Secrets of Writing: Defining Moments

These are scenes that tell us, in a demonstrative way, what kind of person a character is. Some writers can pull this off in one panel of a comic. In film, they are often done in a defining scene. Often, this is done in their introduction scene. It makes a strong and lasting impression to set up the scenes that follow.  But often, you need a scene to set up the defining moment.

It’s critical to establishing the character firmly in our minds. They need to happen at least twice for the Hero and once for every major character.

Early in the story we need one to tell us where the hero is at the beginning of his arc. By the end of the story we need another to show where he is at the end of the arc. For the hero, that final defining moment should be during the climax. 

The contrast of how the character is at the beginning and end can give us a strong sense of how far he has come on his journey.

For Villains, the defining moment is based on what the Audience perception of the Villain is supposed to be in the story. If the Villain is a false protagonist throughout most of the story, you need to define him as such until you reach the point where you are going to pull off their mask. Then, you hit the audience with a defining moment that shows us what the Villain’s true feelings are.

An excellent example of this can be seen in the Alfred Hitchcock film SHADOW OF A DOUBT. In this film Joseph Cotten plays a character named “Uncle Charley” who everyone loves, including the heroine of the story, his niece. But throughout the course of the story, the niece begins to realize something isn’t right with her uncle. She begins to suspect him of being a serial killer. There’s a dinner scene where Uncle Charley starts talking about widows and what he thinks of them. This scene is a perfect example of a defining moment.

Another excellent example can be found in the graphic novel WATCHMEN by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. In the first issue, Rorschach, the false hero of the story, enters a seedy bar to get information. When he enters the bar the bartender first nervously welcomes Rorschach and then...almost in the same breath, says: “Please don’t hurt anyone!”

This scene shows us how Rorschach is perceived by the public at large. It’s a defining moment using other characters to define the central character. This is an alternate technique to reach the same goal.

Defining moments make the story more exciting. They add to the power of a story by delivering a gut punch at just the right time. These are the moments you really want to learn how to pull off well. They will help make your story all the more enjoyable.

REMEMBER: Defining moments help make your characters come alive.

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