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.