Development Hell Road Map

[daveindezmenez]

I've also posted this in the ISA (Iowa Scriptwriters Alliance) section of the board as part of a proposal for doing "Development Hell" sessions to help bring along new screenplays. My idea is to come up with a basic road map to follow in order to get a feature-length screenplay done. I've not accomplished that yet myself so keep that in mind when you look at this. I'm doing this more for my own benefit than to impart any "great wisdom" about the process. I've gotten lost in previous attempts to write one and I'm hoping this little plan of attack with help me finally reach the end with an acceptable screenplay being the result.


“Development Hell” Road Map (“The road through Hell”)

Conceptual

Ideas:
Where to find ideas? Starting points – starting with a desired genre, imagining a memorable scene, what's in the news, existing stories that strike a chord (adapting or inspiring a new story). Remakes – what should be remade? (Perils of remaking well-known films, potential of remaking lesser films – example: “The Maltese Falcon”)

Getting Started

Whose story is it? (Who is the protagonist?) Who stands in their way? (Who is the antagonist?) Details about this.

The Logline:
The reason to do it at the beginning of the process rather than at the end: to have a succinct summing up of what the story is about that can be referred back to when you are lost. It and the story line can be determined by understanding the protagonist. It will also help make clear the central question (will the hero...?).

Blocking Out the Story:
Write enough of a bio of the protagonist and the antagonist to have the story be able to form organically. The pitfall of getting carried away by this process: procrastination and having more information than you really need to tell the story (wasted time).

Understanding Story Structure:
Fully fleshed out version of the 3 Act Structure as a starting point, as in – Act One: inciting incident, turning point one, Act Two: midpoint, turning point two, Act Three: final confrontation, resolution. Being aware of variations that help fill in the gaps: Blake Snyder's “Beat Sheet”, and John Truby's “Twenty Two Step Story Structure”. Understanding “A” stories and “B” stories. The character arc.

Piecing Together the Elements:
Using index cards to write down separate ideas and notes. Organizing the information. Writing down the steps of the story on cards. Using these cards as reference as you break the story down into scenes (typically about 40 scenes for a feature film). The elements that make up a scene (beginning, middle, end. Who wants what and how it things change at the end of it). How this structure scales up to the larger parts of the story.

To be aware of:
Question/answer nature of good story points, release of information (when, how soon), show don't tell. Conflict. Not making it too easy for the hero but also not impossible. Making characters believable and human. Theme.

First Draft

If the cards look right, try a treatment to see if the flow feels right. Expand what is on the scene cards into actual scenes in the screenplay. If you are tempted to make corrections as you go along, do it only once because the name of the game is to get to “The End”. Be aware that it is better at this stage to write freely than it is to second guess yourself.

The Pause That Refreshes

Set the first draft aside long enough to be able to look at it with reasonably fresh eyes. Be aware of the quote from Ernest Hemingway; “The first draft of anything is shit” and don't let the your perceived lack of quality throw you when you return to it.

Rewrites

Read the script and write notes. Devote most of your attention to the big issues of the script (does the story work) and less to the nitpicking details (spelling, sentence structure, formatting, etc.). The story has to be great first before you expend energy on the small stuff. When you are satisfied with the story as a whole, then go through it in obsessive detail to track down and squash the little bugs in it in order to bulletproof it. Only after you have taken this final step should you submit it anywhere.

[PJMAtkinson]

Once you have a draft of a story that you feel good about, one of the most useful tools available is your fellow writers. Feedback from multiple people can be extremely helpful. Everyone has their own experiences and thoughts and can often raise valid points. And if several people say the same thing then you should pay attention to it. They are, ultimately, part of your prospective audience and knowing how your audience might react to your imagery will help you to hone it.

Sharing is hard to do, but it's part of the growth process. After all, if your work gets optioned, EVERYONE will see it. So give them the best you've got.

[daveindezmenez]

I agree there but you have to get to that first draft first before any of that can happen. The ISA had been kind of skipping that big step with their emphasis on their "All About Me" script reading sessions where the writing of the first draft has already been done. If the script has any major structural issues at that point, it is much more difficult to fix them.

I don't know how soon I will be able to get any sort of formal program of "Development Hell Sessions" started . That is why I'm posting my notes about the road map here now. That way at least the road map might possibly be of use to someone in the meantime until I can figure out how this progression might be done.

[PJMAtkinson]

I have not had the opportunity to attend one of the Des Moines ISA meetings, but the ones Matt holds in Iowa City cover all aspects of screenwriting. You are not expected, nor required to walk in with a full feature or a finished draft. Any bit, piece, or even concept is welcome, and you can go off on any tangent or visit any topic you like.

A good story will tell itself, by whatever method works best for you. The best thing you can do is not overthink or second guess yourself. If you start with a vignette of something you like, flesh it out and come back to it later. You don't have to write it in sequence and you don't have to follow any particular structure. Stories have their own ebb and flow and so long as you remember to have your main conflict, compelling characters and a resolution, everything else is a bonus.

So long as you've got a point, a moral, a statement or a warning, you've got good stuff.