Using the Election to Improve Your Writing

By Tim Schildberger - November 12, 2024

Trigger reassurance…this is not an article written to make you feel any better or worse about the recent election.

Okay – so the election results were not something anyone accurately predicted. And the reactions have been all over the map. Before I get into what we can learn as writers, a brief note from the perspective of someone who worked in TV news for a decade.

Without anyone really noticing, journalism/social media quietly slipped down a rabbit hole of predictions, possibilities and prognostications. When I was writing news every day, I VERY RARELY used the word ‘could’. As in, something ‘could’ happen. My job was to report on what had already happened, and try to deliver information as honestly, and objectively as any human can. Wasn’t my job to offer opinions, or theories on possible outcomes – that was tomorrow’s news which I would report on after it had happened.

When you read the word ‘could’ – try to ignore it. Because it’s speculation. Speculation does nothing but generate clicks and add extra anxiety. It’s not facts, and it’s not technically journalism.

Moving on. How can we learn from the Donald Trump character as we write our people into our movies?

Donald Trump is many things – but no-one can deny he is pretty unique. I’m no fan, but I’m not going to waste time hurling adjectives you all know. My interest is how someone who has broken all the traditional rules of politics – you know, the whole ‘a sex scandal will ruin you’, ‘a racist comment will ruin you’, and ‘a criminal conviction will ruin you’ – and not only survived, but thrived.

We can speculate on all the issues in America right now, but let’s focus on the character – if we were writing him into a movie. There is something about his combination of personality, narcissism, sociopathy, wealth, and a supreme sense that his opinion is always right, and the most important, that is interesting. It’s far too easy to write him off and get angry. Let’s instead think about how he is able to defy typical expectations. How would you write that character in a script? How do you get the blend just right – where he isn’t so crazy as to be…well…crazy…and he isn’t so rich and out of touch to not be able to reach the poor and under educated. He’s not so racist he offends all those he insults. He’s not so sexist he offends all women. How do you write someone like that?

And therein lies the lesson. We, as screenwriters are very often guilty of not giving our characters two important attributes. Nuance and complexity. We make our ‘heroes’ always heroic. Our ‘villains’ always bad. And yet the villains always have willing henchmen in their secret island headquarters.  So clearly they have some appeal to some people?

Most of the scripts I read suffer from this lack of complexity. Writers get so focused on story, they slap a couple of traits on a character, and call it a day. Usually it involves some sort of substance abuse, poverty, or loneliness. Or if it’s a Bond Villain type – pure psychopath with a limp or facial scar.  

That’s not good enough. Trump has proven that. There are real life characters in this world who defy expectations, who refuse to conform to societal norms, and who, despite all of our most earnest desires, continues to succeed.

If you can infuse your characters with this kind of complexity, you’ll have a fascinating script. Can you imagine being able to get your audience to feel the levels of frustration, anger and hopelessness millions of people have been feeling since the election? And what about the sense of euphoria, adulation and joy millions of others feel…ABOUT THE SAME PERSON.  Your script would be GOLD.

But to do that – you have to have an understanding of your characters. You have to try to see the world the way they see it. You can’t hate someone who doesn’t hate themselves – or the authenticity will be lacking. I’m not suggesting you love them. I’m suggesting you gather a deeper understanding of what they see, and what others see in them, rather than just applying your own, personal filter.

Every so often, the world throws up someone unique. Usually, and sadly, those people do not make the world a better place – which is fascinating in its own right. But that’s a deeper chat about humans and why we continually gravitate toward dicks.

The more you understand how your characters see the world, and themselves – even if they have a viewpoint entirely disconnected from reality – the stronger your script will be.

And one more thing – try to give your characters a rest. I guarantee you Donald Trump doesn’t spend every waking moment thinking about how to screw over women and rule as an Emperor. He probably really enjoys his food. He probably likes to watch random crap on TV. He probably talks to his children, who let's be honest, idolize him. I read too many scripts where a villain is only ever being a villain, and a hero is always only focused on being heroic. Giving them little breaks really lets an audience in on who they are – which connects us on a deeper level. Nuance and complexity.

I’m not saying spend 20 minutes showing them do a crossword, or sitting on the toilet. You get the idea.

Our daily life regularly offers up moments that help our writing. When someone you’ve never met generates a really strong emotional response in you – positive or negative – it’s a great learning tool and a great opportunity to more fully understand nuance and complexity. Not just with the character, but also the people they interact with.

Sometimes – like now – truth is WAY stranger than any fiction. So let’s use it.