4 Writing Hacks I Learnt from Watching Korean Dramas

일 (1) The characters are what determines a good story, not the storyline

Although this first point can be open to controversy, we cannot deny the fact that characters who leave little to no impression on their readers make a story less memorable. Generally, what determines a good story depends on the person reading or writing the piece of work. But one thing Korean dramas have taught me is that interesting characters make an interesting story. I have watched a good number of Korean dramas with absurd storylines but very entertaining and well put-together characters that made the entire series worth watching.

Here are a few examples to prove my point. Let’s begin with the character of Ko Mun-yeong from It’s Okay Not to be Okay (2020). Anyone who has watched this series would know that Ko Mun-yeong is undoubtably one of the most interesting female lead characters in the Korean drama world. Why? Because she was crazy- fun crazy. She battled with antisocial personality disorder and childhood traumas that led her to making some irrational decisions which had a huge impact on the storyline. Having a lead character who is not only unique but real makes a story worth reading, and watching.

Another character example is that of the almighty Vincenzo Cassano in Vincenzo (2021). Besides being disturbingly sexy, one interesting fact about this character was that he was a protagonist with the mind of a villain. The tricks and mind games he played in getting his revenge on his enemies were unpredictable and new, which rarely occurred in any other drama series I have watched. A character that breaks the norm of what an “ideal” lead character should be like makes a story worth reading too.

Anyways, to summarize everything I have explained here into one simple sentence (after wasting two minutes of your precious time): make your characters interesting, it will do magic to your work.