First Draft: Put Audiences in Your Characters’ Shoes With These Seven Ways to Elicit Empathy in Your Screenplay

7. Being Treated Unjustly

It’s embedded in our human nature to feel for someone that has suffered through some form of injustice. This character trait can be central to the concept like it was in The Fugitive.

As well as the film Double Jeopardy.

And even more masterfully in The Shawshank Redemption. When we see Andy’s escape, knowing the immense amount of injustice he faced throughout his decades spent in prison for a crime he did not commit, the payout of the empathy we felt for him is delivered tenfold—and that is what makes this character trait so powerful.

And this injustice trait can be applied subtly as well. It doesn’t have to encompass the whole story. Instead, it can add to the depth of the character and gives audiences a reason to feel for them just a little more.

When Chris Chambers confides in Gordy about the milk money, we empathize with Chris’s character even more. Sure, he still took the money. But the injustice he faced at the hands of a teacher that took the money he gave back to spend it on a new dress forces us to understand what he goes through because of his family name. Even when he tried to do the right thing and return the money, he couldn’t escape his family’s reputation.

Character empathy is vital to your screenplay. If the audience doesn’t feel some form of empathy towards them, especially your protagonists, there’s going to be less of an impact made upon them. You want and need to make that cathartic mark on whoever reads your script and whoever watches your movie or television show episode.

These are just seven of the many ways you can accomplish that, and each of these ways can be paired with others to enhance that empathy even more. And remember that these character attributes are only the beginning. It’s up to you to explore them within your characters, the concepts of your stories, and the many story arcs and character arcs throughout your screenplays. MM

This post originally appeared on the blog ScreenCraft. ScreenCraft is dedicated to helping screenwriters and filmmakers succeed through educational events, screenwriting competitions and the annual ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship program, connecting screenwriters with agents, managers and Hollywood producers. Follow ScreenCraft on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

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