Do you guys use it in your writing?

For example, a character in my feature wears shades all the time: in front of the press, in meetings, basically in front of any overwhelming or threatening force. It's a defensive measure.

She takes them off when she's a) comfortable with a person (only one in the whole story) or b) she's ready to attack, or saying something really crucial that will determine her next move.

It's interesting how there can be hidden meanings behind seemingly innocent images.

Yes, in all actions there's something meaningful. I sincerely believe that. Even the mundane ones. A person drinks their coffee black for instance. I do by the way, but I didn't always and there's a story behind that; so it's meaningful especially if that story were a mini story in the greater story and it has relevance. The thing is, we need to figure out the audience gets it, and that it's not overdone to the point that it's a joke. Unless we want it to be a joke that is.

Also, the trick is to figure out how much is necessary to tell a particular story. It's easy enough for overkill.

Sandra

I can see exactly what you're trying for, but to me if you over use that device it's overkill. Think Davis Caruso in CSI, his constant suglasses on sunglasses off routine is a joke.

Okay, didn't know that. And I don't really think it's overused... just enough to let the audience know what it represents.

Quoted from fionaman Okay, didn't know that. And I don't really think it's overused... just enough to let the audience know what it represents.

An important thing to consider is that we have much more sophisticated audiences these days. They see through it with that kind of x-ray vision. That's why, we really need to do our homework with "why" the girl takes such care with her fingernails. "What" does drinking lemon water mean to the character in question.

Gone are the days of Kojak where you just stick a lollipop in someone's mouth and that distinguishes them. There has to be some kind of reason for behaviors and styles etc...

I think writers need to live vicariously through the best psychiatrists, detectives, scientists, mathematicians, mothers and fathers and daughters and sons  and magicians of daughters and sons...  you get the idea.

We need to investigate to create valid worlds and the characters that fill them.

You know there's that old saying, "Write what you know". I think that's true to a great extent, but in order to grow, one really does need to know more but I think that it doesn't need to come in one big researching storm. A different approach is to keep a random notebook and get in the habit of using it.

Obviously, in a writer's bag of tricks, you get "The Proverbials" and there too it can be fun, to play around with the "What Ifs", switch things up, make a game of it.

Sandra

Quoted from fionaman For example, a character in my feature wears shades all the time: in front of the press, in meetings, basically in front of any overwhelming or threatening force. It's a defensive measure.

I think this example is something an actor or a director might choose to do - but I don't think it's really important in the script.   It just wastes space with something that should really be communicated through other actions and dialogue.   Sure some people might get it but most people won't.  They will probably get annoyed that you keep writing about her glasses.

That being said I'm not one to try to stop you from coming up with your own style.  Just don't expect anyone to get it.  Very few people get subtext from a script - but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be there.