Screenplays and Essays - Opening Paragraph

You're opening scene.  You're opening paragraph.  Contains a thesis statement.

The antagonist takes a step toward turning the world into the place they want to live in.  And that step illustrates their thesis.  Also known as what they want.

What is a scene? - Screenwriting

A scene is a step towards a goal.

The scene can either be active or passive

An active scene is one in which your character pushes toward their goal.

A passive scene is one in which your character discourses about their goal.

An active scene is an action

A passive scene is a reflection

An active scene is like a one page speech in action.  Your character argues for what they want by taking a step to get it.  That step could be sitting in a room for a week without eating.  It could be scaling the side of a skyscraper.  It could be asking a girl on a date.

A passive scene is like a one page debate in reaction.  Your character listens, argues, answers questions, and asks questions concerning what it is they are trying to achieve.

WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING - WHAT IS IT?

" Absolutely. If you’re not writing about something that makes you uncomfortable to talk out with other people, if you’re not writing about something that is so much of your soul that you don’t want to share it with people because you’re afraid they’re going to judge you, then you’re not writing about shit.

It’s completely worthless if you don’t feel some sort of hesitation that you’re, like, naked in front of other people with what you’re doing it, then it’s not going to matter. I think you have to attack every story. Again, whether it’s We’re the Millers or whatever. That idea that it’s got to have at least some part of the struggles we all understand and are afraid of." - Jason Mark Hellerman

WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING - WHAT IS IT?

This quote speaks directly to your character's motivation.  How the inciting incident reflects on their character.

Note for light-hearted comedies and dramas and all genres such as those:
Being uncomfortable, being naked, expressing something from your soil[sic] ehem...soul... doesn't have to be melodramatic, painful, you know what I'm talking about.

It just means having your main character express an inner feeling that explains why they are trying to reach their goal.  An inner feeling like "not wanting to be shit on"  "Wanting to be a good person."  "wanting to prove they're smart" etc.
an inner feeling brought about by an inciting incident...An act that puts a dark light on their character that they must prove to themselves or others is false...even though it may be true!

These are all motivations that fall under: "writing about something"

What is a Screenwriter's Job? - May not be what you want.

A screenwriter's job - Someone might say it is: "to build a world and fill it with characters."

I would say it is "to create a character and unleash them into a world."

To build a story world is to be a production designer.  It is to be an art director.  It is closer to pornography that screenwriting.

However, many writers may be drawn to Building their own Universe.  With lots of cool shit.  Or lots of nice set pieces.  Or lots of beautiful costumes.

But a SCREENWRITER.  Takes a character.  Applies an incident.  And develops that characters reaction to that incident into a goal and Story.  What the story looks like, the framing of the scene, falls in line like the last pieces of a puzzle.  Child's play.

Scene completion

"And the very last thing is, in order to give a sense of closure to the scene, you generally want to end each scene on an action that your main character takes, which feels connected to the first action that they took in the scene." - Jessica Hinds 

Screenwriting Challenge - Pick a Genre

Pick a genre you don't usually write in.  Write an action - reflection scene.

Post your results in the comments or post a link to your screenplay site.

Action and Reaction - The Key to Screenwriting? <>

Action and Reaction - One of Newtown's Laws of Physics illustrates how humans behave.  And it's a great way to focus on your story and help you make sure you're not skipping over important scenes.

BUT

I want my screenplays to be personal.  I want them to resonate with readers.

And Action - Reaction puts me and them at an observant distance.

SO

Let's change it up and call it Action - Reflection.

Reflection?

Reflection speaks to how the action reflects on my main character's "character."

From the first scene on, I want to be thinking about how each action makes my character look.  And how they look in their own eyes and in the eyes of others is at the soul of what they want.  Or what some might argue, they need.

Here's two examples:

Action - Reaction Example:
OFFICER TOM chases down a WOMAN.  The chase ends with her drawing a gun on top of an apartment building.  He fires a shot into her leg and she falls to her death.
He reacts by filing his police report and moving onto the next case.

Action - Reflection Example:
Office Tom chases down a WOMAN, chase ends on roof, he fires into her leg and she falls to her death.
His record of no criminal deaths has been shattered.  He heads home early.  He can't shake the image of the woman falling out of his head.  He feels like a bad person.  He must do something to regain his status of a "good guy".
He walks into the precinct and hands in his badge.

When an action reflects onto your main character, the drama/comedy will begin to develop and flourish into a screenplay worth reading.

When I'm writing - right off the bat I'm thinking how does this first scene reflect on my character.  Don't wait until 10 or twelve pages in to start this process.  Scene one is the source of all that will come after.

Screenwriting Challenge - First Scene Incitement

Open up a .doc, draft, notepad or grab a pen or pencil.

For this challenge you must:
1) Write an inciting incident in the very first scene of a story
2) Show your character reacting to how they feel the incident reflects on their character.
3) Show them take a step toward regaining their status.  Status meaning, rectifying how this incident has made them look whether in a good or bad way.

Post your scenes in the comments section.