September 7, 2022Steve Edwards

Introducing characters in The Serpent

Welcome to this series of posts looking at how different writers introduce their lead characters.

Let’s start with episode 1 of The Serpent written by Richard Warlow, produced by Mammoth Screen. The screenplay is available on the BBC Writers’ Room website.

Let’s take a look.

I love this. Charles Sobhraj is a sleek shard of ice. Richard Warlow chooses to describe him with a metaphor. Doesn’t it work well? Doesn’t it tell us everything we need to know about him?

Next, we meet the other protagonist, Monique. Let’s see how Richard Warlow introduces her.

So, first, we simply see a WOMAN looking down on him. Before we know her name, from a distance, we can see how beautiful she is. Then, when Charles enters, and we can hear her as well as see her, the writer describes her as being ‘catastrophically in love with Charles.‘ And that’s all we need to know.

So, all in all, Charles is a sleek shard of ice and Monique is catastrophically in love with him.

And that’s all we need to know.

What do you think?