Controlling the idea

Common screenwriting problems

What you try that doesn't work always shows you what does work.

“Many of the problems in screenwriting share the same symptoms, but the problems themselves are different in kind; only when you analyze the context of the problem can a distinction be made, and it is those distinctions that lead us on the path of recognizing, defining and solving” - *Syd Field

* (2009) The Screenwriters Problem Solver: How to recognize, Identify and Define Screenwriting Problems, p2

There are three main problems areas which can arise when writing a screenplay

The Plot

The Character

The Structure

The first thing a writer must do is ACCEPT THERE IS A PROBLEM.

Taking control of your idea, your characters and your narrative means knowing when to cut something, even if it's painful, it is for the greater good.

In his blog, Douglas J. Eboch* (professional writer) wrote about the five common problems faced by Screenwriters.

1. The Story Begins Too Late in the Script

This is a failure of structure. In proper three-act structure, the story begins at the Catalyst, which is the moment when the hero and their dilemma are both apparent to the audience.

Remember, at the end of Act One, the character ought to be actively embarking on the challenge of solving their dilemma.

To prevent this problem, make sure you are doing a solid outline. A late story start often comes when a writer launches into the first draft without properly breaking the story first.

* (2014) http://letsschmooze.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/solutions-to-five-common-screenplay.html

2. The Scenes are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Scenes come and go but the narrative and characters are unchanged. Every scene in a screenplay should be moving the story forward. This means a significant plot change or a significant character change.

Early in the rewriting process you should look at each scene in your screenplay and ask what would happen if you cut it out.

If the answer is “not much,” cut the scene. Be brutal. It can be strangely liberating.

3. The Script Has a By-the-Numbers Execution

You should be passionate about your story. Before you start writing any idea, ask yourself: If someone else made this movie would you be first in line on opening night? If the answer isn’t an absolute, “hell yeah,” then you should probably find another idea.

Structure should support your story, not constrain it. And when approaching a scene, ask yourself what the most interesting way to realize the scene would be.

4. The Story is Too Thin

If you find your story feels stretched to fill your outline, try adding more obstacles to the character’s goal, and/or a thematically relevant subplot or two. Also, watch out for a scenario where a single action solves the character’s problem.

Try splitting that beat into sub-goals the character has to overcome.

This is true of character arc as well. The character should go through stages of change, not one sudden change.

5. The Villains are Cartoonish, Evil-for-the-Sake-of Evil

Remember, everybody thinks of themselves as the hero of their own story. Nobody thinks they are a villain. Even characters who do things they know are wrong should justify that behaviour.

Make sure your villains have a mind-set that justifies their actions. Then make sure their actions stay consistent with that mind-set.

This should not be a problem if you know their inner character.

Endings

If there is one problem that screenwriters have to deal with more than any other, it's the problem of endings. How to end the screenplay so it works effectively , so it's satisfying, and fulfilling, so it makes an emotional impact on the reader, so it's not contrived or predictable, so it's real, believable, not forced or fabricated; and ending that resolves all the main story points; an ending, in short, that works. - *Syd Field

A convincing ending is one where the conflicts you have set up in Act II find a resolution, the goals are achieved or they have given up trying.

Remember: your ending hangs on every single moment which precedes it.

*(2009) p235

Laura Schellhardt in Screenwriting for Dummies states that your ending only has one question to answer and that is, will your protagonist be successful? After you have answered that question you should ask yourself the following questions which should guide you to a fitting conclusion to your script.

•Do you understand your characters more thoroughly now than when you began?•What have you discovered about your story so far?•Has your story reached the point you anticipated reaching?•Have your characters changed?•What has been gained and/or lost for the characters, the environment, and the audience?

REMEMBER:

You are in control of your screenplay, your screenplay is not in control of you. Be objective, be disciplined and use your structure effectively. Your function is to tell a story and whatever gets in the way of this needs to go!

*(2008) Screenwriting for Dummies, p.104