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.

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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.

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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

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.

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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

Screenwriting Structure Series Part 3: What I Learned from Aristotle

(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 Unkown 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'm sure there were others BEFORE Aristotle that successfully reversed engineered stories but I would venture a guess that he is probably the best known for it. I think all the screenwriting gurus and screenwriting authors out there agree that he pretty much is the guy we need to thank for coming up with the fact that a story has a beginning, middle, and end. 

And hey... I'm right there with him. Stories certaintly do contain those three basic forms of structure and without these basic forms, reverse engineering your favorite movie would be an exercise in futility (thanks QT). 

But that isn't where I started my own analysis of structure in the movies... Nope. As I read more and more about Aristotle and his theories on stories and plays, I found out just how great a man he was but since this article has to do with screenwriting structure, let's funnel it on down to that. 

Causality. Or to be more precise, Aristotelian Causality. 

Again, that's not to say there weren't others before Aristotle who studied causality but he is perhaps, credited with a much higher and complete understanding of the four causes: 

1. Material Cause: that out of which a thing comes to be.
2. Formal Cause: the definition of its essence.
3. Efficient Cause: the primary source of the change or rest.
4. Final Cause: that for the sake of which a thing is done. 

Cause or causality link possible events or occurrences and can predict the consequences of an action. In other words, one event is the cause or result of another event. In this relationship, chance and spontaneity become the causes of effects. 

Spontaneity and chance is the result of an unintended outcome. Let's say I want to go to the coffee shop to write for a few hours. Going to the coffee shop is my INTENDED OUTCOME or my plan but on the way there, I get hit by a car (chance or unintended outcome). 

So why talk about this? Well for me, the very best way to study the structure of your favorite movies is to simply reverse engineer them and on the face of it, you'd think that statement alone would be explanation enough. Unfortunately, I keep finding a lot of "would be" screenwriters who have no idea what I'm actually saying or MEAN when I tell them to go "reverse-engineer that movie." 

On top of that, when I read screenplays from the field, I almost always ask the writer what movie or movies their screenplay is most like AFTER I read it. Some will say there is no movie that it's most like EVEN when what I just read is obviously derivative. Some go right ahead and tell me what the movies are and when they do, I always ask if they sat down and reversed-engineered that movie and in almost all cases, they say, "NO." 

And again, that's perfectly fine... You obviously do not have to reverse-engineer any movie to write a screenplay but what I'm saying here is that if you DO sit down and reverse-engineer a similar movie's structure, you're going to be light years ahead of your competition. Most pros know this already and whether you like it or not, this IS one of the ways to move your screenplays past all those others in the same pile. 

Assuming of course your examination of a movie's structure is on the money. 

The problem of course comes when would-be screenwriters have no idea HOW to reverse engineer a movie. The usual process seems to go something like this... 

Okay, here's the climax or the ending. Now work backwards. For a few minutes, that would-be screenwriter considers SOME of the factors that got the protagonist to the end of the film and then... 

And then 

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. 

They figure they've got that movie all figured out. 

Nope. Not by a long shot. 

Now I can't or won't sit here and try to give you detailed step by step way to reverse engineer a movie. There's not enough room here to do that and besides, what works for me, may not work for you but consider sitting down and pulling out that film that possibly inspired you to write your screenplay(s) and start making some notes. 

I usually do it with my trusty digital recorder. I sit there and watch the end of the movie first and proceed to examine the climax in detail and dictate notes to myself as well as writing them down. 

For me, I've found it much easier to do this in sequences i.e., watch the last sequence FIRST. Then watch the sequence before that. Continue to make detailed notes of those events that spawned new events. CAUSE and EFFECT - plain and simple. 

Yes, it can be boring if you've never REALLY sat down and done this before. If you're just used to watching movies as the rest of the world does, then this probably WON'T be a piece of cake. 

But you wanna be a screenwriter, right? 

No... Aristotle probably didn't have the opportunity to watch things in reverse and make notes but don't even try to sit there and tell me he wouldn't have taken advantage of the modern DVD player and done the exact same thing assuming there were films on DVDs back then. Again, this is simply how you can gain an edge when it comes to screeenwriting structure. 

After you've reversed-engineered the hell out of a film, wait a day or so and watch it normally but again, with your notes and your remote so you can pause and reflect. 

Repeat this same process with ALL the movies that YOUR screenplay or idea for a screenplay remind you of no matter what the genre. I do this before I sit down and actually write any real screenplay pages but I have normally completed a ton of research on the idea/story. 

In addition to the notes you make on the movies you're reverse-engineering, you'll very likey get some amazing ideas for your own screenplay/idea so be sure to record those for later use. For example, one of the films you watch and reverse-engineer has a scene that just stabs you through the heart or gives you a huge revelation or causes some great emotional response from you... GREAT! Be sure to make special note of those because you will want scenes in your screenplay that elicit similar emotional responses from your eventual readers and hopefully, audience members. Reverse-engineer those scenes and moments to SEE how the screenwriters arrived there and elicited that emotional response from you. 

The more you do this with movies that are either within your genre or are somehow similar, the more solid and proven your own structure is going to be as long as you're NOT copying the structure beat for beat. 

Take a look at the movie, 8MM with Nicolas Cage. There is absolutely no way you'll ever convince me that Andrew Kevin Walker didn't reverse engineer (in his own way) the movie, HARDCORE with George C. Scott. There's just enough new information and characters in 8MM to make that movie stand on its own. It's edgier but that's because audiences are a little more anticipatory of that edginess now as opposed to back in '79 but make no mistake, HARDCORE was just as edgy in its time. 

I like to bring up the discussion of HARDCORE to illustrate reverse-engineering because Paul Schrader reverse-engineered and studied the hell out of THE SEARCHERS in order to write and direct HARDCORE and what's so fucking cool about THAT is that if you sit down and watch HARDCORE, you're never once reminded of THE SEARCHERS. 

You can't really say the same of 8MM if you've seen HARDCORE. 

Reverse-engineering defined at Wikipedia: 

Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device or object or system through an abductive analysis of its structure, function and operation. It often involves taking something (e.g. a mechanical device, an electronic component, a software program) apart and analyzing its workings in detail, usually to try to make a new device or program that does the same thing without copying anything from the original. 

Give reverse-engineering a try and you'll understand so much more about screenwriting structure - it'll make your head spin. 

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