Checkpoint 1. Begin your story with a Main Character/Protagonist/Hero and try to get to the heart of who this person really is. Come up with 11 Story Beats: Back Story; Ghost; Psychological flaws; Moral Flaws; Need; Desire; Plan; Opponent(s); Climax/Battle; Self-Revelation; New Equilibrium. There are many other Story Beats – 27 total – but don’t worry about that for the beginning of the writing process.
Then you need to do an almost impossible crafting step:
Figure out your ending!
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Lewis Carroll
If you don’t know your ending:
- You’ll lose focus on where the Hero is going
- You’ll have the dreaded “Writer’s Block” because you have lost focus
- Sequences, scenes, and dialog will not have focus
- Moral argument will be lost if no end is in sight because you, the writer, neglected to know and understand what the ending is going to be for your characters
Ultimately, the story will have a happy ending or a negative ending. You need to decide up front! You can always change your mind! From the outset, you, the writer, have to ask:
Does the Hero get the girl? Does the girl die? Does the Hero find the killers and turn them into the authorities? Is the tobacco company guilty of murder? Does the Opponent who bought a jury win in the end? Or does the Hero expose the Opponent?
Key point: Craft the ending of your story when you are crafting the beginning of your story!
Checkpoint 2. You need to create a Main Character who has a “high concept” dilemma – For example, in High Noon, before the sheriff of a small town retires to raise a family with his wife, he finds out that a dangerous criminal he put in prison will be arriving on the noon train to exact revenge on him. The sheriff will have just a few hours to recruit a posse big enough to take on the outlaw and his blood-hungry gang.
In The PITA Project, a burned-out black-ops agent discovers a loved one dead in NYC, and risking a blown cover, finds evidence of murder. Unknown to him, a secret Bird Nation has dispatched an unlikely star witness shy street pigeon to convince this cynical human to team up and find the killers.
In Beverly Hills Cop, a rough and reckless Detroit cop invades the prim and proper town of Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his good friend.
Key point: The overriding dilemma needs to consist of unlikely opposites who somehow come together, or uniquely overwhelming circumstances where the odds of failure or clash are embedded in the concept.
For example, in Jaws, what if a Main Character has a paralyzing fear of the water, but he’s given the chance to be the police chief of a beach town, where a great white shark is attacking swimmers, and the only solution is to catch the shark. This means the Hero will have to get on a boat and be part of an expedition to kill the killer shark.
In The Bourne Identity, a man is found riddled with bullets, face down in the ocean, but still alive. The problem is that he has no memory and therefore, no identity, but he uncannily knows how to fight and to kill with ease, he can speak many languages. Who wanted him dead? Who is he?
In The King’s Speech, a king who needs to give an epic speech to a nation on the verge of World War II has a debilitating stutter, which no one has yet been able to fix.
Checkpoint 3. Plot exists as an organic growth from the Main Character’s flaw(s).
There is an external story and an internal story that are concurrent throughout the narrative, whether it’s a film, a stage play, or a novel. The external story contains Plot Beats, Sequences, and scenes. For example, the Inciting Incident is a Plot Beat. The Plan and the Midpoint are Plot Beats. The Lowest Point in Sequence 9 is a Plot Beat. The Climax/Battle is a Plot Beat.
Concurrently, the internal story involves the Hero’s psychological and moral flaws and what he believes to be his Need for this story only. This is not “real life,” or a journal with chronological details. The writer must always remember this is a craft!
The audience/reader wants to know who will win, who will get to the Goal/Desire. The Hero or the Opponents? When the story unravels, “moral argument through action” and other writing techniques enable the audience to feel a cathartic connection with moral value systems. To write this so it’s not preachy is the job of the writer!
Another part of the internal story is the Character Web, which includes: A Point-of-View Character, also called a Mentor. This Character is the Hero’s Ally, go-to person for advice, and also the Hero’s alter-ego, to set the Hero straight when he’s acting immorally, or too down on himself, etc.
Allies are both real and fake. A Fake Ally is actually an Opponent. You need to decide where in your story the Hero will get the Reveal that the Ally is really an Opponent. There should be Set-ups in prior scenes for the Reveal moment. Also, sometimes the audience will get the Reveal first. Then the Hero will get the Reveal.
All Secondary Characters need to have at least the psychological and moral flaws and the Desire/Goal Story Beats worked out before the writer puts them into a scene. Some characters will have a Self-Revelation in the scene. This will depend on the genres and the Character Arcs of all the characters in the Character Web!
Advance work on these issues will save time and worry! Whether it’s a 110,000- word manuscript for a novel, or a 120-page script for a stage play, or a 105-page script for a film. Why get stuck without taking the time to map out the story and follow the guidelines? It’s a freeing up experience! No writer’s block! Constant checklists!
Checkpoint 4. Figure out the genre(s)!
All stories are driven by genre. For example, if a reader wants to read a Crime novel, there are certain Crime genre beats she’s looking for. If the audience comes to see a Romantic Comedy film, they want to witness the Romance/Comedy genre beats. A stage play Drama will contain internecine struggles and dilemmas with intimate characters.
Is the story a Drama, Horror, Romance, Comedy, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Detective, Crime, Thriller, Science Fiction, Action, Memoir/True Story, Mythology? If you have a genre mix, which genre takes precedence?
Learning the special Story Beats for Genre is important. Readers/Audiences expect to find these Story Beats, and the writer has to embed them within the story in a carefully crafted structure.
Checkpoint 5. Opposition in Story is Critical
A Main Opponent or hidden Opponent and secondary opponents will create depth and will increase the Conflict and the Narrative Drive.
For example: The Hero has a Main Opponent who remains hidden until a Reveal moment in the Plot that challenges or negates the Hero. The Reveal moment can be an Audience/Reader Reveal or a Reveal that the Hero experiences along with the audience/reader.
The Main Opponent might have an antagonistic relationship with a secondary Opponent who might also oppose the Hero; another secondary Opponent also opposes the Hero and might also oppose another secondary Opponent.
They all are in opposition to the Hero – But in the course of this opposition, there is a great depth of internecine Conflict among the Opponents and also towards the Hero.
Key Point: Without Opponents, a story will lack Conflict!
Checkpoint 6. The end point of nailing the Opponent.
The endpoint of nailing the Main/Hidden Opponent(s) occurs in Act 3, Sequence 11, the Climax/Battle scene. This is what the audience/reader is looking for, so the writer must know what that end point is. This puts closure on the Desire/Goal of the Hero.
The end point could be a fax machine copy of an illegal money transaction to prove jury tampering; it could be a weapon with the killer’s fingerprints; an eye witness who testifies with physical proof that the Opponent is guilty of a crime. All stories and all genres have a Desire/Goal end point!
Important: The End Point Reveal needs to be something physical: fax machine copy; fingerprints; weapon; book, etc.
Key Point: The writer needs to also decide where a secondary character will have a Desire/Goal end point. It might be in Sequence 5 or Sequence 7 or 9. There needs to be a set-up in an earlier Sequence or a Reveal to justify the end point. Certain characters might die, or simply disappear, or leave town.
Checkpoint 7. Test for Plot
Decide early in the process whether there is enough plot by first crafting the Hero’s Desire/Goal in the story.
Then list at least 10 actions the Hero takes to get to the Desire/Goal; 10 actions the Opponent(s) take to block the Hero from getting to the Desire/Goal; 10 Reveals of both Hero and Opponents.
Remember: Reveals have set-ups and pay-offs at some point in the story. If you, the writer cannot come up with the 10/10/10/10 test, then it’s back to the drawing board.
Don’t proceed until the plot test is figured out. This will change with the organic process, but it’s best to know up front whether or not there is enough Plot for the story. Why find out on page 50?
Yes, I know about the “pantsers” out there. If that is your style, then go right ahead! The writing program I’m advancing probably will not appeal to a writer who sits down and writes prolifically – a first draft in a few weeks, etc.
The structure method I’m talking about is really an organic process, which will save time and worries and will eliminate the possibility of the dreaded “writer’s block” because there’s always a Check List to refer back to when the going gets tough!
Checkpoint 8. “Leave early and arrive late.”
Key point: After you, the writer have done all the initial legwork and you’re ready to write scenes, in order to get from Point A to Point B, you don’t need to show the in-between preparations.
For example, in an Opening Scene in a story, a character asks the Hero, “Where are you going?” Instead of waiting for an answer, you (the writer) end the scene (“leave early”) and then SHOW the answer in the subsequent scene:
The Hero smiles – He is driving down the highway in a convertible (“arrive late”), while music blasts from the car stereo. Cactus and wide desert vistas and a scorching sun with rays that bounce off the character’s sunglasses are part of the description.
The Hero sings along with the radio. A patrol car flashes lights in the background. The Hero looks at his speedometer: He’s doing 100 in a 65 zone. End the scene (“leave early”) with: Two weeks earlier appears on the screen.
The next scene shows the Hero planning a drug bust with his cop buddies (“arrive late”).
Checkpoint 9. Moral Argument through Action, not dialogue!
Moral Argument through Action, not dialogue carries the story.
Key point: This is a craft! This is not like “real life.”
As the writer, you can impart information about the character with no dialogue or only one line of dialogue. But first, the Hero must have psychological/moral flaws and be guided via his unique moral compass.
Ask the following questions when you are writing a scene:
Where is the character in his Character Arc? What is his moral dilemma? What is he fighting for with the other characters in a particular scene? How can the Hero’s moral flaws be revealed to the audience/reader through his actions?
Does a character have a Self-Revelation in a scene? In which Sequence will the Self-Revelation take place? Why? What is the motivation? The Set-Up? The Reveal?
Checkpoint 10. “Show, Don’t Tell” is your mantra throughout the writing process, whether you’re writing a screenplay, a stage play, or a novel. Explaining action does not suffice for actually having characters do the action. The audience/reader wants a cathartic “rush” which will reel them in, scene by scene, moral dilemma by moral dilemma.
Characters in action, regardless of the genre, are a lot more interesting than third party (narrator or writer) descriptions. This is not to say that there should be no description or narrative. But when it’s a choice between third person narrative or first person dialogue plus action, the latter is much more powerful.
For film and stage scene writing, the software instructs the writer as to the location, the time of day, the interior or exterior of every scene. Then there is a brief third person description with only bare basic pertinent details. Then there is Dialog.
The Dialog is terse, or if it’s a monologue, the dialog could be filled with colloquialisms, grammatical errors or slurs, all of which are acceptable if the Character Arc with a Character’s flaws and Desire/Goal are clear. Also, the Dialog should have a subtext feel to it, not be “on the nose.”
For example, the use of subtext for a couple on the edge, contemplating a divorce:
A fight ensues, whereby objects are thrown and a shoe accidentally hits a child, who’s crying (the action).
“I’ve had it. We’ve been here before. I’m exhausted now. Out of what to say.” (passive abuse, betrayed)
“Fine. You never were one for words or emotions or anything else, for that matter. I’ll leave tonight.” (the moral argument of a cheater, liar, narcissist who gaslights)
Use subtext for a teenager who wants the keys to the family car:
The son stomps his feet and slumps on the couch while throwing books to the floor (the action).
“Come on, dad. You never trust me to do anything. How about taking a chance for once. I’m not an idiot.” (betrayed, confused)
“Don’t try to sell me, okay? Did it ever occur to you that since your mom died, we haven’t had a decent conversation on this topic of trust?” (loss of control, confused, in mourning)
“Here we go again. Another lecture. And I don’t wanna talk about mom dying. Just leave me alone. Forget the keys.” (emotionally shut down, isolated, in mourning)