“Character driven.” That’s the catch phrase in Hollywood. And what that translates into in the real politik of the business is a screenplay which is actor bait. Nicole Kidman could play pretty much any role she wants. She chose to play Erin Bell because she was drawn to the character and wanted to play this complex role.

Which is to say the work we put in immersing ourselves in the lives of our characters and delving into their multilayered psyche, then working with them in the context of the unfolding narrative and their transformation process not only benefits us in creating a story with emotional heft, it also works to secure the interest of actors who are looking for meaty roles.

So that’s a big takeaway: Write character driven screenplays.