As many of you know, the way I think about writing—about developing characters, establishing stakes, and using objectives to drive plot—is heavily influenced by my theater background.
I spent a lot of time studying the Stanislavski Method, which teaches actors to really dig into character psychology and desire to drive scenes. And there are a lot of principles bound up in the Stanislavski Method that authors can use, as well.
One of those principles is known as “the moment before.”
“The Moment Before” is about what happens before your character walks through this door.
That is, what happened right before this scene—either off the page or on—that dictates the character’s mindset coming into this new situation. What is she stewing on when she’s not speaking, and how does that influence the way she talks, moves, feels, and makes decisions?
To illustrate, think about how this plays out in your own life. Look at your morning routine. If you actually get up when the alarm clock rings, you shower and slip into the clothes you laid out the night before, and you have plenty of time for coffee and a real breakfast in the kitchen before you leave the house, then you’ll arrive at work feeling relaxed and ready to conquer the day. But if you oversleep, you realize too late that all your clothes are at the dry cleaner, you grab yourself a to-go cup of coffee and toss a banana in your bag on the way out the door (knowing it will turn into mush by the time you get around to eating it), then you arrive feeling rushed and flustered and likely not in a very good mood. This will impact the way you work, make decisions, and interact with your colleagues throughout the day. It may also effect your self-talk, the way you pursue (or don’t pursue) your goals, and the tactics you choose to get things done.
The same is true for the characters were writing. Whether we read it or not, each character enters every scene carrying energy from “the moment before,” and that energy impacts the character’s emotions, presence, and choices in the scene. So, before you start writing any scene, ask yourself what happened to your character in the seconds, minutes, or hours before she walked through the door.
After all, it’s commonly said that “acting is reacting.” And the way we react in any given situation is heavily dependent on whatever other stuff we’re still reacting to—emotionally or physically—from earlier in the day.
Try it! Rewrite a pivotal scene—or any scene that’s falling flat—two or three different ways, varying one or two characters’ moments before. How did changing those energies change the scene? Let me know in the comments!
Want More Character Development Insights?
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