Screenwriting Quiz

4 Main Components of Storytelling

• Story: 

  • The journey your characters embark upon

• Plot:

  • The events that make up your story

• Characters:

  • Emotionally complex, multi-dimensional people that make up the world of your story

• Structure:

  • The physical framework for the world you are creating

• House metaphor:

  • Structure—> the actual framework 

  • Story—> The contents inside the house

  • Plot—> How the contents are arranged inside the house

  • Characters—> the residents of the house

• 2 Primary Characters

  • Protagonist: main character of the story 

  • Antagonist: the formidable force who acts against the protagonist

• 2 Types of Secondary Characters

  • Supporting Characters: They play a critical role in the story’s plot

  • Minor Characters: They add color, texture, and dimension to your story. Help give your characters relatability

• Character Arc:

  • An emotional or physical transformation that a character goes through in a story. 

Motivation vs Intention vs Goal

• Motivation is why a character does something

• Intention is how a character does something

• The goal is what a character is trying to accomplish

Ways to Craft Real Connections

• Use real-life interactions to base your character relationships on

• Create opposing flaws that can draw out tensions

• Make sure your character’s relationship is continuously growing, changing, and evolving in different directions 

• Know who your characters are at their core

• Status Quo= Ordinary World

• Plot Point = Act Break

• Inciting Incident = Point of Attack 

Story Construction

• Beats string together to form scenes and scenes comprise sequences and sequences create your story/screenplay

• Your #1 goal as a storyteller is to construct your beats in a manner that presents a clear and coherent story that paints a vivid and descriptive picture in the mind of a reader

3 Components of a Scene

• Setting - Where does the scene take place?

• Characters - Who is in the scene? What is their purpose?

• Action - What happens in the scene? 

3 Act Paradigm

• Plot Point= Spins story in a new direction

• Midpoint = Raises the stakes/Creates the point of no return

3 Key Narrative Elements

• Conflicts: central issues in a story that disrupts the main character’s life

  • External

  • Internal 

  • Philosophical

• Obstacles: the specific roadblocks or hurdles that prevent the main character from achieving his goal

  • External 

  • Internal

• Tension: a narrative device created by tightening the stakes for a character to put an emotional or mental strain on your character

5 Key Narrative Devices Essential To Keep Reader Engagement

• Set Ups and Pay Offs: foreshadowing of something that will come later in the story

• Division of Knowledge: who knows what, when

• Ticking Clock: deadline for protagonist as they work to reach their goal

• Cross-Cutting: writer cuts back and forth from one scene to another to build momentum 

• Reversals: when a story goes in one direction then undergoes an organic shift or twist that heightens the stakes. 

4 Forms of Division of Knowledge

• Form #1: The writer only makes the reader aware of something but conceals it from the other characters 

• Form #2: The writer makes the characters aware of something but conceals it from the reader

Ways to Create Reversals

• Have a character enter a scene with a clear set of intentions, then find a way to spin those intentions in a different direction. This will create a reversal.

• Have character 1 enter a scene expecting a certain outcome, then character 2 comes in with a surprise. 

Where Do Stories Come From?

• Your Life

• Books

• The News

• Imagination

Methods For Developing Ideas

• Create Characters/Bios

• Conversations overheard

• Read News Stories

• Listen to Music

• Use your Imagination

What Makes a Good Log Line?

• Short and Concise (1 to 2 sentences)

• Use adjectives as much as possible 

• Touch on the plot while communicating emotion, theme, and genre

• Show the arc/journey of the main character

• Create a visceral (emotional) reaction for the reader