. Here, we summarise some of the valuable insights he [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":1895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[83,143,84],"class_list":["post-1408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-essentials","tag-acting","tag-des-fleming","tag-open-house"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Creating Compelling Characters | Spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Creating Compelling Characters | Spotlight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Actor and drama school teacher Des Fleming shares his advice and practical exercises to help you create compelling characters. Des Fleming hosted a brilliant workshop at our recent Open House event where he explained that bringing characters to life requires a process of exploration and investigation. Here, we summarise some of the valuable insights he [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Spotlight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-07T09:56:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-14T14:40:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Des Fleming\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Des Fleming\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Des Fleming\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0e5aaac14e6775927755d3b6009744dc\"},\"headline\":\"Creating Compelling Characters\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-07T09:56:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-14T14:40:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1198,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"acting\",\"des fleming\",\"open house\"],\"articleSection\":[\"The Essentials\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/\",\"name\":\"Creating Compelling Characters | Spotlight\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-07T09:56:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-14T14:40:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0e5aaac14e6775927755d3b6009744dc\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/news-and-advice\\\/the-essentials\\\/creating-compelling-characters\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Creating Compelling Characters\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Spotlight\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0e5aaac14e6775927755d3b6009744dc\",\"name\":\"Des Fleming\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/edd43aad897d7b93387eb23fbd49469e9bbed37d36c1f8baab6c2aa319b14ac0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/edd43aad897d7b93387eb23fbd49469e9bbed37d36c1f8baab6c2aa319b14ac0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/edd43aad897d7b93387eb23fbd49469e9bbed37d36c1f8baab6c2aa319b14ac0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Des Fleming\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.spotlight.com\\\/author\\\/desfleming\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Creating Compelling Characters | Spotlight","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Creating Compelling Characters | Spotlight","og_description":"Actor and drama school teacher Des Fleming shares his advice and practical exercises to help you create compelling characters. Des Fleming hosted a brilliant workshop at our recent Open House event where he explained that bringing characters to life requires a process of exploration and investigation. Here, we summarise some of the valuable insights he [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/","og_site_name":"Spotlight","article_published_time":"2023-02-07T09:56:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-14T14:40:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Des Fleming","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Des Fleming","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/"},"author":{"name":"Des Fleming","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0e5aaac14e6775927755d3b6009744dc"},"headline":"Creating Compelling Characters","datePublished":"2023-02-07T09:56:27+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-14T14:40:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/"},"wordCount":1198,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg","keywords":["acting","des fleming","open house"],"articleSection":["The Essentials"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/","url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/","name":"Creating Compelling Characters | Spotlight","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2023-02-07T09:56:27+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-14T14:40:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0e5aaac14e6775927755d3b6009744dc"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/f1dc19af-c888-4c23-a7f8-1438b68fcf23-scaled.jpeg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/creating-compelling-characters\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Creating Compelling Characters"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/","name":"Spotlight","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/#\/schema\/person\/0e5aaac14e6775927755d3b6009744dc","name":"Des Fleming","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/edd43aad897d7b93387eb23fbd49469e9bbed37d36c1f8baab6c2aa319b14ac0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/edd43aad897d7b93387eb23fbd49469e9bbed37d36c1f8baab6c2aa319b14ac0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/edd43aad897d7b93387eb23fbd49469e9bbed37d36c1f8baab6c2aa319b14ac0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Des Fleming"},"url":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/author\/desfleming\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1409,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1408\/revisions\/1409"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}