Shortcut to Creating COMPLEX Characters (Fiction Writing Advice)

If someone hasn’t mentioned this yet, Mr. Incredible has very obvious contradictory goals: having a family, and being a hero.

First 10 seconds in and I immediately agree. Giving a character contradictions is to give them the most human trait.

I could relate Sarah Connor in terminator 2 to so many of your videos because she’s so well acted and written. I think she’s a very complex character and far more interesting than John Connor. The doctors think she’s insane because of all the crazy robot from the future stories, and she really is going insane, but because the stories are true. She’s a tough, capable, resourceful one woman army but she’d pretty unbalanced by the time T2 happens. The stress and paranoid has driven her nearly insane.

Im subbing some of your tips i did unknowingly, and a lot are things are very new and helpful

Excellent video - love your channel❤ I'm finishing MKee's book now, a wealth of info!

Great video! Question - how do you distinguish between inner and hidden layer in writing? How to avoid spitting out the hidden layer in internal monologue/ narration? I tried to apply this advice in my casual writing and I find it hard to find a way to hint at the hidden layer without obviously writing it out.

One way I tried is to write it in third person, as if the narrator hints at the hidden layer. Like "he was cheerful to the folk, and he thought everybody loved him, but there was always a sense of doubt that lingered at the back of his mind". But then if there's even deeper level that the character just wanted to be accepted and felt extremely lonely inside even if he didn't know that, it feels kind of on the nose to write that out. I guess in this case it's my job to setup plot to have a key scene where this layer gets to the surface, instead of it being spoonfed in the exposition.

Always grateful to hear your wisdom BMcN. 🙏

The thing Brandon says about layers kinda reminds me of what Shrek says about ogres being like onions and how THEY have layers.

Wanna have a complex character? Think of them as an onion :)

What would be a contradiction where my main character is loyal to his country and family name? How can I include some contradictions to make him a better character? Should it be an outer, inner, or hidden contradiction?

Harry Potter: SPOILERS AHEAD:
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Harry Potter frees the house elf Dobby in the second novel (and movie). Yet in the sixth Harry Potter book--this isn't shown in the movie--Harry inherits the house elf Kreacher along with the house 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry doesn't want Kreacher, and vice-versa. Kreacher would rather serve one of his late master's cousins. I think Harry thinks that ideally, house elves should be free or at least happy in their work. However, Harry cannot afford to free Kreacher because, in his current state of mind, Kreacher would run and spill the secrets of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix to those beloved relatives who are members of Voldemort's Death Eaters. So here's an ethical conflict: the ideal of freedom versus the practicality of keeping a particular person enslaved. And this is from a group, the Order of the Phoenix, who are fighting for everyone's freedom.

A compromise of sorts is reached in the seventh book (and somewhat in the movie) when Harry is temporarily living at 12 Grimmauld Place with Ron and Hermione--and Kreacher, who is attached to the house and to Harry. Kreacher has valuable information, and as Kreacher tells his story, the humans gain some sympathy for him. Under Hermione's watchful eye (she's gung-ho on house elf liberation), Harry learns to treat Kreacher more gently, which Kreacher repays with more willing, cordial service. I don't think we ever learn if Harry eventually frees Kreacher.

Thanks, Syler!

James Flint just checks all the boxes. Watching your videos just makes me realize Black Sails is tenfold the masterpiece I tell my friends it is

Indiana Jones. He has the first contradiction, between two aspects of characterization. He's initially appears as a mild-mannered professor, when he is in fact a thrill-seeking treasure hunter. I think he has the same Outer vs. Inner conflict in that he appears tough and brutish, but he shows that he has a soft spot for Marian.

And then of course there's Superman...!

Favorited this. Much thanks, Brandon!

I dont like contradictions in people. The way I see it it's being one thing while pretending to be something else. If I see that in people around me, I cut them off.

Mary Poppins.

The military doctor for battlestar galactica. First rime u meet him he’s smoking. My first thought when i saw him was, oh man this guy is gonna be interesting

Perfect Books ❤

Interesting. I thought i had a great character already, but now, I see how I can make that character better.

Thank you, this has been greatly insightful

You really helped my a lot with improving my book. You help me understand how exactly to write characters or scenes.
It's so easy to say "Make your characters complex and not cardboard cutouts". I appreciate how you dig way deeper than that. This is exactly what I needed.❤

The Jinx/Powder is probably one of my favorite characters and she certainly has contradicting motives.

Imagine a vegetarian that worked as a butcher

Great video, you explain things very well. Thanks.

My favourite character is Ripley from the Movie Alien. I wasn't aware of any contradictions, when I watched the movies long time ago..

Robert McKee wrote 2 other books. Action and Story. Could you cover them in a video as well?

My favorite movie character had a contradiction in which, after careful consideration, he risked his own life to ensure his friends’ safety. Unfortunately, I don’t think many people realized the extent of his bravery because he was the comic relief who the other characters kept getting annoyed by.

i haven't finished watching the video but i have a character who has a few contradictions i think. She believes every conflict can be fixed with a conversation yet every villain she faces she has defeated with murder when she COULD have fixed it with a conversation. She hasn't yet realized that if she had just stopped resorting ro violence during conflict she would have less conflict in the first place.

My Curse of Strahd character had two or three of these contradictions. When she entered Barovia, she had the goal of negociating with the vampire lord Count Strahd Von Zarovich in order to secure a political allience to save her people. She is the heir to the city state of Neverwinter on the Sword Coast. Throughout the story her loyalty to the party was put into question because of this desire to save her people, especially when the party realized they had to kill Strahd. The second contradiction has to do with her conflicting desires of protrecting the realms and being with her lover, Alexander, who is the brother of Strahd and Sergei Von Zarovich. This choice was made even harder when a prophesy required her to remain mortal while she wanted to remain with Alexander forever and he was persuing her to become his vampire bride. My character also had a love hate relationship with Strahd and Alexander seeing how alike they were while Strahd wanted her to die and Alexander wanted her to live. When my character looked at Strahd she saw a dark reflection of Alexander and vice versa with her seeing Alexander as someone Strahd could become if he let go of his pride. All in all, these contradictions made for interesting roleplay in the game as well as adding muliple layers of conplexity to this gothic horror story.

Cho Sang-woo, everyone knows how complex this character is

Am i the only one watching this at 3am?
(Asian time)

Like so often, "LA Confidential" serves as a perfect example for the various levels a character can have. There is Bud White who at first sight seems to be a brutal thug, but turns out to be an able policeman with his very personal set of moral principles. His hidden character is built upon his inferiority complex of not being taken seriously and, of course, his terrible childhood trauma. Ed Exley's main conflict is between his inner character of being an idealistic and highly intelligent police officer and his hidden character, namely his personal vanity and his obedience to authority which makes him indulge in his own cleverness, overshoot the mark and seek shallow outward recognition in medals, promotions, his name in the papers ecc.

This video seems a little less focused than others. Lol

My character loves his sister so much and protects her 'purity' from other nen but sees all other women as sloots and sleeps and uses them nilly willy.

There's another character who just the worst human being but donated a kidney to save his niece.

Theres also another character who is unfortunately born a ped****e who never acts on it, is the sweetest snd most tormented person on earth but goes around killing ones that do. (I don't think the current society and events would find this kosher enough to ever publish, but im hoping people's attitudes change and differentiate non offending ped*****s and offending ones. )

What about a character who hates it when people die but is in the military?

There is no "easy way to create complex characters" if the formula is easy, it's not complex. The idea that you just write a hypocrite and everybody praises you for the complexity of your characters is childish, really

I think an interesting idea that breaks the 3 layers rule is making a character that doesn’t have an outer layer because they’re not afraid to be their true selves so they’re always wearing their inner layer on their sleeves.

Dear Brandon, What say you about Mckees other books “Action” & “Dialogue” ? Should I give them my $$$ ? ❤ your channel! I read “Theme” by K. M. Weiland & it changed my creative life! (No joke) Thanks for that awesome recommendation!

What a sotry about a characyer that does the desire to be a hero, but when the chips are down, deep down he shows his true colors.

Thank you, Brandon.
My favourite has to be Han Solo, the reluctant Hero 😄

A great contradiction can be found in this great video. Excellent content, contradicted by blurry film quality😂

The greatest 3 layered character for me is probably Peeta Mellark from the hunger games-
ive read like the first 8 chapters but I'm still confused who Peeta is actually.

Luke Skywalker has to face a conflict between killing his father or not, to become a Jedi. He finally goes with his values, but you can SEE the conflict on his face and the shadows that obscure half his face when Vader talks about turning his sister to the dark side. It is an incredibly dramatic moment; that last duel between Vader and Luke is a metaphor for the light and dark side fighting inside him.

Your explanations always make complex topics easier!

John Carter. In the beginning he only cares about his Gold. When he’s taken to Mars, he only cares about getting back and finding his gold again. He fights being attracted to the princess of Mars, but then realizes he’s in love with her.

Would you agree in some way that Frodo has one of these contradictions?
goal or desire: wants to destroy the ring and help his friends and ultimately the world
contradiction: the temptation brought by the ring.

Maybe #5 Inner vs. Hidden?

I think i need glasses :)

Get ready!

This was good I like this it gave me insight...

Please excuse the blurry camera footage in today's video.

Anyway, who's your favorite movie character? Do they have have any contractions that you're aware of? Let us know!