Writing for Actors – How Clear Objectives Make Characters Irresistible to Actors Wanting to Perform Your Work
I’ve been a professional actor, and I’ve written for actors, and I can tell you that when actors read a script, they’re not looking for beautiful words; they’re searching the script for a purpose, a purpose aligned explicitly with the role they are interested in playing.
Clear objectives pull an actor in and make them want to play the role you are writing for them. A character with a clear objective, overall and within each scene, is a character an actor can sink their teeth into. It tickles their interest. It inspires them. It makes them call their agent and say, “I’ve got to play this role.” When the writer gives every character a clear objective, it creates the difference between a forgettable walk-on role and one that lingers long after the final curtain or the closing film credits. The writer appeals to the self-interest of the actor. These kinds of characters win awards for actors and help them build successful careers. Writers who can do this for an actor will have actors beating at your agent’s door for every script or book you write.
Think of every great character you’ve ever written or admired. What made them compelling? It wasn’t just their dialogue or backstory. It was what they wanted. That burning need that drives them scene by scene.
When a character’s objective is clear, actors don’t just read lines; they see characters making choices. Every pause, every glance, every sigh becomes a deliberate action toward that objective. If a character aims to “win back the love they lost,” even a simple “hello” can carry the weight of desperation, regret, and hope. Actors chomp at this kind of role.
Consider a scene between two old friends, Fred and Sally. If Fred’s objective is “to get Sally to admit she stole the money,” then every line is charged. But if his objective is simply “to talk about what happened,” the scene lacks direction. Clear objectives elevate dialogue, giving the actors a reason to act instead of just reacting.
I know from experience. An actor thrives on subtext and intention. An actor needs to know what a character is saying and why they’re saying it. A good writer gives the actor that. The objective is the rocket fuel that pushes them forward, the driving force that makes characters compelling and performances unforgettable.
Here’s your Success Point for today. As you write today, I want you to go back and look at the last scene you wrote. Slow down and identify the singular objective for every character in that scene, not just the main characters. Give actors a role they want to play, big and small. Leave no actor out. As you look at this scene, is the objective for each character clear, and nobody is simply a walk-on or serving a function? Is each character’s objective compelling? Does it drive each character's dialogue or action, and does it inform every action?
Dissect this scene, character by character. Take one character at a time and really explore what that character wants. Then, rewrite each piece of dialogue, one character at a time, with that character’s objective in mind. Then do it for the next character. Make it active. Make it urgent. Make it impossible for that actor playing that role to ignore what you’ve written and the opportunities that this role presents to each actor.
Do this and you’re not just writing words on a page or in a script. You’re writing roles that actors will fight over to explore and play.
Do this and you’ll see your scripts produced and even championed by well-known actors.
Do this and you’ll see your books optioned for films.
By giving actors roles that will change their careers, you’ll find your career skyrocket.
If you want more daily Success Points, check out the blogs on my website https://claystafford.com/ and sign up for my weekly Success Points newsletter.
