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The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

283 | The Art of the Character Introduction

The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

Tv & Film

4.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this special craft supercut, we gather wisdom from recent guests on one essential question: how do you introduce a character? From subtle entrances to defining first actions, writers including Sharon Horgan, George Saunders, Dana Fox, and Akiva Goldsman share how they think about character, voice, and point of view from the very first moment. Featured writers: Sharon Horgan (Episode 225) Clint Bentley (Episode 230) Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams (Episode 237) Dana Fox (Episode 239) George Saunders (Episode 240) John Henion (Episode 242) Carla Banks-Waddles (Episode 245) Rob Spera (Episode 247) Sheila Hanahan Taylor (Episode 253) Sylvia Batey Alcalá & Mac Smullen (Episode 255) Kaz Firpo (Episode 261) Akiva Goldsman (Episode 264) --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and audio engineered and mixed by ⁠⁠Urban Olsson⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Abercrombie knows how denim should fit and feel,

0:03.0

and this year is about curating a denim collection that carries your closet.

0:07.0

Head straight to Abercrombie's baggy and ultra baggy fits.

0:11.0

These are the pairs that turn any t or shirt into a full outfit.

0:15.0

All of their jeans come in classic fit with select jeans available athletic fit,

0:19.0

designed for guys who want more room in the thigh

0:21.9

shop abacromby denim in the app online and in stores today we're sharing a supercut of answers to

0:34.8

the craft question that we've been asking our guests over the last year.

0:38.0

What's your approach to character introductions?

0:40.5

Choosing how to introduce a character can be tough.

0:42.6

You have limited space and every detail has to count.

0:45.7

Let's see how some of the pros approach it.

0:48.8

We always ask, we're starting to ask our guests the same two craft questions because we just want to hear how different people approach things.

0:56.0

So we'd love to ask you about character introductions and how you as a writer approach character introductions.

1:03.0

You mean when I'm introducing them to the person who's going to be paying to make my show or when I introduce them to the audience. On the page.

1:11.6

You mean your coffee, your wonderful coffee meetings?

1:14.6

No, no, on the page.

1:16.6

So you've got to introduce Fiona Shaw's character or you have to introduce a character to the audience.

1:21.6

Here she is.

1:23.6

Do you approach that in any particular way or thought?

1:26.6

Um, I, yeah, I do. Do you approach that in any particular way or thought?

1:31.3

Yeah, I do.

...

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