Figuring out what needs to happen in a story isn’t magic.
But way back when I was just starting to learn screenwriting, I was convinced that there was some magical key hidden in one of those screenwriting how-to books. And if I could just find the right book, I’d have the key. I would magically understand how to write a screenplay.
What I learned instead – after years of reading and studying and working in the entertainment industry – is that there isn’t one thing that unlocks all of screenwriting.
I think what actually happens, when you begin and continue writing screenplays, is your understanding grows in lots of different directions. Sometimes at once but often in uneven fits and spurts until it reaches a sort of critical mass.
Over time what it becomes is your own mental framework. Not a list of rules, but a network of principles for writing a screenplay.
It might start off as a clunky patchwork of ideas, but with time and practice it becomes more like an elegant, fluent language you can speak on command.
There isn’t one magical key, but that’s a good thing.
Because a framework is better. A framework empowers you and equips you to handle whatever challenges you encounter.
What I mean by “framework”
I looked it up and Merriam-Webster says a framework is “a basic conceptional structure (as of ideas).”
In other words, a framework is a way to understand the whole and how all of the parts relate to each other to make up that whole.
The principles apply to any type of story, any genre. And figuring out how it all shows up on the page is part of the framework too.
Everything we discuss in terms of screenwriting relates to and is a part of the bigger framework. Character arc, theme, subtext, plot, structure, etc. as well as each of the tools we use to understand how these elements relate to each other – it all fits into the framework of creating and telling an effective story.
For example, the organic structure post I shared a while back – that’s a framework.
The chart I shared with you a few weeks ago – also a framework.
Sequences & Springboards – that’s a framework too.
And they’re all also part of the larger screenwriting framework. Each gives you a way to think about your story, and they also work together within a bigger picture.
Building your framework
Some people say screenwriting advice gleaned from looking at finished screenplays or movies is faulty. “Analyzing after the fact isn’t relevant to creation!” they say. (Okay, paraphrasing, but that’s the sentiment.)
I disagree. We’re not analyzing to impose our ideas on existing stories or to assemble rules that must be followed. We’re looking at existing stories to see what makes them work. To try to understand why and how they work.
And analyzing is just one of the ways we build our mental framework. Reading how-to books and articles (and vetting the content) is another way. Writing and rewriting screenplays is a big one, of course. Trying out others’ frameworks is another.
I share my framework with you here, in these weekly emails, but really you’re taking what works for you and creating your own. And that’s your understanding of story.
What your framework can do for you
If you pay attention to it (your mental framework), it will make writing screenplays easier. Because you’re not re-inventing the wheel every time. You don’t have to learn the same lessons over and over again. You can use your framework as a guide.
Meaning, if you understand what the whole looks like, the function of each of the parts, and how they work together to make up the whole, then no matter what style of thing you want to create, you can figure out what components you need and how to put it all together.
When you understand the principles of how a story works on an audience (because that’s really the point of storytelling), you can “do the math” of any new screenplay you want to write.
- This is your set up? Then the pay off will do something like this.
- This is the low point? Then we need to know why that’s so bad, so let’s look at where that’s established.
- This is the lesson the character learns? That will land better if we see it’s really needed, so let’s look at how that’s manifesting early in the script.
A framework gives you the scaffolding to find the right answers for yourself. To understand the big picture so you can figure out how to address any individual story issue.
Your framework gives you a head start and helps you make every story decision that comes your way. It points you in the right direction so you know what you come up with is effective, too.
Remember, frameworks aren’t rules. Instead, they give us a starting point, a foundation, maybe even a common language to talk about what we observe.
What part of your framework do you need help building? Where are the gaps? What questions do you have about how to write a screenplay?