The Power of Story: Stories can captivate, inspire, and provoke emotions. As screenwriters, our task is to harness this power and craft narratives that resonate with audiences.
Finding Inspiration: Inspiration can strike from anywhere - a conversation, a news article, a dream, or even a personal experience (Hate your boss? Turn your hate into a story). The key is to remain open to the world around us and recognize the potential for storytelling in the mundane.
Generating Story Ideas:
Observation and Reflection: Train yourself to observe the world.
Pay attention to people, places, and events. Listen to the way folks around you behave. Screenwriting is dramatic and VISUAL medium; the way people behave is just as important as what they say.
What intrigues you? What sparks your curiosity? Reflect on these observations and consider how they could form the basis of a compelling story.
Example: Roman Holiday (1952)
Roman Holiday (1953)At the beginning of this movie, Princess Ann ( Audrey Hepburn) attends a formal ceremony, and as the greeting gets longer, she becomes bored and decides to slip her foot out of her shoe. But when she tries to put her shoe back on, her foot can’t find it. Despite her struggle, she keeps pushing the shoe farther and farther away from her… until one of her aids comes to the rescue and invites the princess to dance. As she steps forward, she’s able to put her shoe back on.
This scene shows us Ann's child-like vulnerability and desire for normalcy. The loss of her shoe, a symbol of her royal status and the constraints it imposes, represents a moment of liberation for the princess. Without her shoe, she is momentarily freed from the expectations and obligations associated with her royal identity.
Exploring Themes: Themes are the backbone of any story. The “moral” of the story, the “message” woven through it. It’s deeper than the plot. And it’s the reason why you want to write a particular story.
Take some time to explore themes that resonate with you on a personal level. Themes such as love, betrayal, redemption, or identity can serve as powerful starting points for your narrative journey.Character Exploration: Characters drive the story forward. Start by creating characters with depth, complexity, and inner conflicts. Think about their desires, fears, and motivations. What challenges do they face, and how do they grow throughout the story?
The What If Game: This is a fun exercise to spark creativity. Take a mundane situation and add a twist. What if a shy librarian discovers she has the power to time travel? What if a struggling accordion player receives a mysterious letter that changes his life forever? Let your imagination run wild!
Research and Remix: Dive into research about topics that interest you. Whether it's history, science, or culture, there's a wealth of information waiting to be discovered. Use this knowledge to create unique and authentic story worlds.
Practical Exercises:
Character Interviews: Conduct interviews with your characters. Ask them about their past, their goals, and their deepest secrets. This will help you flesh out their personalities and understand their motivations.
Pitch Practice: Practice pitching your story ideas to friends, family, or fellow writers. Pay attention to their feedback and use it to refine your concept.
Pitching story ideas to friends and classmates is a crucial step in the creative process. It provides an opportunity to receive constructive feedback and gain insights into how your story resonates with others.
When pitching, focus on conveying the essence of your story in a clear and engaging manner. Start by introducing the main characters and the central conflict or theme. Then, outline the plot in a concise yet compelling way, highlighting key events and twists. Don't forget to share what inspired you to write this story and what you hope to achieve with it.
A sample pitch for the film Collateral, written by Stuart Beattie.
Title: Collateral
Genre: Crime Thriller
Logline: In the heart of Los Angeles, an unsuspecting taxi driver is hired by a contract killer for a night of deadly contracts, unwittingly entangling him in a high-stakes game of survival against a relentless adversary and confronting both men with the moral complexities of their choices.
Synopsis: Max, a diligent and dreamy Los Angeles taxi driver, picks up a passenger named Vincent, an enigmatic and well-dressed man who offers him a lucrative deal to chauffeur him around the city for the night. Little does Max know that Vincent is a contract killer, and his destinations are carefully selected hits. As the night progresses, Max becomes increasingly aware of the grim reality of his passenger's intentions.
Meanwhile, Vincent's precise and cold demeanor begins to unravel as he encounters unexpected obstacles. With each hit, the tension mounts, and Max finds himself drawn deeper into a deadly game he never intended to play. Despite his initial shock, Max's innate morality compels him to try and stop Vincent, but doing so puts both his life and the lives of his loved ones in grave danger.
As the night unfolds, Max and Vincent's paths intersect with Annie, a prosecutor who inadvertently becomes a target of Vincent's next hit. Determined to protect her, Max takes a stand against Vincent, leading to a gripping climax where the lines between good and evil blur, and the true cost of collateral damage is revealed.
Themes:
The interplay between action and passivity, as catalyzed by Vincent's presence, adds layers of tension and complexity to Collateral's storyline, driving both character development and plot progression.
Morality vs. survival: Both Max and Vincent are forced to confront their moral compasses as they navigate through a night filled with violence and danger.
Fate and consequence: The choices made by the characters have far-reaching consequences, emphasizing the interconnectedness of their actions.
The unpredictability of life: Despite meticulous planning, unforeseen events continually disrupt Vincent's carefully crafted agenda, highlighting the chaotic nature of existence.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Come up with a story you want to write and try pitching it to your relatives or friends.
See what they say. The process of pitching will help you understand your story better.
I hope this was helpful. Stay tuned for Lesson 2.
If you have questions about the lecture series or want to work with me one-on-one, you can contact me at kustanovich@substack.com