An overlooked element

[matto154]

I noticed a current script of mine was recently giving readers the exact opposite impression that I was going for ... and I couldn't figure out why.

I eventually realized that it was the fact that the entire story was plot driven. Like most people, I outlined the plot and then started writing from there ... making sure to hit every plot point (whether there was a real reason or not). I feel this is probably something many people do unknowingly, so I did some research on how to fix this.

http://overstreet-filmmaking.blogspot.com/2009/07/plot-driven-stories-vs-character-driven.html

Anyone else have similar experiences? Any input?

 

[Filman]

This "... and I couldn't figure out why" -part seems very familiar

Theory is pretty complicated in screenwriting. Sometimes I have a feeling that 100 things must work together perfectly for the story to be credible. If 1 thing isn't there the 99 that are seem worthless.

 

[Unknown Screenwriter]

This happens quite a bit when...

I noticed a current script of mine was recently giving readers the exact opposite impression that I was going for ... and I couldn't figure out why.

I eventually realized that it was the fact that the entire story was plot driven. Like most people, I outlined the plot and then started writing from there ... making sure to hit every plot point (whether there was a real reason or not). I feel this is probably something many people do unknowingly, so I did some research on how to fix this.

http://overstreet-filmmaking.blogspot.com/2009/07/plot-driven-stories-vs-character-driven.html

Anyone else have similar experiences? Any input?

You don't know your characters WELL ENOUGH. Don't get me wrong... Not saying YOU don't know your characters WELL -- maybe just not well ENOUGH.

And, that's OFTEN a hard thing to lock down until after a first draft or even a few scenes.

The more you know your characters, the more they are going to ricochet OFF your outline and do what they damn well want to do. You of course will follow and SOMEHOW... Through the magic of screenwriting puppeteering your characters find their way back to YOUR outline and ride along until another ricochet.

The better you know your characters, the more they will become characters that make up their own decisions -- outline be damned.

This is ORGANIC. This is what you want your characters to do.

An outline should serve more as a road map... You start at the beginning and EVENTUALLY arrive at your destination. But during the road trip, your characters -- if you know them well enough -- will make their own detours along the way and you simply watch over them like God. There will be ENOUGH of YOU in your characters to help them eventually find their way back to the outline.

Back and forth it goes until you finish that first draft...

It's in your successive drafts that the outline REALLY COMES IN HANDY... i.e., you use that outline to tighten that first draft up into a respectable script.

Good luck with it!

filmy

 

[Weaponx]

I would agree with filman. If everything isn't in order things don't seem to work out in the end. I always thought the best advice I've gotten about screenplays so far is that if you are having a problem in a scene you have to look earlier in the script for the solution. Also I would say it is never good to stick too closely with any outline no matter how well thought out it is.