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| Ring Psychology | by Aaron Hall |
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Ring Psychology Special Edition Writing, like any other artistic or creative undertaking, is far from an exact science. We ain’t masters of the game. We don’t have a special rulebook. But we do know a thing or two about writing that’s helped us out from time to time. And here’s where we share our secret voodoo methods with you! Welcome back Ring Psychology’s first writer, Aaron Hall, for a special three part series on … CHARACTERS Part one of three What makes a good character? What makes a great character? What makes a bad character? While these questions can be debated for years, here is a question that has a clear cut answer. What can a great character do for my story/comic/movie/whatever? The answer is easy. It does everything. A bad story with a great character becomes a decent story. A great story with a bad character becomes a decent story. A great story with a great character becomes an unforgettable story. Over the course of the next month, we’re going to look at four very different characters that come from different types of media. The goal is to simply get to the core of what makes these characters great. Hopefully, we’ll all be able to take some ideas away from this and apply them the next time we’re creating our own characters. “Part One: Dan Scott” There are roughly 105 million television equipped households in America. Out of those 105 million, a measly 3 million or so tune in every week to watch the WB teen drama “One Tree Hill”. I’m still not quite sure how it happened, but sometime last year, I became one of those 3 million people. What I found was a pretty poor show overall that does nearly nothing to differentiate itself from all the other teen dramas that have come before it on the WB network. It does, however, have one thing that keeps me coming back for more every single week. Dan Scott. Think of the word bastard, define it in your mind, picture someone who you consider to be a bastard. Multiply that person by ten thousand and you’ll be getting close to Dan Scott. Played by actor Paul Johansson, whose most notable work before this part was a lengthy guest stint on “Lonesome Dove: The Series” and a bit part in the movie “John Q”, is incredible in this role. Now, I’m about to list you everything Dan Scott has done in this show, but before I do I have to tell you to keep an open mind. What I’m about to list is going to sound like rejected plot points from “Days of Our Lives”, but due to his incredible acting, Paul Johansson makes these incredible plot points seem believable. Even though, as you’re about to see, they’re downright ridiculous most of the time. In the town of Tree Hill, Dan Scott is pretty much the big cheese. He runs a very successful car dealership, had a very promising basketball career that was ended early by injury, has a teenage son who is a star on the high school basketball team, and pretty much enjoys the status of the wealthiest man around. Early in the show, we’re introduced to his other son, Lucas, who was the result of a one night stand. Lucas is the same age as Dan’s prized son, Nathan, and also a basketball player. Having just moved to town, Lucas joins the basketball team alongside his half-brother, who constantly berates him about his lack of a father. Dan Scott not only condones the behavior, but goes as far as giving Nathan tips on insults and pranks to further humiliate Lucas. Around this time, Dan’s brother Keith has an affair with Dan’s wife. Upon walking in on them, Dan fakes a heart attack. After his “recovery”, he uses the leverage of being cheated on to drive his wife to heavy drinking and prescription drug abuse. He also hires a beautiful woman to “fall in love” with his brother Keith. The plan almost backfires when the woman truly does fall in love with Keith, but Dan makes sure Keith finds out her true identity and intentions the day of their wedding, thus securing his revenge against Keith. In the meantime, Lucas is diagnosed with a hereditary heart disease for which the medication is extremely expensive. Dan will provide him with the medication just as long as Lucas will turn his back on his mother and come to live with Dan. Whenever Lucas eventually disappoints him, Dan decides to stop providing Lucas with the medication and kicks him out of his home. Dan goes on making life hell for all those around him, to the point where an attempt on his life is made. Someone drugs him and then sets his car dealership ablaze around him. Miraculously, Dan survives and is now on a hunt to bring those responsible to justice. While attending confession, Dan asks the father “Is it possible to repent for sins you’re about to commit? Because when I find out who tried to kill me I will commit sins so magnificent it will bring this church crumbling down.” And that about brings you up to speed on Dan Scott’s dealings throughout the show. Like I said, I realize how ludicrous it all sounds, but truthfully he somehow pulls it off in stride. I don’t feel like this is over the top, it’s simply a bad man doing bad things. A true villain, who is only happy when he’s making others miserable. Dan Scott is one of my favorite characters of all time, not just on television, but through any form of entertainment. Watching him go about destroying those around him, you truly believe that this is a real person who truly enjoys hurting others. It’s like that last piece of chocolate cake you know you shouldn’t eat, but you can’t help yourself. I can’t help but smile every time he steps on screen, because I know that not only is he about to do something vile, but he’s going to have a great line to go along with it. The lines this guy spouts off are just unbelievable. Below I’m going to paste in an exchange between Dan and his brother Keith. This was right after Keith found out that his wife to be had been hired by Dan.
Of all the great characters, great villains can be the
most fun of all. Someone you love to hate. Dan Scott is a
perfect example of this type of character. If you ever find
yourself with a free hour on Wednesday night, do yourself a
favor and check out “One Tree Hill”. Dan Scott is a great
study guide for anyone looking to create believable villains
who are such a joy to hate. The first two seasons are
available on dvd and would make a great viewing if you’ve
got an extra fifty bucks or if you’re a Netflix subscriber
(as everyone should be). It’s a viewing experience that can
teach you a lot about bad writing, bad plot points, and
generally provide you with a whole lot of examples on how
not to write. However, with the inclusion of Dan Scott,
you’ll also get a great view of how to construct a great
villain.
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