Free Romantic Screenplays 101 by Sally J. Walker Page A

than acting on physical attraction, the lust-of-the-moment. FOOLS RUSH IN was about the consequences of that experience which in turn caused the ultimate commitment and the ending when the two welcomed their child into the world and accepted their need and love for one another. As a rule, most relationships are the more common cautionary exploration.
     Even the inverted relationship story in FOOLS demonstrated what is called the Pull-Push of sexual tension , the recognition of attraction followed immediately by the rejection of willingness to act upon it. “I want her, but I don’t want to be trapped.”
     The key here is to show both parties 1) feeling that pull, 2) wanting the partner, but 3) rejecting/pushing away involvement by focusing on other story complications (out of the subplots). That process puts the caring audience into the anticipation mode. They know the couple will get together but the wondering about how that will happen keeps them questing with the lovers.
     
    CONCEPTS OF BODY LANGUAGE
    No discussion of describing meetings and signaling can avoid the intricate world of body language. This is a tight wire for the screenwriter to walk.
    Two people make the ultimate decision about characterization on screen: the actor and the director. However, the insightful screenwriter can provide a distinct framework by choreographing specific body language that translates a message. Ever heard the adage “We want movies, not talkies” and wondered what that meant? It boils down to: Replace intent and content of dialogue with a visual or a character movement wherever possible.
    Some body language is subtle and taken for granted, but others are blatant. A father-son argument erupts. The son steps close to the father (aggressive invasion of personal space, a subtlety) and the father starts to slap the kid but stops, his hand shaking in mid-air (a blatant depiction of anger controlled). The actors and director might add the father’s eyes tearing and the boy’s grunt of disgust as he turns away . . . or the screenwriter could write that in, if the purpose of the scene was to depict how the mature man reins in his temper and how little the son understands the father’s motivation.
     
    Delivery and Reception
    Motivation is the why of a person’s action and is the key concept of a character’s mannerisms and delivery of movement. The writer must decide what motivates movement in each scene then choreograph only what is important. Never, ever micro-manage, micro-choreograph everything. Obviously actors and directors do not need that and, ultimately, it is viewed as the sign of an amateur writer.
    Motivation of delivery results in intent as known to the character moving.
    The second component in the use of body language is reception or how it is perceived. In the example scene, the arrogant son had been deliberately baiting the father, pushing him toward a physical response, something he has never seen from the man. He receives the man’s control instead of violence and perceives it as weakness or cowardice.
    The motivation of reception’s expectation results in content as perceived by the observer of the action.
    As the writer you must be aware of both the character delivery and the character reception, the motivation-reaction, the cause-effect.
     
    Basics of Body Language
    Some Primary Affect facial expressions are cross-cultural such as joy, fear, anger, pain. Body language allows the actor and director to delve deeper into the psyche of the story character.
    When creating character profiles, the writer begins to envision this living, breathing person. From that character’s history the writer grows an understanding of what motivates the character. Thus the writer can predict response and choreograph movement.
    When will the character’s stance appear dominant (subtlety of confident strength) and when will it become submissive (subtlety of trusting, accepting, or fearful)? When would the character make