So, what takes us
beyond storytelling? To be successful, a
story must be designed against known Western cultural parameters. Is this too ethnocentric for you? Sorry, but the reality is you are writing
speculative scripts for the US market.
Your story has to be built around an accepted structure. In these ways, the motion picture is built
around the three act structure. For those
that studied at USC, the eight-act structure.
More on that issue later.
So, what is
classical story design? Story design is
easily defined as an active protagonist struggling against primarily external
forces of antagonism to pursue his goal(s).
More than that, story design is the source of story energy and
creation. Also, remember that conflict
drives any story forward. You must have
continually building scenes that allow the main character to succeed or fail,
but grow towards the reward of the end.
There are five
characteristics identified with story design that your main characters and your
story must engage (your mileage may differ);
- causality/choice
- consistency/surprise
- image/sound
- character/object
- simplicity/depth
Story design also
involved character motivation and backstory.
What your hero’s outer motivation?
What drives him forward? What is
the counter idea? What or whom stands in
your hero’s way? What is your hero’s
inner motivation? What is your hero’s
overriding heroic interest?
Giving dimension to
your hero helps describe motivation. Backstory
can be that dimension that helps the reader understand your hero’s
actions. However, backstory means writing
contradiction and contrast. Backstory
that agrees with the hero’s actions is boring.
Too much backstory is too expository.
Never expose any more information that is necessary.
Story building is
the craft wherein you shape and design the physical structure of your
story. This is where all the little Lego
pieces of your story are moved, shaped and realigned into just the right positions
for maximum dramatic or comedic impact. Is
story building just the plot? No, story building
is more than plot. It is the synergy of
plot, character development, dramatic action, and thematic significance.
Some of the more
important pieces of story building:
- inciting incident
- turning points
- emotional dynamics
- setups and payoffs (Yes, Pilar I paid attention.)
- the nature of choice
- ordering and linking scenes
- back story
- crisis, climax and resolution.
Classical Western
story structure is a beginning, middle and end, a lead with a goal, and
overcoming obstacles and an opposition that will do anything to stop the lead’s
quest. Building three act structure is a
means to bring order out of a chaos of words. Human beings need the concept of a beginning, a
middle and an end. Without it, life is
nothing more than an endless river of random events. Without a beginning, a middle and an end,
there is no cause and effect. No before
and after.
What classical Western
structure is not is a meandering mess that ends when the filmmaker runs out of
film; or experimental films that are about punching holes in the film or
randomly running a magic marker across the images. Classical structure is certainly not movies
shaped by astrological charts, Feng Shui, or organic gardening.
A few bits of advice
I have come across in my reading about screenwriting. Did you think any of this is original
thought?
- No deux ex machine (God in the form of a machine – Come on, read something other than graphic novels.)
- Leave room for the actor
- Fall in love with your characters (Yes, even the bad guys.)
- Character is self-knowledge
- Dialog is not conversation
- Absolute present tense in constant vivid movement.
6. Courage
From “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
"Oh! He's a curious animal and seems remarkably small,
now that I look at him. No one would think of biting such a little thing,
except a coward like me," continued the Lion sadly.
"What makes you a coward?" asked Dorothy, looking
at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse.
"It's a mystery," replied the Lion. "I
suppose I was born that way. All the other animals in the forest naturally
expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of
Beasts. I learned that if I roared very loudly every living thing was
frightened and got out of my way. Whenever I've met a man I've been awfully
scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he
could go. If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight
me, I should have run myself--I'm such a coward; but just as soon as they hear
me roar they all try to get away from me, and of course I let them go."
"But that isn't right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be
a coward," said the Scarecrow.
"I know it," returned the Lion, wiping a tear from
his eye with the tip of his tail. "It is my great sorrow, and makes my
life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat
fast."
Courage is defined as the ability to confront fear, pain,
risk, or intimidation and act beyond. As
screenwriters, you will be faced with not only physical confrontation but instances
requiring moral courage as well. For
this essay, I am breaking courage into four main subcategories: bravery, perseverance,
honesty, and enthusiasm.
Bravery
Bravery is defined as “the ability to stand up for what is
right in difficult situations.” While a
writer is not going to face many instances of physical bravery, his moral
bravery is going to take him to a place where what he believes to be right in
spite of social disapproval and possible backlash can make his success
possible. Another area of bravery is that
psychological bravery that allows us to overcoming our own addicting habits,
irrational anxieties, and harmful dependent relationships to succeed.
Perseverance
Perseverance means continuing along a path facing opposition
and perhaps failure. Perseverance is the
ability to proceed towards your writing goals in spite of kadodies who will
stand in your way. In order to persevere
at being a writer, you must suppress your desires to give up and pursue an
easier task. Note: Kadodie is a perfectly good word. Ask Harlan Ellison.
Honesty
Honesty and authenticity means more than simply telling the
truth as a writer. Honesty involves
integrity in all areas of one’s life and the ability to be true to oneself and
one’s role in the world. Dealing with
the people you are going to deal with as a writer requires a great deal of
strength in the midst of fear to be honest and authentic.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is a vital part of your courage in being a
writer. You have to keep up your spirits
while facing not only your own personal obstacles, but the obstacles placed in
your path by others.
Why are you reading this?
Go write!
John still practices screenwriting
in King County, WA along with a small rat dog, a mortgage, and a great view of
the valley.
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