Plot and Story = Spirit

Plot and Story work hand in hand to give the audience a one-two punch.

Plot: A Man wants to sleep with a Woman.  She wants to get drunk and tells him he needs to go buy a bottle of wine first.

Story: Man goes to buy the bottle of wine and store clerk tells him to get his Nigger ass out of the store before he calls the police.

Man must overcome racists to get a bottle of wine in order to sleep with woman

Plot deals with skills and Story deals with relationships.

Plot works to engage our logic and Story works to engage our emotion.

Together I call them Spirit.

Spirit of the Story - Screenwriting

Make sure that whatever inspired you to write the story, whatever excited you, remains in the story, and throughout the story.  Don't let yourself edit it out as you write and revise.  Don't let your worries edit out the reason you started writing the story in the first place.  If you feel like you've lost that initial spirit.  Let the story sit for a little.  Don't rush and add scenes just to get done.  Don't add scenes because you think they'll fit a structural model or theme idea.  The spirit is key.

Sorta the Point of Movies - Screenwriting

We can stand outside and watch people do stuff.

A movie gives us the opportunity to not only watch people do stuff but to see how their actions affect them.

In undeveloped screenplays, there tends to be two groups:

1) A main character who does a lot of stuff but who we never see react to the failures of their attempts to reach a goal.

2) A main character who doesn't do much but who we see react, or over react to the circumstances they are in whether good or bad.


A main character needs to have a goal and they need to fail to get it.  And then we need to see them react emotionally, wonder what went wrong, wonder how they'll ever reach that goal, then decide on the next step.

Secrets of the Inciting Incident and Setup - Screenwriting

   

What do students of Robert Mckee believe to be the inciting incident?

The inciting incident in a screenplay or novel is that event that gets the story rolling. In The Hangover, it’s the moment when the guys wake up in their trashed villa with no memory of what happened the night before–and realize that they’ve lost their friend Doug. With that, the story kicks into gear. Everything before that is just setup.  - Steven Pressfield - Robert Mckee Student - http://www.stevenpressfield.com/

     While I agree that the moment the characters realize Doug is missing is the inciting incident, I have to say beware of an inciting incident that lands 28 pages into a story.  Beware of an inciting incident that lands anywhere other than the first scene.  Luckily, this does not occur in The Hangover.  As you'll note in this transcript of The Hangover, the first scene has Phil telling Doug's fiance that Doug is missing.  Again, this is the first scene. (See Prologue info below)

Then, the writers go back in time and well...

Let's first talk about this statement:  "Everything before that is just setup."

What is setup?

It's a poor term that's what it is.  It's a poor term because saying something is "just setup" can lead a new writer into a belief that it's a free for all and that it doesn't have much meaning in terms of the story.

When in fact, it is the engine of meaning for your story.  Without which your story will not have any meaning.

The setup is the illustration of how the characters are related to one another in terms of power.  Who is who's boss?  What life events, jobs, friendships, lives, are at stake because of this inciting incident?  How has power shifted because of this inciting incident?  What has been taken from the protagonist in terms of abstract value...honor, love, hope, faith, etc.?

How do these character get what they want from each other?  Is there a global pattern here?  Do the bad guys all lie to get what they want?  Is this a story about lying to people who trust such as in Fargo?

Setting up is not "putting up a line of dominoes."  The setup reveals itself during the following Reaction and Action scenes.

You're showing how the bad guys get what they want by use of a specific tactic, such as lying, abusing, shooting, threatening...and you're showing how the good guys initially react to this tactic...why it is they failed to stop the bad guy from his initial inciting act. Maybe they're gullible, they're fearful, they're unarmed, they're pacifists, etc...  (This is also known as Character Need - Need to stop reacting this way.)

When you make your first scene the inciting incident, action -reaction will prevail and naturally, organically, setup your story...

Setting Up is a bad term that can lead a new writer into thinking their setting the table before the guests arrived.  Your story starts with all the guests there and the bad guy making his move.

Now let's talk about the inciting incident.

What is an inciting incident?

It's the first act by your antagonist to get what they want.  It's a successful attempt.

During the inciting incident something is taken from your main character - a person, place, or thing.

(PERSON)
Perhaps a friend is murdered, or citizen of your town or city, or family member.
Perhaps one of these people is kidnapped.

Perhaps the guy you wanted to marry just got engaged.
Perhaps the girl you want to ask to the dance asked someone else.

(THING)
Perhaps an engagement ring is stolen.

Perhaps your favorite bike is stolen

(PLACE)
Perhaps your management job is terminated
Perhaps your jurisdiction of your town is being undermined.
Perhaps your incarcerated.

That NOUN represents an abstract value to your protagonist...such as Love, Honor, Respect, Freedom, Hope, Faith, etc.

Your main character's goal is to get that NOUN back and with it the abstract value it represents.

Those are the constraints of "a story."  The A and the B.  This is why placing an inciting incident 18 or 25 or 30 pages into a story makes all the scenes before it...meaningless.  A story is "Inciting incident - Final incident"

How can a NOUN represent an abstract value?

This is the point at which the stolen NOUN and the protagonists Relationships meet.

For Example:

---------Beginning of Inciting incident:

Action
Your protagonist is the manager of a restaurant and they get fired.  And they have this coupon book they hand out to their friends to get free meals.

Their friends find out that the protagonist can no longer give them free meals so they stop talking to the protagonist.

Reaction
The protagonists tells his girlfriend about it and he tells her that the coupon book represents respect.  Now he's just a nobody and before he was a somebody.
So now he says I want the job back and with it the coupon book.  There's his goal.

---------------End of inciting incident


Note and Remember:

ACTION - REACTION is a two part formula.

The NOUN is taken in the first scene.  The NOUN is regained in the second to last scene.

The last scene is the reaction scene to the second to last scene.

The NOUN is regained in the last ACTION scene and then we see the resolution in the final scene...the REACTION scene.

Prologue:

If you must use a prologue, connect it to your story in terms of character's involved.   See how in Raiders of the Lost Ark Indy is after an artifact and Belloq his rival in the Ark search is there for this one as well.  It's not just Indy doing his usual job, disconnected to the Ark search.  It's Indy competing against the Bad Guy in both searches.  Their Protagonist-Antagonist relationship is "Set Up."

You could probably argue that this is a "half an Inciting Incident"  Meaning, it shows that Indy's relationship issue is "choosing the wrong friends" as Belloq states and we see from the results of Indy's helpers running off.

The other half being "Go get the Ark" setup in the following scenes.


Update: NOUN TAKEN

A NOUN taken can be a service.  Let's say you want to give food to a hungry homeless man and he refuses to eat it.  And so you're character is stuck with this food.

Or let's say your character wants to pay a cop sit outside his house and the police refuse this protection.

Caring about your character - Screenwriting

It doesn't matter if you care about what your protagonist wants.

The only thing that matters is that your protagonist cares about what your protagonist wants.

If you feel bad for your protagonist...fine.  It doesn't matter whether you do or don't.

Make sure your protagonist cares about what they want and prove this to me, the reader/viewer, by having them attempt to get it in every scene following the inciting incident.

ending of a story

Ending is two parts.
Action ending, then the reaction ending.
 Action ending shows the character reaching their external goal.  Reaction shows them reaching their emotional goal.

How to show an emotional goal is reached?  Their initial reaction scene will show them breaking a relationship with a person place or thing because of the initial attack in the action scene
 The final reaction scene will be a reuniting of this person place or thing with them.

ending emotion - screenwriting

The antagonist has the emotion your hero wants and he's full of it.
In Shawshank Norton is full of hope. And full of pride.  And he doesn't want to share it with your main character.

emotion - screenwriting

Instead of asking, what emotion do you want your script to convey...
Ask what emotion does your main character want to feel?  What do the want to feel when they reach their goal?  What do they want to feel from another character?

Beginnings and Endings - Screenwriting

Beginnings are about hooks, premises, propositions...

Endings are about characters, outcomes

An ACT - Screenwriting

What is an Act?  What is an Act break?

When a character changes sub-goals.

They have a story goal and set out to achieve it.  The reach the end of act 1 when they get the person place or thing they think will give them their story goal.

But it doesn't give them their story goal.  It sends them toward a new person, place, or thing, to fix or make the first person place or thing work.

Character wants to get a magic sword before a dragon shows up at the village.
He gets it at the end of ACT 1.
But it doesn't work.
ACT 2 find the guy made the sword.
He finds the guy at the end of Act 2
But the guy lost the directions
ACT 3 go to the Swamp and get the directions and get back to the village before the dragon shows up.

Be Specific

Every line of dialog and every action should be an attack on the other character to get something specific.

Dialog - instead of "you people", should be "you"

Defining Concept - Screenwriting

What is a concept?

In business....it's the unique aspect of a product or service that addresses a problem, makes a task easier, simpler, more fun to do, etc.

In screenwriting?  It's the unique way a character addresses a problem.  It's their "job", their skill set, their Goal, their Reason for going after the goal, it's their world.

Developing your Theme - Screenwriting

How do you develop your theme?

You develop your theme by having characters ask the other characters why they want what they want.

You develop your theme by looking at How the characters go about getting what they want.

For example:
Your main character might lie to other characters.  Jerry in Fargo does this consistent behavior throughout the story.

"Who" is your Topic - Screenwriting

Every scene may contain your main character.

However your main character may not be the Topic.

The topic is the character in the story that every character in the movie is concerned about for selfless or selfish reasons.

Every Reaction scene should revolve around this "Topic Character"

Every Action scene should revolves around your "Main Character"

Staying on Topic - Screenwriting

Every scene should concern the specific person place or thing your main character wants.

Being Vague about "relationship problem" - Screenwriting

When to make the "Relationship Problem" clear and not vague.

Can it be vague at the start of a story?

For Example - In Shawshank Redemption the relationship problem is coined "Institutionalized" at the midpoint when they talk about Brooks dying and we see him try to make it outside the prison as a free man.

At the end we understand that the story argues that having Hope, using Hope, will allow a person to overcome their "institutionalized state"

At the start of the film we don't know that this is the Relationship Problem.
But we are led to see how a man could find himself in that state...we see Andy's daily routines, we see him being abused by fellow prisoners...we see the power the warden and his security guards have.

Or do we?

The way in which the antagonists, and sometimes even the protagonists go about getting what they want will reveal in the most subtle of ways what the Relationship Problem is in your story from the first scene to the last.

In Shawshank Redemption the Relationship Problem is Suppression.

During Andy's trial, instead of arguing, fighting to stay out of jail, instead of demanding the prosecutor to check the facts, instead of doing anything at all to convince them that he did not kill his wife and her lover...he suppresses his emotions, he suppresses any fight within himself.

Once he gets into prison and he's raped by other prisoners...he begins to stop suppressing a little bit at a time...the same way he chips at the prison wall a little bit at a time.

When to Start your Story - Screenwriting

The first scene of a story should be the scene in which your character engages with the character that they will bond with by the end of the story.

Alternative Theme - Screenwriting

In a pure a story every scene to scene is Action - Reaction.

All of the Action scenes will have a Theme.
All of the Reaction scenes will have another Theme.

Let's say the action scenes are about attempting to get a bag of cash.
That's the theme - "to get a bag of cash" Every action scene will be about this.

Then let's say all of the reaction scenes are about attempting to understand why your character wants that specific bag of cash, why another character wants it, what happens if your character doesn't get it, so on and so for.

That's the theme - "Why this bag of cash."  Every reaction scene will be about this.

By the end of the story you may be able to distill both themes down.

The action theme will probably be MONEY.  The reaction theme could be honor, love, respect, freedom...depending on what you uncovered as you had characters exploring why they want that bag of cash and why others want it.

Once you decide what you think the reaction theme is, you can phrase it like this:
Money leads to Respect.
Money leads to Freedom
Money leads to honor.

Note: the above arguments may turn out to be false by the end of the story.  Money leads to Respect may be the belief your main character has at the start of the story but once they get the bag of cash...maybe they still aren't getting respect.

Shawshank Redemption - Closed Book Theme

Andy Dufresne keeps his escape plans to himself.  He hides his rock hammer in a book.  He and the Warden keep their financial papers in a safe.  The contractor gives Warden a hidden envelope of cash in a pie box.

I would call this a "How Theme."  It's How Andy gets what he wants...he hides things.

Thesis:
Chipping Away leads to Life
Hope leads to life
Getting busy living leads to life

Vs.
Thesis 2
Getting busy dying leads to death

Action scenes about getting busy living -
Reaction scenes about why, how,

Theme - How and Why

Theme is general derived from motivation.  Why a character wants what they want.

However, how they go about getting what they want can be a theme as well.  If it's consistent.

Take a look at Fargo - Jerry lies to get what he wants.

The Coen brothers use this "How Theme" and lie to the audience by placing text in the beginning of the movie claiming the following story is true.

The reaction scenes explore how and why the character wants what they want and why they want it and how they might be going about getting it.

Emotional Vs. Intellectual Screenwriting

I read a scene today that clearly set up the problem some characters were facing.

It was a scene in which top military officials in WWI discuss their next site of attack.

On an intellectual level, it completely made sense and moved the story forward.

And by intellectual, I mean informational.

The author clearly illustrated the scene, "generals decide where to send troops"

On an emotional level, it didn't do a thing.

One: the main character was not in the scene

Two: none of the official's arguments brought up what their decision would be to the main character from a relationship stand point.

Two possible ways this scene could have worked on an emotional level.

One:  The top official could have said, this is the plan, and I'm going to send my son in there to get it done. (if the son was the main character, even stronger)

Two: One official could have said, "There will be too many casualties."  And the top official could have said "Do I look like I care?  What's a soldier's life worth?  I want this done.  Now."

You may have noticed that one) emotional scenes address relationships and two) emotional scenes evoke Theme.

In my first solution - we're talking about Sacrifice.  We're possibly talking about selfless honor.  And we're talking about a man and his son.

In my second solution - we're talking about sacrifice.  We're possibly talking about selfish glory, selfish honor. And we're talking about a leader who cares nothing for the men who fight for his country, that make him look good.

So for a scene to work on an emotional level, the writer must address a relationship issue.

For a scene to work on an intellectual level, the write must address informational issues.

Note of Caution:
If you are a write who outlines their story before writing scenes, make sure you are addressing the emotional level.
It can be easy to write: in this scene my character goes here and does this and so on and so forth.
However, when you start writing scenes, you'll find that you've only addressed the intellectual, informational aspects of the story.

Question for my readers:  What's a good way to outline emotional information?

Showing Opposing View Points - Screenwriting

Your main character will Want something and have a Reason for wanting it.

Another character will Want something.  It may be the same thing.  It may not.  But they will have an opposing Reason for wanting whatever it is they want.

These Opposing Reasons will be in the context of a relationship problem.

In other words.

If one character argues that the main characters motivation, that their reason is flawed and suggests another goal and reason....allow that second character to go after that goal and prove their reason.

Feeling Stress from Screenwriting

I thought I had "The Key" to writing screenplays.

I thought I had a solution that would allow me to write, to "fix" my story, from beginning to end.

75 pages in I felt stressed.  I felt that I didn't know if everything I had written up to that point was unchangeable.

I felt that I may have just spent six hours changing my story rather than making it better.

I didn't sit down and read my story as a pdf without judgement.

I didn't sit down and read my story, as a pdf, as if it were someone else's story

I sat down, came up with a general solution to apply to every scene, and I began changing scenes.

Prior to this writing session, I had received feedback from two people on trigger street labs.

I had reviewed seven writers work on trigger street labs and noticed a common element that I felt was missing in their work.

When I looked at my story, I felt I too was missing this element.

So I decided to change everything in my story until it contained it.

Did it make it better?  I don't know.

This is a feeling of uncertainty that I get whenever I come up with a "missing element" or "missing piece in the puzzle" idea that I think would make a "great" screenplay.

Then I decided to go back to the initial touchstone for my story: "Fargo"

I wanted to see if Fargo, a script I view as "Great" contained the same element I assumed must be in great scripts.

And low and behold it doesn't.

So what did I learn?

Before I jump in and start to tweak my story I need to:
1) Sit down and read my script as a PDF from beginning to end and take notes in MS Word.
2) Write down my solutions to my notes.
3) Check to see if produced screenplays utilize these solutions.

Then, start changing, tweaking, moving things around.

Screenplays - Present or future tense

Screenplays are written in the present tense.

However the audience is concerned with the future.

"If" and "What if" suggest the future.   They are the source of story.

Main character and their want - Your spine - screenwriting

When you cut away to another character in another place - whatever it is they are doing - the audience should understand how it will affect your main character's want.  Is it going to make it harder for them to get.  I hope so.  If it's not...who's going to stamp out the flame of hope.

Thesis Statement = character want

Your character's want and reason for that want are the thesis statement of your story.

In an essay's first paragraph you make a point.  You put forth an argument.

In the first scene of your story, your character should make an attempt and explain what they want.

In each scene after that, there should be a thesis.  A scene objective.  An attempt toward the reaching the story objective.

The thesis statement should remain flexible until the paper is actually finished. It ought to be one of the last things that we fuss with in the rewriting process

The above quote rings true when it comes to stories.  If you change the story want, you change the story.

Character Want - Screenwriting

If you change the WANT, you change the STORY.

Stick with the want.

Relationships - screenwriting

At the end a scene....what should my understanding be of the relationship of the characters in that scene?  How has their relationship been established in their first scene together and how has it changed in this new scene?

Point of View - Screenwriting

Is your main character the POV character in all their scenes?

Don't let you be the POV or your reader be the POV or the audience be the POV.

Your main character should be the POV.

Start and end the scene with your main character.  Make sure their want is driving the scene and everything else in the scene is an obstacle.

Root Note - Root Scene - Music Theory and Screenwriting

The root note of a chord.

It's like the first scene of a story.

It defines the story.

Point of View

Every scene your main character is in....show their pov and show them acting for or against what is happening.

If another character is driving hard in the scene...make your main character drive harder.  Even if they might "lose" in the scene...they should be fighting every step of the way.

Fish out of Water - Screenwriting

In a way, every story is about a fish out of water.

Take a fish(character), pull him out of the water and throw rocks at him, put him back in the water.

Your concept is a fish out of water.

What is my Genre? - Screenwriting

The main characters personal objective combined with the story world equals the genre.

Focus on a clear personal objective and keep the story world consistent and people get it.

The First Scene in Your Story - Screenwriting

I know this may sound ridiculous but your main characters personal objective should be made clear in the first scene.

Through Action or Dialog or both.

This is what they want more than anything.

In the first scene.

Call to Action

General Call to Action - Bomb discovered - Go to the school and see what's going on.

Personal Call to Action - You're alcohol addiction caused you to blow your cover.  You're fired.

Writing Inspiration

Just write, bro.

Character Flaws

Need a character flaw?

Watch toddlers interact and listen to their parents or teachers correct their behavior.

"Tommy, don't hit Sara.  We don't hit girls."
"Sara, don't say mean things to Heather.  We talk nice to each other."
"Bruce, stop kissing Martha.  We don't kiss people unless it's appropriate."

And the list can go on.

Take those behaviors and "grow them up" into adult behaviors.

Man hits woman.
Girl bullies other girl.
Man treats woman like meat.

Point of View - Screenwriting

Passive Point of View - Scene after scene we watch the same character being pushed around, arguing, or just floating.

Active Point of View - Scene after scene we watch the same character pushing, struggling, making different acts, attempts, tries, toward reaching a specific goal. 

A Strong Main Character

What does it mean to be a strong main character?

A strong main character wants something.  They want something that is "bad".

Led by their ego, they want something that devalues other characters.

The stakes raise as the main character moves toward getting what they want.

As they follow their ego, another character moves into the crosshairs of the bad guy who's following the same ego drive.


A weak main character wants something that is "good" from the outset.

"I want this, because it will give me this." - strong main character

"I want this because it will help this character" - weak main character

IN OTHER WORDS:

I'm talking about a flaw.

I'm talking about the interplay between Flaw and Strength.

I'm talking about EGO Vs. SELFLESS

I'm talking about being controversial.

I'm talking about Being in Contrast to how you believe people should act.

But, how can a main character behave like that and be a hero?
That's what the third act is for.  If it's a "comedy"

The 1st and second are there to show them how their bad behavior has led them and others down a dark road.

If it's a tragedy or tragi-comic tale then the third act may head somewhere even darker.

BUT at the top of the hill, the start of the tale, the beginning of the story, the main character has to want and act on that "bad" want until they hit a dead end at the end of act 2.

Who's the group?

The character has to want something that will affect a specific set of characters.

CHARACTER WANT - Screenwriting

Your characters want/goal give you your start and your end.

They either have something and it is taken away from them.

or they are made aware of something and believe it will make their life better.

If your character is happy then take what makes them happy away.

If your character is sad, introduce them to something that will make them happy.

The Message - Screenwriting

What is Message?

It develops out of the relationships the characters have with each other.

It's a general truth that the main character comes to see.

It's the truth that the main character has been fighting against because of his want and because it is harder to be the truth (be one with the group) than it is to fight for what you want.

Oppression

Don't oppress your inner child.

thy creative spirit needs to play before the serious one starts getting down to business.

MAIN CHARACTERS - Screenwriting

Say you develop a world, characters, everything fits together.  But you can't come up with a conflict... because everything thing fits together.

That world is your "second act" world.  Your "underworld"

Brainstorm some characters who would NOT fit in with these characters.

A character who preaches opposite ideals.

A character who looks different

A character who's not welcome.

That's your main character and that's your first act.

Writing

DO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR WRITING

FALL IN LOVE WITH THE ACT OF WRITING

Write your movie

SQUARE THE CIRCLE

Two THEMES to every story

First 55 pages are about what every character WANTS
Next 55 are about what every character LACKS


Gotta write the first 55 to figure out the final 55.

First Scene

The first scene in your story will be an encapsulated essence of the entire story.  It will be the relationship problem and the external problem.

Story Structure

DON'T FEAR ACT 2 - Screenwriting

Act 2 is the guru's WARNING/SELLING TOOL.  Fearing it will lead you to rewrite looking for act breaks, midpoints, dark night of the soul, etc.  Don't let that generalized horoscope structure label system fuck with your work.

The trick is to write your first draft without rewriting until you finish the first draft.

Act 1) the first scripts you write, even if you tried rewriting while writing the first draft, are going to be crappy.  So just pound out the first draft.  See if you can make it any better after and if it's still a mess.  MOVE ON.

Act 2)  the more you get through first drafts and then look back at what could be fixed when your done, the better your NEXT story will be.

Act 3)  Which will lead to you writing pretty decent FIRST DRAFTS that will be EASIER to fix in subsequent drafts.


POWER THROUGH THE FIRST DRAFT.  GET ANGRY.  PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN AND WORK.

MIDPOINT - REVERSAL - SCREENWRITING

The midpoint of your story.  The major reversal.

In the context of RELATIONSHIPS.

At the midpoint, your main character's relationship that will change, clarity if it were, will become clear.

The Vs. of the story will be made clear.  The good guy and the bad guy will be made clear.

The two sides of the story.  The issue.  This will be made clear.

when to end a story

Why can't you stop and give them what they want?

Has any relationship changed?

Has the main character gotten anything new in their life?

Desperation - Screenwriting

Desperate to finish the script?

Desperation leads to stagnation.

Donny - The Big Lebowski

Donny's character for me symbolizes the viewer who's trying to understand what's going on but never quite gets it.

He thinks with his heart and not with his head.

And he thinks so hard with his heart he has a heart attack and dies.

Three Act Structure

Act 1 - Character becomes aware that other characters have a problem with them and...

Act 2 - Character learns what their relationship problem is from other characters.  Once they realize why other characters have a problem with them they can then take the final step...

Act 3 - Character sets out to prove to the other characters they can be what the other characters want them to be

SIMPLE STRUCTURE

PROBLEM - Character wants something.  Character has relationship issues.

REACTION - Character attempts to get something.  Character attempts to fix relationship issues.

SOLUTION - Character gets it.  Character fixes relationship issues.

Backstory in Screenplays

We write a story in order to understand the backstory.

A characters WANT in the present story is a REACTION to an event in the backstory.

As we develop the present story we develop and understand the back story.  We start to understand the action - reaction

How Coen Brothers write

Ethan: "That's kind of how you get the story going. "He has this problem. How do we make it worse?" That is the way we think about it as we're writing it."

Simple.

Coen Bro's on message and moral

"Q: Your other movies seem to have a moral or a message at the end. What do you see as the message of The Big Lebowski?

Coens: None....None of them have messages....You see a moral in them? Do we have morals?""

Just let the story do the talking. or whatever man.

The First Draft

Like your flawed main character as they enter the story and try to solve their problem, so to your first draft will be flawed.

If your first draft were not flawed, there would be no room for growth, no room for change, no story to be written.

It will not only be flawed but it is important that the first draft be flawed so that you too will overcome something.

FARGO - Using backstory to solve the present story

When Marge meets up with an old acquaintance named Mike the Coen brothers use it to help her solve the investigation.

They could have had Marge discuss the case with Mike.  Mike could have presented some ideas that might help the case/

But instead they have him portray the same behavior as Jerry.  They have him lie to Marge in order to get what he wants.   A little white lie.  He tells a tall tale about a mutual friend he was married to who died from cancer.

Marge speaks with another friend from her past who says Mike was never married to the girl and she's still alive.

The Big Lebowski - What is it about?

First)  The Big Lebowski conceit - What if there was a world in which no one was they thought they were except for one man.

And then what if this one man tried to be something they weren't?

Now all of the characters are "out of place"  Every single one is a fish out of water.

Take the scene when Walter thrashes the sports car with a crowbar and says "Do you see what happens?  Do you see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass?"

This scene is similar to the "pee on your rug Lebowski."  "I'm not Lebowski, I'm the "Dude", man."

The Big Lebowski is about mistaken identity and the innocent bystanders who reap the wrath of it.

You could also say it's about "Identity Crisis"

The "dude" is comfortable with his identity.  He's a pacifist.  He's not trying to be something else when the story starts.  He doesn't need to change.

While Walter is pretending to be a Jew.  He's got an identity crisis from his ex-wife and his relationship.

When the "Dude" becomes an aggressor, a whole short storm takes place.

The "Dude" abides.  While all the other characters want money, or to win, or a child, etc.

"This usage of "dude" was still in use in the 1950s in America, as a word for a tourist – of either gender – who attempts to dress like the local culture but fails."  -wikipedia

The "Dude" is a fish out of water so to speak.  And when the case is solved he goes back to his water.

This movie is about a character who is perfectly in sync who then becomes outrageously out of sync and finally back to sync.

It's a circular narrative, dude.

Words of Advice for Screenwriters

Don't judge your own writing. Judge your writing behavior.

Screenplay Analysis

"But this business of taking novels apart in order to show bored children how they were put together—there’s a madness to it."

Yeah.

FARGO - Theme

The characters WANT money in the first half.
The characters LACK honesty in the second half.


I wrote awhile back about the Character Flaw in Fargo.  I stated that "Minnesota Nice" was the character trait that is the draw of the story but will need to be overcome if the goal is to be reached.

Another name for the thematic element of "Minnesota Nice" is Trust.

From the very beginning of the story, the Coen brothers weave this theme into the piece.

"This is a true story" is written on the screen right before it begins.  Most people in the audience/readers trust that if it is written then it probably is true.

Jerry trusts the kidnappers.

Jerry trusts his father in law.

Marge trusts Jerry

Marge trusts Mike

Once Marge learns that Mike has been lying to her.  She returns to question Jerry.

Trust has been broken and now it's game on.

  

Raising the Stakes - screenwriting

Ask yourself if there is a missing character.

Is there someone who could apply pressure to the situation that you have left out?

Character Want - Story Analysis

Saying the theme of your story is "hope" or "love" or "friendship" "etc" or this that and the other and inserting, rewriting scenes to reflect this has the same NEGATIVE EFFECT

As the writer who says "I want to have a scene where the main character runs into a burning building, it explodes, he walks out all badass, then there is a car chase, then the girl he wants fucks him. etc" and inserts, rewrites scenes to reflect that.

Whenever you write outside of following a characters want, and how it reflects and deflects other character's wants, the story will suffer.

The Big Lebowski - Character Arc

First off I think "character arc" is a misleading term.

I like to think in terms of character growth and character change.

The "Dude" is a pacifist.

He takes up the opposite stance "To take a Stand"

Having been a part of the shit storm that "taking a stand" leads him on...

He returns to his pacifism


Is this character growth?  - I think so.  I think he learned that who he is, is who he should be.  It's a confirmation of his original beliefs.

I think we the audience/reader like it is, 1) it's funny to see a pacifist take a stand 2) we empathize with a character who agrees to put his belief system aside to try someone else's


Now at the start of the movie you've got The father Walter, The mother "Dude", and the child Donnie.

In another movie version you would have The father i.e. Walter replaced by Maude but because of her feminist stance she wants no part of the Dude in their unborn childs life.

The "unborn child and the Dude" replaces "Donnie and the dude's" relationship.

Is this character change? - No.  Not technically.  The dude does not form a new relationship with Maude.

That said I think we the audience/reader are okay with it is because we see that Maude will be fine on her own as a single mother.  And we probably wouldn't want the Dude being responsible for a child.

After seeing how the man rolls, well, it's probably best he just abides.  And takes it easy.

thinking about screenwriting

"But, as I have just suggested, I believe that the practice of writing consists in more and more relegating all that schematic operation to the subconscious. The critic that is in every fabulist is like the iceberg—nine-tenths of him is under water. Yeats warned against probing into how and why one writes; he called it “muddying the spring.” He quoted Browning’s lines:

Where the apple reddens never pry—

Lest we lose our Edens, Eve and I."

Trying to be Coy - Screenwriting

Fuck being mysterious.  You've got to show what you intend.  Put it right in their face.

"In a movie, I don’t know. If you do it merely “suggestively,” it’s a cop-out."

This goes again with the idea that whatever your logline is about must be in that first scene.

It's about this character dealing with this obstacle trying to get this want.

All of that should be in the first scene.   Don't hold back for the "inciting incident"  or the "second act plot point"

Don't hold anything back.  let the want and obstacle start right off the bat and let it play itself out.

Don't try to be a magician.  It's a rare thing to need a prologue as in the Sixth Sense.

And even that element didnt come about until the fifth draft.

Writing Movies - How hard is it?

"They don’t ­realize that the format is nothing any child couldn’t do, any child with a visual sense, a visual attitude, and a basic familiarity with movies."

Always must remind myself that a decent movie can be written between 9 - 12 days.


Anything longer is the writer's personality obstructing the work.

Exclamation Points - END OF ACT

At the end of an Act - sometimes there is a moment with the main character, set to music, sometimes in slow motion, that adds a little flair of "fuck ya I just did that"  or "Fuck, I just did that"  or "Fuck, here we go"

French New Wave

Godard - essentially all about Sound.  This allows for jump cuts and lyrical dialog.

Truffaut - biography, autobiography, documentary

Ray Bradbury - Quote

"Style is truth. Once you nail down what you want to say about yourself and your fears and your life, then that becomes your style and you go to those writers who can teach you how to use words to fit your truth. "

From this interview:

http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6012/the-art-of-fiction-no-203-ray-bradbury

HERO's Journey - Screenwriting

A Hero doesn't start out as such.

Meaning, you don't make your main character a Hero until the end of the story.

Until he has made Heroic choices does he become a Hero.

At the beginning of a story every character is equal.

Screenwriting - Know Your Audience

Is your story intended for good people or bad people?

Are you writing this story because you want bad people to see how their actions effect others?

Are you writing this story because you want good people to see how their actions effect others?

Intent - Intentions - Your Audience - Screenwriting

Well, I think the intent of my stories is to teach those people who suffer from the same weakness my flawed characters suffer from, and for them to see the negative effects these flaws can have on others,

How to write a STRONG NARRATIVE movie

1) make the first scene, the scene in which the story want is setup.  It can be "the" want or a "similar want" i.e. Indiana Jones - first scene in Ark Indiana is trying to get an artifact.  It's the "same" thing as the "ark"  Man going after rare, dangerous, artifacts.

2) write down for yourself exactly what the story you want to tell is.
Don't just say "Comedy"  or "a good story."  Nothing in general.
i.e. "A dark comedy about a Police officer who wants to stop killer.  But the killer is his father and they are best friends"  Write down something specific like that so you know when you're going off course.  You can use that line when you do rewrites.  And don't waiver from that line once you start working on the story.

Goals and the Premise

Whatever it is you Pitch to someone about your story should be there in the first scene.

Whatever you say your main characters goal is, should be established in the first scene.

Don't make the audience/reader sit around, waiting for the goal and premise to enter the story.

Interview with a Screenwriter - Gary Ross

Gary Ross - Big, Dave, Pleasantville

Talks about his writing process and the writing process in general

http://www.uncleanarts.com/writing/interviews/gary-ross-page-2.htm

Screenwriting - Have something to say

What does it mean to have something to say?

When writing a story, you will invariably be putting stuff in there that presents an opinion.

Now the opinion revolves around a behavior.

A behavior in a specific situation.

Here's the wrong way to "say something"

you might say "Drinking alcohol is bad."

Now this opinion would be "messagey" "preachy" "propaganda".  Why?  Because it's general.

here's the right way to "Say something"  and to say it through multiple connected scenes.

"drinking Alcohol at your pals party is bad when your wife is at home alone and there is a killer on the loose in your neighborhood."
"drinking alcohol is bad when your driving."
"Drinking alcohol is bad when your supposed to be helping your kid with his homework"

Throw in a scene where drinking alcohol is good to balance it out.
A single guy, drinking alcohol, stops a man from beating up his girlfriend.
A single guy saying "thank god i was drinking or i wouldn't have found the courage to stop that asshole"


There is a time and a place for every behavior.  Your job is to show that balance.

An interesting aspect of writing is that you don't need to know what you want to say before you start.

As you show a character going after their goal, that character should be showing you his/her consistent behaviors.

Everytime he's takes another action toward reaching his goal he does what behavior?

WES ANDERSON and OWEN WILSON'S RUSHMORE - Failure to develop Character Need

Why does Max Fischer want Ms. Cross?

What is Max Fischer's Need?

I would suggest two motivations:
-to impress the boys of rushmore academy
-she fulfills the missing place his dead mother left

Neither of which were developed in the story.

Considering Max falls for a kindergarten teacher I think the Need would have most likely been the teacher fulfilling the role his dead mother played.

The last image of Max and Ms. Cross dancing fails to provide any meaning because the character need was never developed.

There is an analogy to Vietnam.  A war that could not be won to Max's desire to win Ms. Cross's heart.

So perhaps there could have been something about his mom and him dancing, a picture or a memory or a line of dialog...

And perhaps when he does dance with Ms. Cross he realizes that just as in vietnam, that war can't be one, that she is not his mother and that no one will replace her.

Character Need - Screenwriting

Character Need is just another way of saying Motivation.

Writers fail to blow their readers out of the water when they fail to develop the characters need.

How to develop the character's need?

While going after the characters want....

You must keep asking, "why they want this goal?"

Once you get through the first draft, go back and think about why they want the goal.

What patterns of behavior do you see that conflict, that create obstacles for the character?

What character is missing from their life?  What character is infringing on their life?

What do other characters want from your character?

Just like the audience, writers go into the story blindly.  Our goal is to find the need, the motivation, the selfish desire the "character want" will give them.

The motivation will be specific just like the character want.

The character doesn't want money.  He wants the money in that vault.
He doesn't need a big house full of women.  He needs that whore house with those women who remind him of his sisters.

Remember "Need" revolves around character relationships.  Motivation is the glue that bonds characters.

"Want" is the external person place or thing they think will give them their selfish need.

You start with the Want and end at the Need.

Writing is simply finding motivation.  Finding the need.

Be Hannibal Lector.

Hannibal wanted to find Clarice Starlings Need.  He wanted to find her motivation.

Once he found it he told her how to get what she wanted, Buffalo Bill.

Screenwriting - Want and Need

A character has a Want -

The want is meaningless

"I want a box of condoms"

A character has a Need

The need gives meaning.

"I want to give the box of condoms to my daughter so that she doesn't get pregnant or sick."

The "character need" is also called motivation, co-want, relationship connector, etc.

Now if the need is selfish, you may be talking about the antagonist.

"I want to use the condoms on escorts while my wife is at home with our sick child."

So, the want is always meaningless

and the need gives the meaning

The need gives the relationship connection

Piecing Your Story - Screenwriting

When you start dissecting your story into plot lines and elements like protag and antag - you may well just be fucking yourself.


Just follow their wants in a believable manner.

And don't lock onto one character as if they are your baby.  You may get two thirds of the way into the story and realize the character you thought was the protag is not.

Saying this character is good and this character is bad before you've seen their actions will harm your work.

You can't spell analyze without anal and that's where the crap comes from.

END OF ACT 2 - SCREENWRITING

At the end of Act 2 a character has a change of heart.  And will change relationships.  Will bond with another.

or break an existing bond with another.

They next take a step that tips the scales and leads to the end of the story.

This could be a protag, antag, or third shadow character

Screenwriting the O'natural Way

There is a formula to screenwriting.  Thank God it happens to fulfill itself organically when you let your characters go after what they want.

Sure, at the midpoint of your story shits going to hit the fan.  But you don't need to think about what that will be and put it in.  There is a natural order of things when characters go after what they want.

Amen.

Antagonist - Protagonist

Make it clear what each WANTS.

And don't forget that each has a  WANT and a symbiotic CO-WANT

In other words, a WANT and a NEED
In other words, a WANT and a MOTIVATION

The WANT revolves around a person, place, or thing.
The CO-WANT revolves around a person place or thing.

One character says, "I want to put up a picture of my dead mother."
Another character says. "No.  There will be no pictures of her in this house."

That's WANT

Here's CO-WANT
One character says, "I want people to remember her when they are here.  She was a strong woman and made us who we are.  I want to keep that dignified personality alive here."
Another character says, "I want people to forget about her.  She was a bitch. I want to let loose in the house and not think of her looking over my shoulder."

1) Picture of mom
2) Loose Personalities vs. dignified personalities

And the CO-WANT should suggest a relationship conflict BEYOND the protag and antag.

Your Genre

Ever try writing in a genre that you love but it just feels so hard to do?

The genre that I love, is hard for me to write in.  The exact opposite of that genre is what I'm good at writing.

I think I'm attracted to the first genre because it's the opposite of my personality.  But I think that when we write the genre we're good at, and it may seem boring and uninteresting to you, we write well.  because the genre we are good at is a metaphor for what we dislike in ourselves.

the more your write within and about what bothers you, what your ego does not like, the better the writing.

poop.

Character Want - Screenwriting

In your character's voice say, "I want this... so that I can do this..."

For example:

"I want to buy an SUV so that my kids are safe on the road" is perfectly understandable reason but it doesn't suggest a relationship conflict.

"I want to buy an SUV so that my kids are safe on the road AND I can impress that guys wife."

That suggests a relationship conflict.

motivation, reasoning must suggest a relationship conflict.  That is what a story's "aboutness" will be about.

I want to put this want over that want and to do it I want to buy, steal, take, borrow, etc. this thing.

"I want to steal this bike because it will be fun to ride." = no story
"I want to steal this bike because I hate that nigger."  = story
"I want to steal this bike because my dad won't buy me one"  = story
"I want to steal this bike because I like stealing." = close, but no story
"I like stealing"  is generic "I like stealing from people."  Getting better.  "I like stealing from people who are rich in my eyes." - Even better.
"I like stealing from that guy who lives across from my uncles house because he's got nice stuff and I want nice stuff so that I can impress that girl who lives down the block." - = seed to a story

now the other half of the story arises while writing.

it's the other want that lies dormant that begins to show up.

like - I want to steal to impress that girl, but(and) I want to...  you can't make the second part up before you write the story.  you have to write for that second want to show up.

Screenwriting - Denial of Voices

Have you ever decided while you were writing that you were not going to have a certain character in your story?

For example, you might say well in this story I don't want there to be any news reporters.  Or I don't want the cops to be involved.

But while your writing, your intuition is saying that "if this thing happened, the police would know about it".

Don't deny that voice.  Don't deny that character.

If your intuition says that character should come into play, then you've got to do it.  Your intellect can't stop what your intuition wants.  You got to play fair.  And you'll see it makes the story better.

Stories are about two characters battling over something and sometimes it may be that voice you're denying, that ends up tip the balance and ending the story.

Screenwriting - Three Characters

Protagonist vs. antagonist

Hero Vs. Villain

Good guy Vs. Bad Guy

but, in the shadows, in the shadows lurks a third character.

And when that third character shows up

they tip the scales

and the end draws near.

SCREENWRITING - THE ACT

Does it satisfy your soul or your ego?

theme

After years and I mean years of trying various writing methods with Theme in mind, I have subscribed to the idea that the most useful Theme is the situation itself.

Focusing your story by following a character in a situation and staying with that situation will indubitably UNIFY the story.  And will, in the end, say something whether you like it or not.

And here are two quotes I found on the internet that reinforce this idea.

"The experienced dramatist or screenwriter seldom begins with a theme, or attempts to fashion a story in order to present a philosophical position, which might be called a thesis. This method leads to clichés, propaganda, and lifeless characters; because all the human issues of the drama have been subordinated to this thesis the author is out to prove. Instead, an accomplished screenwriter creates characters and situations, and then chooses a culmination and resolution that seem right and satisfactory to his own feelings about the subject matter. In other words, a good screenwriter lets the theme take care of itself. The theme thus becomes not some point to be proven, but the subject matter itself, that aspect of human existence this story will explore."

"Another aspect of theme to keep in mind is that it applies to the entirety of the screenplay, not just to the protagonist."

shawshank redemption....again

Theme of shawshank redemption - "making a go of it"  "love the one your with"
"adjust to your surroundings" BUT "don't lose yourself while doing it"

Why Screenwriting

"Researching her life before her illness so that the reader might fall in love with my mother before the disease wrenched her away, attempting to allow the reader to value our loss and, in turn, understand our "dramatic struggle.""

Showing what the main character values and showing it gone in context of their world.

ReWriting

ten times less likely to change or rewrite scenes when you follow a want as apposed to describing a want.

get into the conflict right off the bat and decide on the tone of the conflict.

Screenplay Form(structure)

Let your characters create the form with their actions and relationships.

Letting go of your Story World - Screenwriting without a parachute

If you have the ability to put your desires for what's in your story aside, you've got a fantastic shot at writing something that's really alive.

Finding Nemo - Relationships

I have this formula that I lay onto movies.  It's generic enough to work.

Stories happen when a main characters' relationship with another, Fractures, like two atoms.

Stories end when a main character Bonds with another character, like two atoms.

In Finding Nemo, I'd like to stretch it a little.

Marlin's relationship with his wife becomes fractured when she is eaten.
He then bonds with Dory.  Though she doesn't make an appearance in the final scene.

Marlin's relationship with Nemo is fractured and then re-bonded.

The way I'm reconciling this second relationship is that since Nemo gains confidence he becomes a new fish by the time Marlin finds him again.

So, in effect Marlin is bonding with a new character.

FARGO - character flaw

The character flaw in Fargo is Minnesota Nice.  It's the simple, homey, comfortable, honest, way of life.

A character flaw is what makes the story interesting but also the thing that must be overcome, let go, put aside in order to reach the goal.

When Marge learns that her old friend Mike was lying to her, she realizes Jerry may be lying to her.

Theme

A theme or idea - some meaning expressed by the story that was greater than its plot.

It arises naturally.

Three Writing Guides

Theme - not abstract but literal.  For example - Shark killing swimmers. - Every scene concerns this "theme"

Tone - Funny, scared, cute, touching, sad - Pick one tone and make every scene contain it.  Subtones are okay but make sure the main tone is there too.

Reality - make sure behavior is true to the world your creating.

Character Flaw - the thing that matters most

I have to reiterate that the character flaw is the thing of your story.  It's whatever you find is the funniest part of your story if your writing a comedy.  The coolest if your writing action.  The scariest if your writing horror.

It's what is keeping your character from bonding with another.

It's what we fucking want so bad.

It's not snakes for Indiana Jones.  It's his desire to track down rare artifacts.

three villains in feature films

Jaws - mayor, quint, shark

Feature films are long.  And to support each side of the "argument" there will be multiple characters.  I think you can find three villains of different power/style levels in a lot of films.

And a lot of times there is a relationship being tested with one of these villains.

Character Vs. Plot

What we have in other words is Character Vs. Tools.

I think one reason we outline is because we fear that the Tools will lose this battle if we write from page one without knowing where we'll be on page 10.

The tools create the interesting set pieces, they create the interesting visuals, the interesting battles, and so on.

However when we write from an outline, we lose the interesting ways in which characters relate to each other.  The ways they hurt and help each other.

attracting an audience

We are attracted to 1)characters and 2) tools.
We are not attracted to structure.

Characters - relationship problems
Tools - how they are used, magic

outlining and structure

im on the side that says outlining a story is not worth the effort.

because a character has a goal, a weakness, and a strength AND other characters in the story will have the same three elements, it can be artificial to predict where and how they will act and react.

I do believe it it's possible to write passable stories using an outline but characters and scene cuts will without-a-doubt be less interesting, less real.

when you sit down to write with an outline, the outline becomes the engine driving you forward.

when you sit down to write having stepped inside a character, the character becomes the engine driving you forward.   

Joseph Minion and Martin Scorsese - After Hours

Here's a story that steps away from "Reality" and plays with symbols and psych thriller genre.  Parts are comedic.

Stories

Stories are simply about a character that doesn't fit in with others

Character Vs. Plot

Character Vs. Plot

And the third element.

ESSENCE.

The soul of the story.

story breakdown

Am I consistent with my point of view character?
What's the most interesting part of my story?

character strength

A character's strength is keeping their existing relationship together.  It is abused by the antagonist.  It's something positive but something they need to stop using to get what they want.

In another light you could call it their flaw.

Marlin from Finding Nemo is over protective.  It's a "white flaw"  like a "white lie"  From a distance it doesn't seem mean or bad but it's restraining Nemo from growing.

antagonist, villain, bad guy

The antagonist wants the same thing as the protagonist in general.

The reason we dislike the antagonist is because they are trying to suppress the want in the protagonist.

They are essentially saying look i want the same thing but i want it for myself alone.
While the protagonist essentially say I want it, and you want it, why can't we share it.  we can't we all have it.

who doesnt dislike a hypocrite?

character flaw

Consider the most interesting aspect of your character as their character flaw.

Like Indiana Jones is great at finding artifacts but its also what gets him into relationship trouble.

Now on the other side of the spectrum...

Marlin from Finding Nemo is an over protective loving father.

Short Vs. Feature Film Story

A short film situation is one in which a daily routine is shook about.

A feature film situation is one in which a way of life is shook about.

Rising Action

Rising Action is a sort of bullshit term.

Chances are the type and amount of action that takes place in the beginning of your story will be the same at the end.

Rising Action could mean more and more characters are getting involved in the situation.

Story

Stories are about saying - This is what this character did in this situation to achieve this goal.

They ask us, what would we do in a similar situation?

Story Type Tones

Comedy - over the top
Tragedy - dark
Drama - realism.  can be comedic or tragic

Character Strength - Character Flaw

A Character Strength is what connects your main character to other relationships.

A Character Weakness is what disconnects your main character to other relationships.  And specifically to the person(s) they want to have a relationship with.


Indiana Jones for example:
Strength - his ability to find and bring back valuable artifacts
Weakness - He's flighty.  He's constantly on the move.  He doesn't have time to settle.

or flip it and call his artifact gathering ability his flaw(weakness)

Character Growth

A character cannot begin to grow until they admit they have a problem.

Problems for your Character

A character can have three problems:
Situational - Example: Shark killing beach goers
Personal Growth - Example: Fear of water
Relationship - Example: Towns people don't think you can do your job

Character Growth + Character Relationship Change

Character A calls Character B a fat moron for crashing his car.
Character B is now setup for growth.

Character B signs up for the gym.
Character B meets Character C at the gym.
Character B is now setup for Character Relationship Change.

End of Movie - Character B understands why he crashed the car. Perhaps it's not even because of his weight.  With help from Character C and Character A is now out of his life.

Character Arc Character Change Character Growth

Characters do not change.  Alchemy is not real.

Imagine an Oak tree turning into a Maple tree.  Impossible.

Characters grow.  They overcome fears.  Characters shrink.  They pick up new fears.

Characters change RELATIONSHIPS.  That's what character change and character arcs are all about.

Scene within a Scene

When the camera goes into slow motion on a characters face during a pivotal moment, or even just a close up.  It's like a private scene between us and the character.  This becomes a private moment between the audience and the character.  This creates a bond between us and them.

Sometimes after this moment things start going the opposite way they have been going for the main character.

The Remains of the Day - Relationships

The structure of the film has two main parts:
1 - Butler Stevens sets off on a trip to see if he former house maid would join his staff again.
2 - Episodic situations from the past that show Butler Steven's relationship with Lord Darlington, Miss Kenton, his staff, and the aristocracy of the day.

The story shows us Steven's attempt to form a new bond, a new relationship only to fail.  He strives to have a personal relationship.  All his relationships are either public.  Or private(his books).

He, the dignified butler, is the last remains of a former age.  He, like Lord Darlington, fail to update and connect, form a new relationship with the present.

When Hughe Grant's character asks Steven's to have a drink with him, Steven's won't.  He finds it hard to sit back and chat.  He's constantly doing his job.  His public relationship in which he doesn't argue about issues but simply does tasks consumes him.

This is a story in which the main character does not Change Relationships and does Not Grow and does Not Positively Resolve the Situation.

And yet I fucking love it.

Theme in the first draft(s)

Use the situation as the unifying theme.
Once you've written and finished a few drafts.
Then read the story to get a better sense of the abstract "Vs. Theme" at play.

All info on screenwriting can help you shape your story but only after you get it down on paper.

Scene Types

When you have public, personal, and private scenes with a main character - a relationship begins to develop between the audience and the character.

Character Voice

When each character has a different tone and a different view point concerning the issues in the story, the story comes alive.

Character Sympathy

Try to maintain a clinical approach when your writing scenes with your main character.  If you sympathize with your main character you will simply be holding their hand.  You shouldn't want what your main character wants.  Your like the parent of this character and what's more sympathetic to an audience than a parent who treats their child(character) like shit.

Character's as obstacles

There is something thrilling about writing scenes in which allies of your main character act and argue as obstacles.

In fact when another character sits and listens and agrees with your main character, well that character becomes dead weight.  It's even more exciting when they sit, listen, agree, but then tell your main character they are going to still do what they want and still be an obstacle.

Outlining

Hot Tip:  Make each slug line a summary of the end of each scene.

Example:
Generic slug - Batman meets Joker
Ending slug - At Batcave, Joker traps Batman.

Plot Points and Relationships and Meaning

Two hitmen shot at multiple times but not a single bullet hits them.

One argues that God saved them.  The other doesn't.

One decides to quit his job as a hitman.  The other doesn't.

These two scenes from Pulp Fiction contain a plot point based on a relationship.

In this instance it is the characters's relationship with God.

It turns, spins, changes the direction of the story.  Of the character's story.

"I'm a hitman."  turns to "I'm done being a hitman"  and  "I'm going to continue to be a hitman."

However, meaning is not created until the consequences of this plot point are shown.

Jules presumably lives.  Vincent we see gets shot and killed.  Jules forms a new relationship with God, a new bond, while Vincent retains his old relationship, his old bond with Marcellus Wallace.

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So we see that we need multiple plot points to create meaning.
And we need a relationship to use as the creation, engine, source of the plot points.

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Take Andy Dufresne relationship with the Prison staff in Shawshank Redemption.
Because of his banking background he goes from being a no name abused prisoner to the prince of the prison when he suggests to Haldey he can get around his tax problem.

This would be a plot point.

You can think of plot points like chemicals, bonding or splitting.

Now in order to create meaning, this new relationship with the prison staff needs to be tested.  This new bond.

Andy finds out who killed his wife.  Norton has the man who knows, killed.
This is a plot point that tests their relationship.
Meaning is created as we see that this relationship isn't as great as we thought.
If Warden Norton allowed Andy to try to get a new trial with this new information we would see that the bond is strong.

Red has some plot points too.  When he goes into the parole board meeting in the setup of the movie we see him say he's rehabilitated.  And we see them deny him freedom.  We see the red-parole board relationship.   We see there is no bond.
That's a plot point.

Now after Andy escapes, Red thinks about everything that has occurred and goes into the parole board meeting again.  This time he tries a different approach.
The parole board accepts his argument and gives him his freedom.  They have now bonded.  This is the second plot point that creates meaning.

Meaning is created when characters bond AND when characters split.

Notice how the midpoint of this movie has Andy "cheating", "trying to split" from his new bond with the prison staff.  Andy plays an opera over the loud speaker for his fellow inmates.  Andy's fellow inmates are the other relationship, the other element, the other bond, this story is testing.  Norton quickly attempts to reseal his bond with Andy.

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Notice how the characters goal of getting out of prison puts these plot points into context.  It helps to show where characters loyalties lie.  It gives meaning to the relationships.  It makes the relationship bonding/splitting make sense.

Alternative Themes

Another way to think of theme is "A vs. B"

Take Shawshank Redemption....

The State Vs. Man

Whether it's the court system, the prison system, the tax system...the characters (even Norton) are being "attacked" by the state.

Still another way:

The thing that is applying pressure to character relationships.

So in Shawshank it's The State.

In star wars it's The Imperial Empire

Villains - What they are? What they want?

Part 1:
Not all stories have archetypal villain bad guys.  Some just have a character or characters who are little more selfish, a little more powerful than your main character.

Some just have a character or characters who are a little more selfless, a little less powerful than your main character.

Not all villains want to take over the world.  Some just want to take over your main characters world.  Some just want to pull your main character out of their world.


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Part 2:
The antagonist competes for the same relationship your main character is trying to achieve.  They may be many years apart in age, of a different sex, race, etc. but inside they want the same thing.

For instance, in the shawshank redemption - Andy and Warden Norton both want to have a relationship with "the State."

In Jaws, Chief Brody and the Mayor both want to have a relationship with "The Towns People"

Skyfall Review - Expected Endings from a Perfect Man

Imagine a character running toward a moving subway car - leaping - and catching the end of the train uninjured.

This is one of many instances in which James Bond does the impossible.

This is one of many instances in which Skyfall meets expectations and causes boredom for me the viewer.

Side note: This bond felt a lot like the Nolan/Goyer Batman movies.  Though in Bond there lacks an internal conflict.

It seems to head toward the idea of Bond handing in his badge and retiring, people losing faith in Mi6, etc.

Bond is getting old like M, but the writers don't tap into that during the obstacles.  Why not have Bond leap toward the Subway car and miss?  It would be unexpected and create more interest.  

That said the Topic of the movie is Age.  A new age of criminals has arrived and the old way of doing things with the old agents and old fancy toys may not work anymore...so do we get rid of them?

In the end they use Radios, Knives, Classic Cars, Scotland, Dynamite....old toys and classic locations but the writers don't deal with the internal conflicts, obstacles that arise with Age using these toys.

So what are the stances in terms of Age.  Take the scene in which M is being grilled by the government officials.  What do the government officials want?  They don't want to replace M and her crew.  M and her crew have the latest tech...so they can't argue that M needs to update or get out.  There's no real issues being debated.

Why not have Bond argue with Q that all "HE wants is a radio and a Gun."  And have Q say "NO you need to use this high tech stuff."  And have Bond SHOW that the old toys work just fine.

Instead of teaching an Old dog new tricks.  It could have been Teach a Young dog old tricks.

Eve could have been the young agent who learns from Bond how to win with old tricks.

Or if they wanted to teach bond new tricks, bond could have been more reticent about using the high tech toys only to use it in the end to win.

he could have tried the radio, the knife, the classic car and seen it fail and seen someone close to him die because of it or a bus of kids killed,  something bad as a result of his trying to stay the same....

The story lacks a real showing of Old vs. New.  Sides are not clearly drawn and as a result the lack of internal conflict makes the story muddy and boring.

It was "Show an old dog old tricks"  i.e. nothing unexpected.  Nothing being argued.  

Django Unchained Review - Where's the Fear?

Django Unchained falls short of being a good story in my opinion.  The dialog and tap dancing between characters was entertaining.  The production design and cinematography were eye pleasing.  But the overall storytelling lacked internal conflict.  It lacked having a single character show fear.  And could have been grounded in a little more reality.

Take Dr. Schultz.  A man who makes his living, surviving off of the capture and return of criminals.  He seems to be on the anti-slavery (non activist) side of the story the entire time.  A subtle peppering of internal conflict about Slavery towards the end of the movie that leaps to an overt-unrealistic sacrificing of his own life in opposition to slavery.

Take Django.  A "free'd" slave.

Issue (1):  How is a free'd slave shown to be different from a slave?  This area of the story is not really explored.  

Issue (2): Dr. Schultz risks and sacrifices his life for another man.  To be that bold, something in the storytelling needs to change.  A man does not risk his life for another man just because he might agree in his belief system.

In dealing with issue (2) and developing the internal conflict , I think Dr. Schultz should have either ran away at a time when Django needed him most during the end of the second act, never to be seen from again.  OR...

Dr. Schultz should have left Django after Django got him the three brothers he wanted for bounty.  Django could have pleaded with Schultz to help him but ONLY if money was involved.

Or Dr. Schultz could have used Django for money the entire movie.

As it stands, Dr. Schultz motivation for helping Django is his interest in Django as being similar to an old German Folk Hero.  But would a man really risk his life because he felt that another man reminded him of a character from a story...

So what I'm arguing is that Dr. Shultz's real motivation should have been money.  He should have had some other plan.  Perhaps to sell Django to Candy?

I think that Mr. Tarantino wanted Dr. Shultz to be a hero and fill an agenda which led to forcing this character to do something we would like him to do but not what he would do.  I think part of it was playing with the idea of a German coming to stop Slavery, contrasted with Americans going to stop the holocaust.

Now with Django - a man who wants to free his wife.  I think his character had far too much confidence and intelligence to be believable for someone who was a slave without any education.  His one internal conflict is resolved in a single scene..."should I kill a man who is a father?"  And rather lightly.  They could have explored that question...  Why not kill the man?  What are you afraid will happen if you kill him?  You'll feel guilty?  Well, part of the reason they didn't explore that conflict is because it's got little to do with slavery.  It's a conflict for another story.  In fact the whole "bounty hunter partner for the winter season" takes out of the situation and lowers the stakes.  If your wife is imprisoned, you don't take the winter to make some money and have fun.  You go after your wife.

Beyond that there are simply external obstacles of a mostly ridiculous nature(shooting many men and not going wounded) that he easily overcomes.  He is a badass man, able to dodge bullets, talk back to people who could have easily taken him out of his room while he was sleeping and make him disappear.

Issue (3) - This story doesn't deal with the issue of slavery from an internal standpoint.  Two sides are not drawn and argued.  I think the Schultz character or Django could have embodied this conflict.  I think there are numerous points in the story this could have came up.

Take the dog's ripping the slave apart.  Upon seeing that Dr. Schultz could have said OK, I've had enough I'm leaving.  I can't take this.  This is wrong.  I'm going back to Germany.  I'm going to the North.  I'm just disgusted.

Same with Django.  He could have said Fuck this I'm free and I'm going north.  perhaps Schultz could have said you can't leave your wife!

Neither "hero" shows a moment of weakness, a moment of selfishness, a moment where the reality of their situation bares so heavily on them that they can't go through with it.  There needs to be a character on the anti-slavery side who shows some fear.  Shows that Slavery exists because the power that institutionalized it is so strong it can't simply be turned on and off like a light switch.

And on the other side of the coin...The pro slavery side...there could have been a character who wants to keep driving slavery but has a moment of selflessness.  A moment where they see how horrible it all is...but perhaps they realize their livelihood depends on it, their whole family is involved in it, they don't want to give that up.

Take Brunhilde - there's no conflict with her.  Why not make her so scared of getting killed that she refuses to leave with Django?  Surely he could have found her in the middle of the night, and tried to convince her to run away.  She could have argued for him to leave her there.  She could have said I'm not going anywhere.  This story deals with an institution similar to The Shawshank Redemption.  Brunhilde could have been a Brooks.  Or a Red.  What if Brunhilde is discovered having hung herself?  They would have been a HUGE surprise.  They would have been a powerful twist in the story.  It would have said I'm so scared to runaway again that I'd rather be dead than risk it.  

So for me, when you write a story without any fear in it, it ends up being boring.  There are no surprises.  You know how each character will behave.  Throw fear into the mix and now expectations are out the window.  I don't know how it's going to end anymore.  I don't know if Schultz is going to leave.  I don't know if Django is going to cave.  I don't know if Brunhilde is going to throw a wrench in the whole thing.

And what's the point of Storytelling?  To show both Human Strengths AND Weaknesses.  To show the power that selfish evil can have.  To show the glory and beauty that self sacrifice can have.

There are two sides to every issue and at least one character should put their toes into each side of the pool before making their third act decision.

English Papers

Leave theme for analysis and english papers.

Focus on character goals for writing.

Theme - Two

Two themes in a story

A plot theme and a relationship theme

Thinking While Writing

The greatest threat to writing stories that make sense is to think too hard.

What are they doing in the scene and what is their next act is all you have to do

Theme

Theme to me is Relationship Dynamics.

It's the relationship disturbance that causes the main character to go on their "journey."

Theme to me is also the Big Obstacle.

It's the Obstacle that the main character wants to overcome.

Function Form Ornament

Ornament = Concept
Function = Character Wants
Form = Relationships

A small secret

screenplays, like the bible, teach us how to use to tools to create or destroy relationships.

it's ALL about relationships.

writing advice

I would have to say, Go with the flow.

There are times when one should focus on one word as their "theme"  and other times when one should focus on many words, many questions dealing with the one word.

It's best to just go with the flow.

stories - what they teach

Stories deal with big issues that affect society.  But they don't teach us how to solve them...they teach us how to navigate through them.