18+ secrets of successful story writing · 2014-04-05 · 12:15-1:00 lunch & awards 1:00 - 2:30...

9:00-10:30 Critical Story Elements10:30-10:45 Break10:45-12:15 Structural Elements12:15-1:00 Lunch & Awards1:00 - 2:30 Plots, Goals & Irony2:30 - 2:45 Break2:45 - 4:30 Analysis & Examples4:30 - 5:00 Q&A

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Secrets of Successful Story Writing for films and novels

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The Best Wife Ever

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Secrets to Award Winning Screenplays and Stories !

Character Transformation

Goals, Plots & Irony

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Objective

1 Protagonist 2 Major Characters 4 Minor Characters

From a Wealth of Ideas Determine the

Structural Beats for a Story’s Main characters.

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Objective

1 Protagonist 2 Major Characters 4 Minor Characters

From a Wealth of Ideas Determine the

Structural Beats for a Story’s Main characters.

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Workshop AssumptionsYou know the following about your story:

• Protagonist & Goal • Antagonist & Goal • Setting, Era, Genre • Redemptive / Tragic Ending • Other Main Character Roles

AndyMartin.info

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Agenda

How Characters Transform

How Goals Define Plots & Subplots

How The Moral Premise Unifies Goals & Plots

Secrets of Character Transformation: Goals, Plots & Irony

How IRONY dramatizes Goals vs. Plots

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3. Hero goes on long and transformative journey to gain new values and skills.

1. Hero has a problem, but…

4. Now hero has improved and can…

2. Hero is too imperfect to solve.

5. Solve the problem.

? !

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• Weaknesses AND Strengths!• Different facets of life.

!

!

• ...on a passionate and active journey toward GOALS, in various efforts to turn weaknesses into strengths.

Well-rounded CHARACTERS

Pursue multiple goals...


Are imperfect...

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• CONFLICT between... !

• INNER story (psychological, emotional, moral motivation)

• OUTER story (physical, visceral, consequence) !

Inner Values are not reflected in Outer World

IN PURSUIT OF GOAL


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Inner motivates the Outer which changes Inner

Value

Decision

Consequence

Action

Inner!(Psychological - Invisible)

Outer!(Physical - Visible)

Value

Decision Action

ConsequenceValue

IN PURSUIT OF GOAL


Irony: Goal to change OUTER, but what also changes in the character’s INNER values.

Backstory Attitudes Philosophy

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Decision Action

ConsequenceValue

IN PURSUIT OF GOAL


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All Characters Have Various GoalsIn Facets of their lives...


Professional!Family!Romantic!Athletic!Financial!Artistic

School!Civic!Travel!Spiritual!Social!????????

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Screenplay & Story Secrets !Character Transformation



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Main PLOT

Inciting Incident

Journey Begins

MOG

Near Death

Final Incident

Victory

13 Major Beats (sequences & turning points)

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3

45

67

89

1011

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13

Just the Protagonist


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Subplot

Subplot

PLOT

Subplot

Subplot

Subplot

Financial

Professional

Family

Civic

Artistic

Athletics


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NOTORIETY Anchor Field

MIRACLE Get Give

Keep “Grace” BGF Wife

Revenge on Evan

BRUCE ALMIGHTY, Table 12, The Moral Premise

House Break Dog

Bruce Nolan’s Transformation

Professional

Pets

Supernatural

Romantic

Personal

All: Expect a MIRACLE or BE the MIRACLE


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WIN GAMES Co-op Fight

FIND TRUE LOVE Gale Peeta

EARN RESPECT Anonymity Symbol

HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (for the rebellion)

Katniss Everdeen’s Transformation

Mortality

Capital

Romantic

Public

The fear of rulers by the people leads to tyranny; The fear of people by rulers leads to liberty.


EMBRACE DEATH Fear Courage

SAVE FAMILYFamily

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JK

Reflection

ProtagonistLi

fe F

acet

A!B!C!D!E!F

Romance

MNemesis

L

Characters v. Goals and Subplots

G!H!I

Antagonist

G!H!I


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No. of Turning Points in Subplots

4

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3

1



Simultaneous / Intercutting Action

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Secondary characters plots

A

B

C

DAthletic

Performance

Romance

Professional


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Protagonist + Secondary characters plots Intersection of story lines and crossing cutting

A

B

C

D

Protag


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Exercise PreparationCharacter Value Map

T1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Virtue

Vice

Notice how values are adjusted after

each scene/sequence.

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Exercise (10 min)Map a character’s steps from Value at the beginning of the

sequence to Adjusted Value after the sequence. Such arcs occur across the movie / act / sequence / scene.

VALUE

DECISION

ACTION

CONSEQUENCE

ADJ. VALUE

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How The Moral Premise Unifies Goals & Plots

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PLOT: Pursuit of Goal In 3 to 13 Beats

Life BEFORE Life AFTERRealization

MOG

Act 1 Act 2 Act 3

T

A1 Climax Accepts

Opportunity

A2 Climax Burns Bridge Near Death Faux End

Life Before

Tries NEG.side of TMP

Tries POS.side of TMP

Rejects Opportunity

Dark Decision

All or Nothing

Fight To

Death Denouement

Moment Of Grace

Accepts TMP Changes Method

A3 Climax Victory

or Defeat

Inciting Incident

Final Incident

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Basic Plot Form: BEFORE v. AFTER


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Life BEFORE

Life AFTER

Realization MOG

Character TransformationBasic Plot Form: BEFORE v. AFTER

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GENERAL FORMThe Moral-Physical Premise Statement

psychological vice

physical detrimentleads to

leads topsychological virtue

physical betterment

BUT



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THE INCREDIBLES

Psychological leads to Physical (values decisions action consequence)

LIAR! LIAR!

A deceptive heart leads to rejection; but A truthful heart leads to acceptance.

Battling adversity alone leads to weakness and defeat; but

Battling adversity as a family leads tostrength and victory.



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Simple Plot Structure for All Characters

1. Life Before 2. Moment of Grace 3. Life After

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______________ Minor Character

1. Life Before 2. Moment of Grace 3. Life After

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2

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______________ Major Character (not Hero)

1. Life Before 2. Pursuit of Goal: Wrong Motivation (Little Progress) 3. Moment of Grace - Realization of Truth (Accepts) 4. Pursuit of Goal: Right Motivation (Real Progress) 5. Resolution 6. Life After

1 2

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5 6

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___________ (Protagonist) - Redemptive Beats1. Life Before (Prologue, First Image) 2. Inciting Incident - Invitation to Journey 3. Rejects Journey 4. Act 1 Clx: Decision: Accepts Journey 5. Pursuit: Wrong Motivation (Threshold, B-Story, Little Progress) 6. Moment of Grace - Realization of Truth (Accepts) 7. Pursuit: Right Motivation (Real Progress) 8. Act 3 Clx: Near Success and Near Death 9. Dark Night of Soul (Remove Mask, Resurrection) 10. Final Incident - 11. Prepare for Battle 12. Act 3 Clx: Life and Death Battle (Success, Defeat) 13. Life After (Dénouement, Last Image)

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!

Protagonist Plot/Subplots

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!

Protagonist Plot/Subplots

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B, Facet A

B, Facet C

!Secondary Major Character Plot/Subplots

B, Facet B

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D, Facet A

F, Facet A

E, Facet A

!Minor Major Character Plot/Subplots

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One Possible Balance Characters v. Goals and Subplots

JK

Protagonist

Antagonist

Reflection

NemesisRomance

Life

Fac

et

A!B!C!D!E!F

G!H!I

G!H!I

L M1366433

753

346 5

35 15 10 3 5 =68

Total Major Beats Cards

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EXAMPLE: MPS, to Goals, to Arcs, to Cards


GREED ISOLATIONleads to

leads toGENEROSITY FRIENDSHIPBUT

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HARRY

1. LIFE BEFORE - Steals parts, friends leave him alone, plane crashes

2. MOG - Observes succes of teams who share, planes fly and win.

3. LIFE AFTER - Gives parts, friends share parts and expertise, wins.

Personal Goal: Fly RCMP (Remote Controlled Model Airplane)

GREED ISOLATIONleads to

leads toGENEROSITY FRIENDSHIPBUT

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HARRY - RCMA!Life Before!A. Steals parts

HARRY - RCMA!

Life Before!

B. Left alone, no help

HARRY - RCMA!Life Before!C. Plane crashes

HARRY - RCMA!MOG!Observes that “TEAM” planes fly good.

HARRY - RCMA!Life After!A. Gives parts

HARRY - RCMA!Life After!B. Friends share expertise

HARRY - RCMA!

Life After!C. Team wins competition.

Greed leads to isolation; but!Generosity leads to friendship.

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Protag. (M): 42 Antag. (F): 32 M-Nemesis: 15 F-Nemesis: 14

Minor A: 6 Minor B: 6 Minor C: 3 Minor D: 3

!

TOTAL = 121

RomCom

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Goals, Plots & Irony Additional Secrets to Award Winning Stories


Screenplay & Story Secrets !Storyline & Character Transformations


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Inner motivates the Outer which changes Inner

Value

Decision

Consequence

Action



IN PURSUIT OF GOAL


Irony: Goal to change OUTER, but what also changes in the character’s INNER values.

REPRISE

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Hook = Something impossible!(mismatch of protagonist, setting, goal, antagonist)!

FAILURE GOAL

Natural Expectation


Dramatic Irony

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Dramatic Irony

FAILURE GOAL SUCCESS

The Goal, achieved through the plot, should be the OPPOSITE of what is naturally expected.!

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What Actually Happens

Natural Expectation

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What is expected vs. What actually happens!Dramatic Irony

Oscar Scripts Similarities

D’JANGO!In 1850 an uneducated American slave and a well-educated European dentist team up to go bounty hunting. !!

THE KINGS SPEECH!At a time of international crisis a (fearful) king cannot speak (of courage).

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Moral Premises

D’JANGO (2012) - articulated by Dr. Schultz

Having no plan leads to brutal times; but!Having a good plan lead to thriving times.

KING’S SPEECH (2010) - articulated by Lionel

Fear leads to stuttering and no audience; but!Confidence leads to a clear voice and listeners.

It’s the story.

(Abdication)

(Kingship)

(slavery)

(freedom)

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Oscar Scripts Similarities

1. Immediate, universal conflict 2. Nuanced, unexpected dialogue 3. Unconventional action 4. Plot surprises 5. New discoveries 6. Transformed Characters 7. Make the impossible reasonable

In D’JANGO (2012) - KING’S SPEECH (2010)!Dramatic Irony naturally leads to...

“SECRET” OSCAR FORMULA

Not Formatting...49

D’JANGO (2012 Oscar) The Weinstein Company Oscar submission!

Format “Errors”!• Shot headings missing!• Narrow margins!• Handprinted page #’s!• POV, FLASHBACKS and

MONTAGES format ignored!• Dense!• Some characters not

introduced!• Capitalization of props!• Writer’s exposition!• Hero confusion (D’Jango or

Schultz?)!• 166 pages!• Would be quickly rejected

by screenplay contests

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THE KING’S SPEECH (2010 Oscar) The Weinstein Company Oscar submission!

Format “Errors”!• None Apparent!• 90 pages

A great screenplay cannot !be judged by it’s formatting.!

!Yet that is often the first thing!

readers and screenplay !contests evaluate.!

!this is irony... !

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Characters Transform !

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Goals Define Plots & Subplots !

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Moral Premise Unifies Goals & Plots !

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IRONY Dramatizes Goals vs. Plots

SUMMARY!Secrets of Successful Screenplays

• Dramatic Irony that will inspire

• Inner changes outer transforms interior!• Multiple Goals

• Goal for each plot!• Beats determine plot structure

• Moral Premise unifiers all plots !• One universal conflict of values

• Inspires writers, characters, and actors!• Makes the impossible reasonable

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BREAK - 15 MINUTES

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Next Up !

STORY CONSTRUCTION

& ANALYSIS

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18+ secrets of successful story writing · 2014-04-05 · 12:15-1:00 lunch & awards 1:00 - 2:30...

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