IF YOU think you can create a story built
around something other than a human
being, screenwriting may not be for you.
All good stories are built around a human
being and his or her conflicts. This includes
Finding Nemo, Bambi and Wall-E—stories
that dress up their human conflict in some
sort of “other” being, but are essentially
about a person.
As you imagine this main character, you
will need to decide on his or her:
2: CHARACTER DEFICIT
THIS IS often called the “fatal flaw,” a vitally
important human trait that your character
is lacking. This is not the thing that
your character wants (we’ll get to that)—it’s
something you want to give your character.
This “deficit” might be an addiction. It
might be a false goal: wealth and power are
always good (see: The Wolf of Wall Street).
How about popularity (Shallow Hal)? Or
being in love with a person who won’t love
you back (Silver Linings Playbook)? In
Casablanca Rick thinks he can hide from
his own ideals—but he can’t bury his own
heart, no matter how far he runs. As the
writer, you will bring your main character
face-to-face with this deep-seated problem,
which will eventually lead to an all-important
change at the end of your story.
3: PATH TO SATISFACTION
(I.E. THE CHARACTER’S PLAN)
NOW WE get to the character’s desire. You
get to put your character on a journey—one
that is certain to cause them psychic pain.
In Midnight Cowboy, Joe Buck decides he’s
going to become the most successful male
escort in New York. Lousy idea? You bet!
Putting Joe on this journey teaches him
more about himself than anything he’s ever
experienced before. In Maria Full of Grace,
our 17-year-old, pregnant heroine must
make some money fast, so she decides to become
a drug mule. Right—a really bad idea!
In both cases, these protagonists are
thrust onto a path where they cannot control
the outcome—though they think they
can. That’s where you come in: to teach
them a lesson that will last. You will be
cruel. You will be tough. But you will also
be compassionate. This tortuous journey
will result in a change or recognition in the
end. Looking at it that way, Robert Towne
was doing Jake Gittes a favor.
This path to satisfaction will also serve
as your plot, a map of the new world
through which the main character travels.
In Chinatown, it’s the world of the wealthy
and privileged of Los Angeles who think
they can do whatever they want. In Midnight
Cowboy it’s the world of the sleazy
characters of Time Square. In Maria Full
of Grace it’s the world of drug mules.
4: THE STORY PLAN
THIS IS the thing that your character
must do or the story is not over: a task he
or she must complete to get out of the ordeal.
In Silver Linings Playbook Pat must
enter the dance contest with Tiffany, even
though he believes that Tiffany is not the
woman he loves. But what does he find
out because he agrees to dance? That
Tiffany is the girl for him, not his ex-wife.
Simple stuff. But look at how that conflict
works constantly through the film. Pat
keeps going back to his mistaken faith in
his ex-wife. Yet he doesn’t actually see his
error until he’s undergone the ordeal of
the dance contest, and seen how he treats
the people around him.
Your character is in charge of his or her
plan, the path to satisfaction. But you are in
charge of the story plan. The two are in direct
opposition and this is what keeps your
character in conflict throughout the story.
5: THE HUMAN VALUE
WE’RE ALREADY deeply familiar with
human values in the movies we see:
“Love finds a way.” “Be yourself.” “Be connected
to people.” “Money isn’t everything.”
“Family can save you.” In the old
days they called these “the message”—the
kind of fundamental truths we struggle
with in our lives. But human value
shouldn’t be a sermon or an essay. Your
script is a piece of drama that brings to
life, through human action, a character’s
struggle with this value.
THE ACTION STRUCTURE SHEET
OK, NOW we’re ready to write something.
This sheet will combine all of the above
items into one coherent story. Think of it
as an expanded “pitch”–it’s the material
that you keep in your head when you do
pitch this story to buyers, producers and
friends. Some of the moving parts you
may be familiar with are in here: the “inciting
incident,” “call to action,” “climax”
and “resolution.” Distill your idea into six
to 10 very short paragraphs, no longer
than one page (if you can help it!).
This is not a beat sheet—that’s when
you list specific scenes in your story.
Instead, the action structure is a way to
define major arcs and human value. You
needn’t fill in all the details. The page
counts in this template represent the
probable space each section will take up
in your 90- to 120-page script.
ACTION STRUCTURE TEMPLATE
ACT I: PROTAGONIST
AND WORLD (15-25 PAGES)
CHARACTER & SETTING
• Introduce your main character in his
or her “regular” world.
• What does this character do?
• What will bring “satisfaction”—at
least, according to the character?
• What is the character’s deficit?
THE INCITING INCIDENT
& CALL TO ACTION
THE INCITING INCIDENT: The
character must do something seemingly
everyday—go to a job interview, answer
the phone, pick up a package for somebody
else. This little action is part of the
normal reality in his or her world. The
character has chosen to do this action because
the character believes it will lead to
some personal “satisfaction.” This must
necessarily transition into–
The Call to Action: a decision is thrust
upon the protagonist. This is not based
on desire. It’s not what the character
planned, but it must be resolved. It’s the
writer’s way of pushing the character out
on the journey.
ACT II: JOURNEY AND ORDEAL
(65-80 PAGES)
COMPLICATIONS
The combined reality of the journey,
other characters and the protagonist’s
bad decisions leads to more complications,
designed to force the character to
struggle (even if the character still thinks
he or she is pursuing “satisfaction”).
FURTHER COMPLICATION
This makes it nearly impossible for the
character to move ahead unless something
is done. All options have been exhausted.
ACT III: CLIMAX AND RESOLUTION
(10-15 PAGES)
What’s the worst that can happen?
That’s exactly what happens. A major
choice is made and the protagonist ceases
to struggle with the primary problem,
but must now resolve the “human value”
part of the equation. The path to satisfaction
is completed, but then there’s–
THE RESOLUTION: The character
decides to change or gains recognition
about a deficit. This is the story value.
The character learns why the initial plan
for “satisfaction” was a mirage, but also
gains something far more important—a
new insight into his or her soul.
By: Joe Gilford
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