1 – What is the character literally doing: What is the doable action?
2 – What is the essential action behind the literal action aka the OBJECTIVE?
3 – What is the nature of the relationship between the characters?
4 – Forget what the character is feeling and focus on what she is trying to accomplish.
The scene then becomes about the degree to which she succeeds or fails and the reaction of the other person while she’s trying to fulfill her action. And the beats that make up that scene are the tools with which the character tries to fulfill her objective.
Do not confuse the objective of the character with the result.
Do not show the idiosyncrasies of a character (their wacky habits/their odd knowledge) show the STRUGGLE of the character.
Kristen Buckley 