How to Write a Screenplay or Tell a Better Story

How to write a screenplay.

Or tell a better story.

by Victor Piñeiro[storystuff]

What’s your idea?First things first.

It should be awesome.

It should have a HOOK.It should be HIGH CONCEPT.

Which really means...

high concept: adj. a story based on a striking and easily communicable plot or idea (Oxford English Dictionary)

Awesome ideas.• A cop who has to kill robots might be a robot himself.

• During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaurs to run amok.

• A suicidal family man is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born.

• A guy who complains about God too often is given almighty powers to teach him how difficult it is to run the world.

• After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.

You need a PLOTand a STORY.

Plot• the hero WANTING something• one event causing another

Story• the hero NEEDING something• revealing the hero’s character

Tell it to me in one line.Okay, you’ve got your awesome idea.

Your one-line idea, or LOGLINE, should include or suggest these three elements:

Someone (the hero) wants something (the goal) but is blocked by something (the adversary).

Awesome loglines• An 8-year-old boy, who is accidentally left behind while his

family flies to France for Christmas, has to defend his home against idiotic burglars.

• A cowboy toy is profoundly threatened and jealous when a fancy spaceman toy supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.

• A weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again.

• A naive young man battles heartless authorities to protect the life of his girlfriend when it’s revealed that she’s not human— she’s a mermaid.

If it helps, you can also describe the TONE of your movie with an “X meets Y”, “X with Y” or “X in Y” one-liner.

Pocahontas In Space

blair witch meets Godzilla

hamlet with lions

jaws with other creatures

Your idea in one word.For bonus points, give me:

(This is your THEME.)

revenge.

family.

character.

Who’s your hero?Okay, you have an idea.

What does he WANT?What does he NEED?

To define your hero, ask:

A WANT is external.A NEED is internal.

WANTS: Parents to Meet

NEEDS: Courage

WANTS: Money

NEEDS: Trust/Love

WANTS: Tomorrow

NEEDS: To Appreciate Today

WANTS: To Defeat Doc Ock

NEEDS: Confidence

What’s his FLAW?[What he NEEDS is related to his FLAW.]

One more question.

FEAR.

INDECISION..

SELF-DOUBT.

Who’s the adversary?Okay, you’ve got a hero.

[Note: They might not be a villain.]

An adversary embodies the hero’s FLAW.An adversary forces the hero to face his FLAW.

Adversary.

ADVERSARY.

ADVERSARY.

ADVERSARY.

Let’s talk STRUCTURE.

Idea? Check.Hero? Check.

Adversary? Check.

Most films (and many stories) have THREE ACTS.Each ACT is made up of SEQUENCES.

Each SEQUENCE is made up of SCENES.Each SCENE is made up of BEATS.

MOVIE

SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENESCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENESCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENESCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENESCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE SCENE

ACT ACT ACTSEQUENCE SEQUENCE SEQUENCESEQUENCE SEQUENCE SEQUENCESEQUENCE SEQUENCE SEQUENCE

=

=

=

BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT BEAT

=

Beat• the smallest unit in a script/story• an exchange of action & reaction

Scene• a continuous action in a specific location• functions as a mini-story• has a protagonist with a goal• the protagonists must face an obstacle• a scene either moves the story forward or • reveals info about the character

Sequence• several scenes that build up to a bigger climax• each sequence has a mini-goal• sequences end in turning points• turning point = a goal achieved or lost• turning point = the story changing direction

Act• several sequences that build up to a climax• the climax is a a major turning point

Stories also tend to have the following SIGNPOSTS.

A day in the life.Show us what the hero’s world is like, introduce all the main characters, introduce the hero’s flaw(s).

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

The SPARK!Something happens and the hero’s world is FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD. This is where the HOOK comes in. You can also consider this THE CALL TO ADVENTURE.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Do I Stay or Do I Go?The hero must decide whether to embark on this adventure (or take this new opportunity). 99% of the time she will REFUSE INITIALLY and something will drive her to make the decision and GO!

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Into the New WorldThe hero (boldly) ventures into the new world, which is the OPPOSITE of the world she’s lived in up to this point.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

What is love?The new world often comes with a few new characters, including the LOVE INTEREST. He usually represents what the hero NEEDS.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Melt Their Faces OffRemember that awesome HOOK you thought up? Pay it off here. The hero has fun with her new powers or situation. The audience should LOVE this part.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Crossing the RubiconIn other words, this is the POINT OF NO RETURN. The hero must do something which she can’t undo, which will soon plunge her into the NIGHTMARE... but not quite yet.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

False VictoryThe hero gets a moment of clarity, and everything seems like it’s going to be okay – she’s going to prevail...[Note: sometimes this is False Defeat.]

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Long Journey Into NightThings go from bad to worse. The villains come back, way more powerful than before. The hero’s losing her external battle and internal battle (which often means the love interest leaves).

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Rock BottomThings could not get worse. The villains seem unstoppable. All hope is lost. The love interest ditched the hero (usually because of the hero’s FLAW). And just when things are at their most hopeless...

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

From the Ashes...the hero realizes her flaw, learns her lesson, and formulates a plan to defeat the villain. Here’s where the A story (the main plot) and the B story (often the love interest) meet.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

Time to Kick Ass!The hero faces the villain, who is at their strongest... and WINS! By winning she has now CHANGED THE WORLD. The hero is now older and wiser. And every major character HAS CHANGED.

ACT I ACT II ACT III

MIDPOINT

ACT ONEDay In the Life

The SPARK!Do I Stay or Do I Go?Into the New World!

ACT TWO What Is Love?

Melt Their Faces OffCrossing the Rubicon (Midpoint)

False VictoryLong Journey Into Night

Rock BottomFrom the Ashes

ACT THREETime to Kick Ass!

Signposts

Focus on your outline.The best advice I can give you at this point is:

Spend a lot of time working out the beats, scenes, sequences and acts. Use the signposts to help guide your story. Stories/Scripts ARE structure. Iron out structure before you dive into the writing.*

* This point is super controversial. For another take, Google the term “pantser”.

Checklist✓ You have an awesome idea that’s easy to communicate.

✓ Your hero is awesome and likable.

✓ She wants something that’s tangible, and she wants it BAD.✓ She is flawed and needs to change if she’s to succeed.

✓ Her adversary is formidable.✓ Every scene has conflict.

✓ Obstacles get harder and harder.

✓ Stakes get higher and higher.✓ We enter scenes late and leave scenes early.

✓ Every major character changes by the end.✓ The turning points should be SURPRISING BUT INEVITABLE.

Rookie Mistakes• Your hero is too passive.• Your main character has too many friends.• You have a few (or many) scenes that lack conflict.• Your characters don’t all change (or learn something).• You have too much exposition, and are telling, not showing.• Your scenes are way too long.• Every character sounds the same.• The stakes aren’t high enough.

Read.Finally, the best advice I can give you:

Start with these books.• Save the Cat by Blake Snyder• Story by Robert McKee• The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier• Screenplay by Syd Field• The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell• Writing Movies For Fun & Profit by Ben Garant & Tom Lennon• Save the Cat Strikes Back by Blake Snyder

* In order of usefulness (to me).

Visit these websites.• http://johnaugust.com• http://screenwritingtips.tumblr.com/• http://www.gointothestory.com/• http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/• http://www.tracking-board.com/

Caveats!These tips and guidelines are a collection of stuff I’ve found useful as I’ve learned about storytelling and screenwriting. Nothing here is set in stone and all these “rules” can be broken.

I learned a lot of this stuff from the books I mentioned earlier – do yourself a favor and read them!

I’m barely scratching the surface here. Didn’t even get into genre!

I wrote this for friends who’ve asked me to give them a quick primer on storytelling basics, and for a younger version of myself – I wish I’d known some of this when I was in high school or college.

Who I AmHi – I’m Victor. I haven’t written an Oscar-winning screenplay, a summer blockbuster or The Great American Novel.

I did write and produce the documentary Second Skin, which premiered at SXSW, won a bunch of awards, and was distributed internationally. I’ve also written a bunch of screenplays, one which was a Sundance Film Lab Finalist.

Besides film, I’ve worked on establishing stories and voices for Skittles, Star Wars and other brands. I’ve also published a bunch of articles and poetry. And of course, I’ve got that unfinished novel in the desk drawer.

Talk to me: victor@victorpineiro.com Twitter: @victorpineiro

Thanks!Tyson Damman for the design.

James Hutchinson for the advice.

Will Simon for the edits.

Juan Carlos Piñeiro Escoriaza for the ideas.

Greg Babonis for the tweaks.