Once upon a time...

Attempting to write a script, even for a short film can be a daunting task. First you need to establish a basic premise. What is the core idea you wish to communicate? What is the central feeling you wish to express by this piece? You should be able to sum this up in one or two words. Remember these word/s and use them to guide you through the rest of the process. They should act as a torch to guide all your other ideas into the script, or ward conflicting ideas away.

If you feel a little unsure about your ideas, then it’s best to stick to what you know. As you go through the writing process you will hear many different methods and theory as to how to proceeded. Remember, rules are there to be broken, influences are there to be plundered. If you read of a rule that you wish to contravene - do it. Don’t break rules for the sake of it, but equally if your gut feeling tells you that your way is better, take a risk. Don’t be afraid of taking ideas from other films or any other literature. Avoid simply regurgitating those influences, the Poet TS Eliot wrote of how great writers build on existing material, bad writers only copy it. Use influences from your life, things that have happened to you, to your friends and family. Rework these and fit them into the ideas you have.

Plot

Take these ideas and assemble a basic plot. This only needs to be a few lines. You may wish to begin with the end and word backwards. This is especially useful if you are planning a complex plot with a lot going on. Write down the powerful and dramatic ending you have in mind, then ask your self, “How could events end up like this?” Work your way backwards through the plot unravelling the strands you’ve wove. From this you should be able to construct a page which sets out your basic plot. Break this down into a bullet point or list, often it is easier to work on your script as bite-sized chunks rather than viewing it as a daunting mass.

An anthropologist called Joseph Campbell once wrote a book called ‘The Hero With A Thousand Faces’. In it he examined hundreds of myths and stories and distilled the common elements from those. His ideas were fundamental to George Lucas when he wrote ‘Star Wars’ and can offer excellent insights for any writer. He believed that there was just one basic story. Throughout the list I will include examples from George Lucas’s ‘Star Wars’.

Separation

Most stories take place in two worlds, the story will begin in the ordinary world. Here the rules of this ordinary world are established. Also here, the hero/heroine decides or has the decision formed upon him/her that he/she must leave the ordinary world and enter a special world. These two worlds can be physical locations, spiritual or mental states or both!

In Star Wars, the normal world is the moisture farm where Luke Sky Walker lives. It’s rules are those of family life and safety. The discovery of the hologram of Princess Leia creates the decision to enter the special world.

Descent

Hero/heroine descends into a special world. Here the rules that make this world special are established. This is often in contrast to the normal world.

The seedy bar that Luke and Obi Wand Kenobi enter becomes the beginning of the special world. It’s rules are of danger and death. This is established by Han Solo shooting Greebo after a nasty exchange.

Initiation

Hero/heroine is initiated into a new life via. Death and re-birth. Once more this can be symbolic or actual. It alter the context and mental state of the hero/heroine.

Onboard the Millennium Falcon, an attack by the empire means Luke finds himself operating a laser to defend himself and the ship. Here he encounters action and death.

Ordeal

Hero/heroine undergoes ordeal. The hero/heroine must be tested to allow to growth of their character. This test often takes the form of a battle against the odds, where the outcome is uncertain and the hero/heroine be prepared to sacrifice to succeed.

In Star Wars, the characters undergo a series of ordeals. In the last of these, Luke must fight with the rest of the rebels against the planet-destroying power of the Death Star. Their desperate bid for victory is in the face of huge odds, and many of Luke comrades will be lost before battle is resolved. Here he must also face the Villain, Darth Vader. In the end his belief in the Force/himself wins through.

Return

End of story, joining of special and ordinary world. The completion of the story is established and the growth of the Characters is revealed.

Here Luke, Han Solo, Princess Leia and the rest are together in a family like state, in a safer world, thanks to their sacrifice and so the ordinary world is re-established.

Remember this is a guide - not a set of absolute rules. Another writer, Robert Heinlin reduced all stories to two strands rather than one basic plot. Each of these two has it’s opposite giving four possible story lines. Again these can be considered as both physical and symbolic components:

Knowledge

 Someone learns a piece of knowledge and it has terrible consequences. An example of this would be ‘Frankenstein’. In the opposite, this knowledge has positive consequences. An example of this would be the film ‘Harvey’.

Wealth

 A character begins as poor and makes it to the big time. An example would be ‘Wall Street’, where a small time city trader makes the big time. In the opposite, the character has it all and looses it. A good example would be ‘A Streetcar named Desire’, where Blanche DuBois arrives seemingly with everything only to have her life unravel throughout the film.

Next we take a look at characters. Characters are the bread-and-butter of your script, they are the most important aspect of it. Strong characters with weak plot always wins over clever plot with weak characters.