| Many fledgling screenwriters can become over | | | | Define the Obstacles to the Protagonists Goal |
| ambition when attempting to write their first | | | | A film is nothing without tension. Tension is what |
| screenplay. Sometimes it's best to master the | | | | keeps the audience interested, and managing |
| basics first; only when the rules have been | | | | tension is crucial to successfully creating an |
| mastered, can they be bent or broken. A writer, | | | | intriguing film. Once a protagonist has a goal to |
| during the initial process of developing a feature | | | | work towards, it's time to add obstacles to |
| screenplay, should consider the below five tips; | | | | challenge them. When a character meets and |
| they can potentially lead to the development of a | | | | handles (or mishandles) an obstacle is where |
| better, more marketable final product. | | | | tension is created and essentially is where |
| Know Who is Telling the Story | | | | ‘story' happens. Each obstacle the protagonist |
| Before diving into writing a fully fledged | | | | faces should be more and more challenging, |
| screenplay, it's important a screenwriter knows | | | | forcing that character to have to dig deeper into |
| who the protagonist of the story is. Always ask | | | | their personal reserves to overcome this struggle. |
| "Whose story is this?" A film's audience will always | | | | It's this struggle the audience will find so engaging. |
| enter the storyline of a film via the main | | | | Add Crucial Turning Points and Plot Twists |
| character and follow their ‘journey'. This | | | | Film goers are experienced at seeking out and |
| approach is almost instinctual and viewers are set | | | | foreseeing basic plot twists in movies from a |
| up to embrace a story in this manner from a | | | | lifetime of viewing. The challenge a screenwriter |
| young age. For this reason writers need to make | | | | faces is to create believable and intriguing plot |
| it clear whose story the audience is engaging in; | | | | twists that throw the audience off guard while |
| otherwise viewers will often be left emotionally | | | | drawing them into the inner sanctum of the story. |
| distant from the experience. Ensemble and | | | | There can be any number of twists in a story, |
| multi-character films like The Player or Pulp Fiction | | | | although a minimum of two is ideal; usually a good |
| are an exception to this rule, but these types of | | | | story sets up audience expectation and then trips |
| films use intertwining storylines as their | | | | them up at a crucial moment, turning the story in |
| protagonist and they do so very cleverly; it takes | | | | a new direction and renewing the audience's |
| a great amount of experience and knowledge of | | | | interest in the overall journey. Plot twists are also |
| story structure to pull this type of screenplay off. | | | | important as they add drama to a story that |
| Give the Protagonist a Clear Goal | | | | might otherwise become predictable and |
| It may seem frustratingly simplistic, but think of | | | | monotonous. |
| any recent movie and, when pared down to its | | | | Before Starting a Screenplay Decide on the |
| basic elements, it will be clear the film is about | | | | Ending |
| someone wanting something: in short the | | | | It an old story cliché: mystery writers start |
| protagonist has a goal and the film is about the | | | | with the ending and work their way back, using |
| journey to define and achieve that goal. This is | | | | their knowledge of the outcome to develop the |
| how the audience becomes hooked and stays | | | | details within the plot and keep their audience |
| interested: they're watching to see if the lead | | | | guessing at every stage. This rule should be |
| character achieves their goal, and how. This goal, | | | | consistent across all long forms of story writing, |
| whether to win the love of an attractive stranger | | | | and is paramount in developing a feature |
| or survive when lost deep in the jungle, generally | | | | screenplay. A good screenplay is all about that |
| is dual layered: there's the practical surface layer, | | | | final impact and the impression it leaves on the |
| and the emotional subjugated layer. For example, | | | | audience. Typically everything that happens in a |
| on the surface the protagonist will be trying to | | | | screen story should have an impact on the |
| escape from the jungle, but emotionally they'll be | | | | story's eventual ending and each moment of the |
| trying to overcome their paralysing fear of being | | | | film should be working towards that ending, to |
| alone. Every time the protagonist succeeds in | | | | give the finale meaning, reverence and a lasting |
| getting closer to their goal, they should be | | | | effect on the audience. When it comes to writing, |
| changed on both a practical and emotional level. | | | | knowledge truly is power. |
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