I always have random ideas in my mind. I get them everywhere. Even, when I shall actually write a math test! But the problem is, I have just those “What if”-sentence. Not more. (But that’s not the job of a writer.) So, how can I develop the what-if sentence effective.—Without the W-question. They don’t help me.
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How can I develop the "What if"-sentence?
- Thread starter Future_Screen
- Start date
@Panos What if scientists play god and create dinosaurs. (Jurassic Park)
What if one man finds out that his reality isn’t real and has to fight with other rebels against the machine. (The Matrix)
What if one man finds out that his reality isn’t real and has to fight with other rebels against the machine. (The Matrix)
What if you stopped posting redundant threads here on IndieTalk and actually wrote something?
@Alcove Audio I did it. Admittedly, just for my school. But I did it. http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=64970
Oh ok. So, where is the problem with that? You have an idea and you name it what if, or whatever.. From that point you just start building a story around it.
Think of a great ending based on that idea. That will motivate you to progressively lead the audience to that ending. That progressive leading is the whole screenplay.
I really didn't like at all that you said that you need help to develope your what if ideas. If you can't do it... why you want to do it in the first place? It's not necessary to become a writer in your life you know.
@Panos The problem is the devil in the detail. Planning with the 3 act structure is, in my opinion, the most difficult one.
Feutus is right.
Write all those thoughts and snippets down.
After a year or after 2 years you will find you can combine some of those thoughts into something really interesting.
18 months ago I wrote a script based on a few ideas. The first was already 8 years old. And suddenly some pieces fell in place together.
If you did watch the John Cleese video you have heard him say that being creative requires freedom in some way. Or humor.
Either those things can not exist when you are afraid your ideas might not be good.
To be creative you need to fearlessly write down ideas without judging them right away.
That will come later.
I've got over a 100 pages of little notes, ideas, doodles, whatever.
Are they all brilliant?
No, but looking through them after some time does sprak new creaive solutions for ideas that did not work well before.
I know, it is chaotic to write down ideas unflitered.
You can filter them later on.
Write all those thoughts and snippets down.
After a year or after 2 years you will find you can combine some of those thoughts into something really interesting.
18 months ago I wrote a script based on a few ideas. The first was already 8 years old. And suddenly some pieces fell in place together.
If you did watch the John Cleese video you have heard him say that being creative requires freedom in some way. Or humor.
Either those things can not exist when you are afraid your ideas might not be good.
To be creative you need to fearlessly write down ideas without judging them right away.
That will come later.
I've got over a 100 pages of little notes, ideas, doodles, whatever.
Are they all brilliant?
No, but looking through them after some time does sprak new creaive solutions for ideas that did not work well before.
I know, it is chaotic to write down ideas unflitered.
You can filter them later on.
Planning what??? An idea? A what if sentence? It's not just difficult, it's impossible. You must have a story in order to plan it with the 3 act structure. So, if you have a story, just write it and then adjust it to the 3 act structure, or to the 6 basic points, or to the 15 basic points or to any structure you want which are all the same. Just create a story in your mind and then write it. You'll see that naturally it will be very close to the 3 act structure.
I think the problem is turning the 'what if' into a story.
Since the what if only contains the potential of a story, but not the story itself. That still needs to be created.
However, the what if question can be used to create more questions.
What if this what if is true, how would this show in the setting?
(The Matrix:
how would the real world look like?
how would the fake world look like?
how would the 2 worlds be connected?
how can someone inside the simulation become aware it is a simulation?
how would people from the real world be able to manipulate the simulation?
why does this simulation exist?
Then add some elements from human culture:
- the hero's journey spiced up with:
- a prophesized messiah
- a nod to Alice in Wonderland
- mix metal, goth, industrial and bdsm/fetish fasion, some HR Giger like sf designs to create a style for the future real world.
The what if is just the launch pad towards a story.
Some launches fail. Some succeed.
But without ignition, nothing will happen.
Since the what if only contains the potential of a story, but not the story itself. That still needs to be created.
However, the what if question can be used to create more questions.
What if this what if is true, how would this show in the setting?
(The Matrix:
how would the real world look like?
how would the fake world look like?
how would the 2 worlds be connected?
how can someone inside the simulation become aware it is a simulation?
how would people from the real world be able to manipulate the simulation?
why does this simulation exist?
Then add some elements from human culture:
- the hero's journey spiced up with:
- a prophesized messiah
- a nod to Alice in Wonderland
- mix metal, goth, industrial and bdsm/fetish fasion, some HR Giger like sf designs to create a style for the future real world.
The what if is just the launch pad towards a story.
Some launches fail. Some succeed.
But without ignition, nothing will happen.
This question list is the way that a story is build. But I'm doing one step back and I say that this question list is spontaneous for someone who has the desire to create a great story around their first idea. You can't follow any steps or any way and create a good story if you don't have the desire for that story, you will get bored, frustrated, disappointed and finally you will quit. From the other hand if you have the desire to build the story, you automatically do all these questions to create it.
So naming the turning launch from the idea to the story as "problem" doesn't make sense to me. If you have the desire to create a whole new word on the big screen, you just start doing it and see how it goes and what lessons you need to get inproved, if you don't have the desire you search for another job.3
So naming the turning launch from the idea to the story as "problem" doesn't make sense to me. If you have the desire to create a whole new word on the big screen, you just start doing it and see how it goes and what lessons you need to get inproved, if you don't have the desire you search for another job.3