Screenwriting Structure Series Part 5: Research

(Here is more about screenwriting structure from The Unknown Writer.  )

About The Unknown Screenwriter

A working screenwriter and producer, The Unknown Screenwriter makes his home in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California and somewhere in the state of New Mexico with just a little bit of Los Angeles thrown in when he feels he can breathe the air.

     I'm glad to here readers are enjoying this articles by The Unknown Writer. I think they are great to. They are explaining exactly what I have been telling writers. It is nice to have a second party perspective.

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You might be wondering WHY I'm slamming screenwriting structure and research together... Well I can only tell you how I do it and what I tend to do prior to writing any part of a screenplay is research but I also like to research as I pull my structure together. 

Research is a powerful way to get the old synapses firing on all cylinders and getting you to ask all the right questions about your story. I'm a huge list-maker. As I simply THINK and ponder about my story, hundreds if not thousands of questions pop up along the way and just about every one of those questions requires me to do some kind of research EVEN if that research is simply to search through my own memory bank. 

I tend to think of research similar to being a salesman. Meaning that in sales, most sales organizations will tell you that knowing your product INSIDE and OUT is 90% of the battle - if a salesman knows his or her product inside and out i.e., well enough to be able to answer ANY QUESTION that might spill out of a prospect's mouth, 90% of the sale is OVER. 

I think the same is true of screenwriting, structure, and research. 

Does that mean you'll automatically write a breakout spec screenplay? 

Uh... No. That's something only YOU can keep developing within your own talent hemisphere. Sure, you can learn all the tricks. Sure you can learn all about structure. Sure you can research your story elements till the cows come home but in the end - if your dialogue sounds stiff and your action is too easy on your Protagonist... 

FUGHEDABOUDIT. 

There seems to be a huge school of thought that tells most of us that YOU CAN DO TOO MUCH RESEARCH. 

WTF? 

Really? 

Says who? 

How much is TOO MUCH? 

The same school of thought seems to tell us that too much is so much that you're not writing your screenplay... Huh? What kind of answer is that? Is this school of thought telling us not to get lost in doing so much research that we never put pen to paper? Fingers to keyboard? Crayons to construction paper? 

Because let me tell you... I am by no means a intellectual, academic, guru, expert, etc. on anything except maybe how to piss people off. But by God I know how to open a book and perform a search on the net. Yet, when I read screenplays, it seems that many of the writers do not know how to do these same exercises. Why? I guess because THEY ARE ALREADY EXPERTS on their story elements. 

Not. 

I'm not telling you that you have to spend a specified amount of time researching your story elements. In fact, this would be a ridiculous thing to do because as you write your story - if you're like most of us - something's going to come up that requires even more research. 

So how much is enough? 

Just enough to allow you to start writing. Whew. Very subjective when you consider all the experts we have out there. But if you're a good salesman and you're even just a little rusty on your product knowledge, a good salesperson always does a little brushing up. In other words, they KNOW when they need it and wow... That's why they're good salespeople. 

Many screenwriters on the other hand, seem content to let OTHERS work out the story element problems for them. I've actually had screenwriters whose scripts I've read and then communicated to them that their knowledge of whatever subject matter is severely lacking turn around and ask me, "Isn't that your problem?" 

Uh, no. That's YOUR problem. 

You don't turn in a period piece to me and then mention something that happened thirty years later. You don't give me a location that didn't exist at that time. That's just plain old sloppy writing and nobody should HAVE to fix that... 

Except YOU. 

You don't tell me that your Protagonist is bitten by a specific kind of poisonous snake and then proceed to detail INCORRECTLY, all the symptoms your Protagonist is experiencing. God forbid you get off your ass and open a book or call a doctor who's treated someone with the correct symptoms. LOL. That's much too difficult and besides, you've got your day job to worry about. You've got a wedding to go to this weekend. You're just too damn tired. 

There's also two schools of thought when it comes to story and research - which comes first? Some say the research - some say the story. I think that's the wrong way to think about it. They go together like Butch and Sundance. You get an idea for a story, you work out a few plot points (probably in your head right off the bat), do a little research, the research causes other questions to come up - more plot point ideas, more research - and on and on and on. 

But that's just me. First of all, I love learning about something I had no knowledge of PRIOR to doing the research so for me, it's fun. Others find it drudgery and I think what I like best about research is the authenticity it brings to the story and let's face it, how many movies today feel authentic? 

Really? That many? LOL. 

On the other hand, many other schools of thought tell you to just WRITE. Get going and get that first draft out of your system or at the very minimum, that outline and while I truly don't have a huge problem with that, I DO have a problem with it and it's simply this and it's just an observation. When I see writers begin a new story from a new idea, they're usually highly motivated in the beginning. They're excited. This is THE STORY! Wow. That kind of motivation gets me excited too! I love hearing a screenwriter tell me about their idea (even if it's not that great an idea) because even through a crappy idea, you can see the passion and inspiration that's fueling the fire. I love that! 

However, keeping that inspiration and passion all the way through a first draft and then rebottling that inspiration and passion so you can go back and research all those story elements and perform a hardcore rewrite is a hard road to travel and the ROAD-WEARINESS usually shows up in successive drafts. 

Sad but true. 

If that has ever even slightly happened to you before, might I suggest performing your research up front as you create your structure? Keep the intensity and passion of creating a new story flowing. 

With new inspiration, motivation, intensity, and passion combined with screenwriting structure AND story element research, I honestly believe that one uncovers more story opportunities that PULL YOU AWAY from cliché and derivative writing. 

Go, writers! Go!

I have been getting a lot of request for loglines. I give different prices . Since I have so many requests for this service, I decided to set a single fix price.

Logline: $5.00 Flat Fee

A synopsis or summery is required. It well be used to form the logline. The logline is just one line.

Screenplays

Critique: $50.00 Flat Fee, 

 Includes evaluating the basis elements of a script

•  Introduction
•  Development
•  Climax
•  Conclusion
• Character development 
•  Mid point development

Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 

Payments are made by Paypal or cashier check by mail.


Other services are at regular price.

Query Letters: $25.00 Flat Fee  

Editing: $45.00 Flat Fee

•  Evaluating formatting to industry standards
•  Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Turnaround time:

Editing: 2 weeks

Critique: 2 weeks

Query Letters: 2 weeks

Feel free to contact me at ahicks4298@q.com or  ahicks4298@msn.com.

Feel to call me at (360) 696-4298. Ask for Frances.

I also critique and edit books. I am currently organizing the service prices for working on books. If you are interested in me critiquing or editing a novel you have written, feel free contact me.

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Film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting services, coverage service, screenplay formatting margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, Search terms: screenplays, screenwriting service, edit and critique service, writing screenplays, screenplay format, loglines, query letter, film scripts, movie scripts, screenplay format, screenplay synopsis, script synopsis, treatment, proofreading service for writers, novels, writing services, fiction writing, film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting service, coverage service, screenplay critique service, screenplay format margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, free writing tutorials,   script consultant, screenwriting jobs, film production companies

Tips On How To Write A Novel In A Month

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Screenwriting Structure Series Part 4: Memento & Pulp Fiction Non-Linear Story Telling

(Here is more about screenwriting structure from The Unknown Writer.  )

About The Unknown Screenwriter

A working screenwriter and producer, The Unknown Screenwriter makes his home in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California and somewhere in the state of New Mexico with just a little bit of Los Angeles thrown in when he feels he can breathe the air.

     I'm glad to here readers are enjoying this articles by The Unknown Writer. I think they are great to. They are explaining exactly what I have been telling writers. It is nice to have a second party perspective.

******

I've had many a discussion with many a screenwriter and more importantly - MANY A PRODUCER only to find that approximately half of these entities look at screenwriting more as craft than art and that's only because most screenwriters I know feel that they are in fact creating art. Many a producer on the other hand, prefer to look at screenwriting more as a craft... 

Like hiring a guy to do your lawn. 

But even those guys can be artists. I too look at screenwriting more as an art form than a craft. To me, the craft part has more to do with formatting, writing a scene, knowing where your acts break, plot points, etc. Just as a painter has to have an idea for a painting, the paint, the brushes, the media on which he or she paints on, so does the screenwriter possess his or own myriad of tools to write a screenplay. 

Structure is one of those tools. 

Structure is like your roadmap. You know you're going on a trip. You know you want to go through several areas along the way and hit specific landmarks but until you sit down and pull out your roadmap, you're not really sure what route or routes to take to give you the best trip possible and get all those landmarks into your trip. Imagine taking a trip from point A to point B. You already know that the freeway near your home will get you to point B in a few days but it won't be a particularly pleasing trip. Sure, you'll get off for some fast food along the way. Stop for some gas and tinkle at the convenience store gas stations but will it be memorable? 

Uh... Probably not. 

On the other hand, one can, with just a little planning and preparation, pull out a roadmap and start plotting out a much more memorable trip. Sure, it might take a little longer to get there but it'll be so much more fun and memorable! You can stop along the way and see those cool landmarks you've always wanted to see. You can stop and eat at some of those famous little diners and restaurants. Drive through those small Americana towns that you've always wanted to cruise through. 

Makes me want to plan a road trip right now... 

And while one size might not fit all, you'd be surprised how close it can actually come but rest assured it's no formula. Screenwriting becomes formula when, in my own humble opinion, we start ripping each other off so much that what we're reading or looking at on the screen is derivative. Of course DERIVATIVE is in the eye of the beholder as so many things are. Going back to a previous post on my site where I talked about 8MM being derivative of HARDCORE - sure, I enjoyed 8MM. I like Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix... They're always worth watching but there's still something inside me that says 8MM is just TOO DERIVATIVE of HARDCORE but that's what happens when you're a successful screenwriter - you can do this kind of derivative stuff and sell it. 

Make no mistake, there are those professional screenwriters out there that excel at writing derivative stuff and make a decent living doing so but hey, that's their pigeonhole. That's what a lot of them are known for. That's what a lot of producers GO TO THEM FOR. Sure it's easier to sell derivative stuff these days because the ticket-buying demographic has never even heard of movies like HARDCORE so who gives a crap, RIGHT? Well I do and I always try NOT to be derivative because pretty much: DERIVATIVE = FORMULA 

Again, that's just the way I see it - you may see it differently and that's cool... It's a free country - at least that's what they keep telling me. 

If you recall when Pulp Fiction came out, quite a few movies attempted to re-bottle the non-linear formula and do what Quentin Tarantino did and most of them failed miserably. One that didn't however, was Memento. 

Why? 

Both screenplays tell their stories in a non-linear fashion but they're certainly not derivative. Lots of reviewers have compared Memento to Pulp Fiction because of its non-linear storytelling but Christopher Nolan didn't didn't rip PF off. Rather, he went down a similar road that Tarantino did i.e., both created their structure from what they'd seen done in novels and as he got further into the script, he realized that he wanted the audience to more or less share Lenny's point of view, so he tweaked his structure to reflect that by weaving in more voice-over as well as utilizing camera angles that enabled US to see things through Lenny's (the Protagonist) eyes. 

I point both of these films out because let's be honest... They both PUSH the boundaries of screenwriting structure and both will certainly go down in screenwriting history as having done so. From the interview above, Christopher Nolan totally NAILS screenwriting stucture with the following quote: 

"It really is a question of finding the most suitable order for releasing information to the audience and not feeling any responsibility to do it chronologically, just like we don't in life."-Christopher Nolan 

In other words, there are no rules. Sure, some ways of telling a story work better than others and when in doubt, certainly go back to the rules or guidelines to get your head back on straight if that's what you need to progress, especially if and when you get lost. 

Structure however, can be (I might even go so far as to say, SHOULD BE) continuously tweaked to have the story perform the way you want it to perform because after all, the real definition of a good story is that it is a WELL TOLD STORY. Well told meaning that the story elicits the emotion that YOU want it to elicit. 

Which brings me to yet another interesting debacle I consistently see when reading screenplays. I often ask the screenwriter what emotion he or she wanted a particular scene to elicit from me, the reader - and all I get is the standard pregnant pause... 

Not good. 

You've gotta have some kind of idea of the kind of emotion you want from every scene you write even if it's just neutrality. 

Structure helps you with that. 

Without the thread that strings your story along with actual purpose that elicits emotion and causes dramatic tension, you just end up with (hopefully) a lot of cool little scenes that really don't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. 

You don't want that do you? 

Of course not. 

So you've got to sit down and create your roadmap but not before you decide what landmarks you want to catch on the way to your destination. Destination being the key element here because in order to actually GET SOMEWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, you gots to have a DESTINATION. 

• Where is my DESTINATION? In other words, what is the ending to my story? 

Figure this one out before sitting down to write and you'll be light years ahead of your competition. The wonderful thing about knowing the ending to your story is that you do not actually have to know every detail. The details grow and change as you hit your landmarks on the way to your destination so that by the time you are at your ending, you KNOW WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN even though you may not know how it has to happen - YET. As you learn more and more about your characters and plot, the ending will very likely begin to manifest itself in many different ways so be prepared to somehow record all those different ways should they appear to you. 

• What is the beginning of my story? 

Also very important and a story element that I see muffed up way too often. Figure out how you can get into your story with a BANG to hook your reader and your eventual audience. Get them interested in your Protagonist as soon as possible so that they WANT to go on your road trip. 

Once you know these two story elements, it's time to plan your screenwriting structure OR maybe a better way to put it so it has even more impact on YOU is like this: 

A delicate balance of story elements whose overall purpose is to elicit the consummate emotional effect from an audience. 

Of course that's just my definition but I created that definition to help propel ME through the screenwriting process. If it works for you - outstanding. If not, I highly recommend defining screenwriting structure for yourself in such a way that the definition means something to YOU and propels YOU through your story. 

So once you know the ending and the beginning, how the hell do you get from the beginning to the end? 

Ah... That's structure and it's coming up. 

Go, writers! Go!

I have been getting a lot of request for loglines. I give different prices . Since I have so many requests for this service, I decided to set a single fix price.

Logline: $5.00 Flat Fee

A synopsis or summery is required. It well be used to form the logline. The logline is just one line.

Screenplays

Critique: $50.00 Flat Fee, 

 Includes evaluating the basis elements of a script

•  Introduction
•  Development
•  Climax
•  Conclusion
• Character development 
•  Mid point development

Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 

Payments are made by Paypal or cashier check by mail.


Other services are at regular price.

Query Letters: $25.00 Flat Fee  

Editing: $45.00 Flat Fee

•  Evaluating formatting to industry standards
•  Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Turnaround time:

Editing: 2 weeks

Critique: 2 weeks

Query Letters: 2 weeks

Feel free to contact me at ahicks4298@q.com or  ahicks4298@msn.com.

Feel to call me at (360) 696-4298. Ask for Frances.

I also critique and edit books. I am currently organizing the service prices for working on books. If you are interested in me critiquing or editing a novel you have written, feel free contact me.

*

*

Film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting services, coverage service, screenplay formatting margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, Search terms: screenplays, screenwriting service, edit and critique service, writing screenplays, screenplay format, loglines, query letter, film scripts, movie scripts, screenplay format, screenplay synopsis, script synopsis, treatment, proofreading service for writers, novels, writing services, fiction writing, film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting service, coverage service, screenplay critique service, screenplay format margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, free writing tutorials,   script consultant, screenwriting jobs, film production companies

Create The Perfect Villian

Question: How do you create a believable antagonist?

This video was sent to me. Watch it. I think you would find it interesting.

Jacob Krueger, award-winning screenwriter, shares advice on how to create the perfect villain in this 7-minute video.

Click the image below to watch:

Go, writers! Go!

I have been getting a lot of request for loglines. I give different prices . Since I have so many requests for this service, I decided to set a single fix price.

Logline: $5.00 Flat Fee

A synopsis or summery is required. It well be used to form the logline. The logline is just one line.

Screenplays

Critique: $50.00 Flat Fee, 

 Includes evaluating the basis elements of a script

•  Introduction
•  Development
•  Climax
•  Conclusion
• Character development 
•  Mid point development

Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 

Payments are made by Paypal or cashier check by mail.


Other services are at regular price.

Query Letters: $25.00 Flat Fee  

Editing: $45.00 Flat Fee

•  Evaluating formatting to industry standards
•  Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Turnaround time:

Editing: 2 weeks

Critique: 2 weeks

Query Letters: 2 weeks

Feel free to contact me at ahicks4298@q.com or  ahicks4298@msn.com.

Feel to call me at (360) 696-4298. Ask for Frances.

I also critique and edit books. I am currently organizing the service prices for working on books. If you are interested in me critiquing or editing a novel you have written, feel free contact me.

*

*

Film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting services, coverage service, screenplay formatting margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, Search terms: screenplays, screenwriting service, edit and critique service, writing screenplays, screenplay format, loglines, query letter, film scripts, movie scripts, screenplay format, screenplay synopsis, script synopsis, treatment, proofreading service for writers, novels, writing services, fiction writing, film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting service, coverage service, screenplay critique service, screenplay format margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, free writing tutorials,   script consultant, screenwriting jobs, film production companies