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Interrogating your Interrogating your StoryStory

THE ESSENTIAL DRAMATIC QUESTIONSTHE ESSENTIAL DRAMATIC QUESTIONS

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CAVEAT EMPTORCAVEAT EMPTOR

It is possible that you may answer all of It is possible that you may answer all of the questions and still not have a the questions and still not have a screenplay worth making if the dramatic screenplay worth making if the dramatic action in the script is predictable, stale, action in the script is predictable, stale, obvious, clichéd or formulistic.obvious, clichéd or formulistic.

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It’s the CHARACTERS, It’s the CHARACTERS, stupid!!!stupid!!!

Characters Characters inin the script the script AudienceAudience TribeTribe ScreenwriterScreenwriter

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The Characters The Characters inin the the scriptscript

Dramatically, what Dramatically, what CHARACTER/S CHARACTER/S has/have the most significant problem has/have the most significant problem in the story? in the story?

What is this What is this PROBLEM PROBLEM or or OPPORTUNITYOPPORTUNITY confronted by this confronted by this character/s at the beginning of the main character/s at the beginning of the main story?story?

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Objectives, actions, Objectives, actions, oppositionopposition

What is the character’s What is the character’s INITIAL GOALINITIAL GOAL in in response to this problem/opportunity? response to this problem/opportunity?

What What PLANS OF ACTION PLANS OF ACTION does the does the character initiate for achieving this goal?character initiate for achieving this goal?

Who or what or what provides the Who or what or what provides the OPPOSITION OPPOSITION to the character’s plans of to the character’s plans of action? action?

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Obstacles/complicationsObstacles/complications What major What major OBSTACLEOBSTACLE/s or /s or COMPLICATIONCOMPLICATION/s other than the opposing /s other than the opposing force confronts the character/s force confronts the character/s afterafter deciding deciding upon the initial plan of action? upon the initial plan of action?

In what manner or aspect is/are this/these In what manner or aspect is/are this/these character/characters character/characters EMOTIONALLYEMOTIONALLY COMPELLING?COMPELLING?

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STAKES / RISKSTAKES / RISK

STAKES : In terms of the STAKES : In terms of the character’s ultimate goal, what is character’s ultimate goal, what is at risk?at risk?

What if anything raises the stakes What if anything raises the stakes or increases the threat during the or increases the threat during the course of the story?course of the story?

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CHANGECHANGE

How does the character’s How does the character’s problem and/or goal problem and/or goal CHANGECHANGE during the story and what during the story and what NEWNEW plans of action does this bring plans of action does this bring about? about?

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Climax & Resolution Climax & Resolution

What is the What is the CLIMAXCLIMAX of the story? of the story? Ii it (emotionally) satisfactory? If Ii it (emotionally) satisfactory? If so, WHY? If not, WHY NOT?so, WHY? If not, WHY NOT?

Is the character’s initial problem in Is the character’s initial problem in any way any way AMPLIFIEDAMPLIFIED or or RE-RE-CONTEXTUALISEDCONTEXTUALISED by the by the climax?climax? Explain.Explain.

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The emotional logicThe emotional logic

SCENE SEQUENCING and LOGIC: SCENE SEQUENCING and LOGIC: Does each scene contribute to Does each scene contribute to advancing or retarding the main advancing or retarding the main character’s progress towards a clear character’s progress towards a clear goal? goal?

Is there a clear Is there a clear cause & effectcause & effect relationship from one scene to the next? relationship from one scene to the next? Please note any scenes that are not Please note any scenes that are not doing so.doing so.

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AUDIENCEAUDIENCE

For the screenwriter, alone, to For the screenwriter, alone, to answer:answer:

To whom is the story addressed, and To whom is the story addressed, and what impact/result would you like what impact/result would you like it to have, and why?it to have, and why?

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TRIBETRIBE

For the screenwriter, alone, to For the screenwriter, alone, to answer: answer:

Who is it that is speaking THROUGH Who is it that is speaking THROUGH the writer, or FOR WHOM is the the writer, or FOR WHOM is the writer speaking?writer speaking?

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DRAMATIC QUESTIONDRAMATIC QUESTION

What is the DRAMATIC What is the DRAMATIC QUESTION? QUESTION?

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THEME & PREMISETHEME & PREMISE What is the DRAMATIC ISSUE as What is the DRAMATIC ISSUE as

dramatised by the core emotional dramatised by the core emotional energy? In other words, what is the energy? In other words, what is the story ABOUT? What is its THEME?story ABOUT? What is its THEME?

What is the story’s PREMISE - the What is the story’s PREMISE - the central TRUTH about human central TRUTH about human and/or non-human reality conveyed and/or non-human reality conveyed by the characters’ actions?by the characters’ actions?

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THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCESTHE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES

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CULTURAL -- CULTURAL -- (i.e.: what (i.e.: what

separates “my kind” from “their separates “my kind” from “their kind”? Who is the “US” and who is kind”? Who is the “US” and who is the “THEM”, tribally?) the “THEM”, tribally?)

SOCIETAL - (I.e.: the significant SOCIETAL - (I.e.: the significant groups, clans, sub-cultures to groups, clans, sub-cultures to which the characters belong)which the characters belong)

INTELLECTUAL -- INTELLECTUAL -- (i.e.: the (i.e.: the ways in which the characters go ways in which the characters go about obtaining or realising about obtaining or realising whatever it is that they value) whatever it is that they value)

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POLITICALPOLITICAL – (i.e.: the ways in which – (i.e.: the ways in which tribal governance impacts on the actions tribal governance impacts on the actions of the characters) of the characters)

LEGALLEGAL – (i.e.: the ways in which the – (i.e.: the ways in which the tribes’ enforcement of their values tribes’ enforcement of their values impacts upon the actions of the impacts upon the actions of the characters) characters)

ECONOMICECONOMIC – (i.e.: the ways in which – (i.e.: the ways in which the system of exchange and barter and the system of exchange and barter and trade impacts upon the values and trade impacts upon the values and actions of the characters) actions of the characters)

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SPIRITUALSPIRITUAL – (i.e.: the ways in which – (i.e.: the ways in which the characters’ spiritual notions or the characters’ spiritual notions or values impact upon or influence their values impact upon or influence their actions)actions)

TIME (period and duration) TIME (period and duration)

LOCATION/sLOCATION/s

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That’s ALL Folks!!!That’s ALL Folks!!!