Give your characters a proper introduction

Advice from a TV writer/showrunner

Whether you’re writing a screenplay, novel, short story or stage play, it’s crucial to give your characters a proper introduction the first time the audience sees them.

Don’t just have them appear on camera and start talking. I see this time and again with new writers. It does a disservice not just to the actor playing the role, but also to the audience.

So what do we mean by “introduction?”