Help! I Want To Write A Script But Don’t Know Where To Start!
I hear this lament frequently. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned writer, it can feel daunting to start at the bottom of the mountain without a road map. I always point writers back to the basics of all storytelling: the “who, what, where, when, why and how” that forms the underpinning of a well-told tale. Let’s look at each and see how they can help frame your idea.
WHO: Here we’re asking who our story is about, which is the same as defining our protagonist. You’ll need to know a lot about them before you even think about writing a script. We’re meeting them at a specific moment in time, but what are the major events in their life that led up to this moment? Are they married? Divorced? Do they have children? Successful or not so much? The answers to these questions and many others will give you a picture of your lead character. Do NOT start writing your script until you know your protagonist inside and out.
WHAT: Now that you’ve defined this character, you’ll need to consider what they want, and what’s standing in their way. This helps to define the plot. For example, if your lead character is a divorced Dad with a secret criminal background who desperately needs money for his daughter’s cancer operation, then we might be looking at a heist movie. Or if she’s a slightly-overweight college student who is desperately in love with her roommate, who’s dating the impossibly good-looking captain of the football team, then it feels like a romantic comedy is afoot. (Note how the answers to these questions help to define the genre.)
WHERE/WHEN: Sounds pretty basic, right? But these are deceptively hard questions to answer sometimes. For example, let’s say you’re crafting a taught thriller that requires the lead character to be completely cut off from all communication with the police. Well, cell phones kinda blew a hole in that storyline which is one reason why this idea might work better set in a time before the proliferation of cellular technology. OR…maybe where your story takes place is the answer. If we’re in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness nobody in the audience will be asking…”Why doesn’t she just call the police?”
WHY: This is a big one. Why is any of this happening, and equally important, why does the audience care? The former ties into both the faults of our lead character (gambling problem) and the plot (gotta rob a bank to pay off my bookie). But the latter question is the one writers overlook time and again, and they do so at their peril. I can’t stress this enough: just because you care about your character doesn’t mean that I (or any other audience member) will feel the same way. You have to find universal truths in your characters that make them relatable and give the audience a reason to care. Otherwise, your story will feel dry and lifeless.
HOW: Another element that ties into both character and plot. To stick with the robbery angle for a moment, the fun of a movie like OCEANS ELEVEN is “how” they go about setting up and executing the heist. In fact, it’s the very centerpiece of the story. But this question also relates to character, because how your character goes about getting what they want should be completely unique to them. John Cusack doesn’t just walk up to Ione Skye in SAY ANYTHING and tell her how he feels. No…he stands in front of her house, holds a radio over his head and plays “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel. It’s an action that’s completely specific to him, and also an iconic moment in film history.
Here at Story Maverick, we help writers answer these questions en route to crafting memorable screenplays and teleplays. Feel free to reach out at any time and let us know how we can help you get started!