A Screenwriter's POV: Plot Asks a Question and Characters Answer It
By Ugur Akinci
For over ten years I've thought about the fascinating question of the
relationship between a story plot and characters in a screenplay. At
long last I believe I solved the puzzle to my own satisfaction. I'm
sharing my answer here with the hopes that it will help all my fellow
screenwriters struggling with the pseudo problem of whether the
"story" or the "characters" is more important in writing a screenplay.
A plot "limits" but fails to "predetermine" what a character will do
the way a Question limits but does not predetermine what the Answer
will be.
For example, the set of possible answers to the question "What day is
today?" includes all seven days of the week but not "yellow," or "six
hundred twelve," or "eggplants and strawberries."
In that sense the Question limits what answers we can give to it
without, however, reducing it down to a single possible answer.
The same conceptual "limiting" relationship holds true in screenwriting as well.
Imagine this plot point: a guy traveling by plane finds a fat wallet
sitting on the empty seat next to him.
Now what should he do? We know that he probably will not write an
opera about it or perhaps cook it and eat it. In that sense, his
responses can not be infinite and will be limited to a number of
"possible actions" that "make sense."
He can call the stewardess and turn the wallet over to her, for
example, or… he can pocket the wallet and keep it for himself. Or
perhaps, he'll do nothing and continue to read his paper.
Which one of these actions our character will follow depends on the
kind of character he is. Thus a brilliant story plot is not enough to
write a good screenplay because in itself it is not sufficient to tell
us how the people in our story will "answer" the "questions" put to
them by our plot line.
Authentic responses to plot questions require not random but
appropriate answers by characters. Otherwise you'll hear your viewers
complain out loud with that familiar "no way!"
Decide on who your characters are while building up your story line.
Otherwise your "answers" to plot "questions" will be pretty random,
like the case with most "bad movies" out there. If you keep this
Question-Paradigm in mind, it'll be easier for you to weave through
the complex web of Character-Plot interactions.
-------------------------------------------------------
Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced
and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in
fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases,
movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical
Writer for Fortune 500 corporations since 1999. Visit his copywriting site
http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary
background, writing career, and client testimonials.
For over ten years I've thought about the fascinating question of the
relationship between a story plot and characters in a screenplay. At
long last I believe I solved the puzzle to my own satisfaction. I'm
sharing my answer here with the hopes that it will help all my fellow
screenwriters struggling with the pseudo problem of whether the
"story" or the "characters" is more important in writing a screenplay.
A plot "limits" but fails to "predetermine" what a character will do
the way a Question limits but does not predetermine what the Answer
will be.
For example, the set of possible answers to the question "What day is
today?" includes all seven days of the week but not "yellow," or "six
hundred twelve," or "eggplants and strawberries."
In that sense the Question limits what answers we can give to it
without, however, reducing it down to a single possible answer.
The same conceptual "limiting" relationship holds true in screenwriting as well.
Imagine this plot point: a guy traveling by plane finds a fat wallet
sitting on the empty seat next to him.
Now what should he do? We know that he probably will not write an
opera about it or perhaps cook it and eat it. In that sense, his
responses can not be infinite and will be limited to a number of
"possible actions" that "make sense."
He can call the stewardess and turn the wallet over to her, for
example, or… he can pocket the wallet and keep it for himself. Or
perhaps, he'll do nothing and continue to read his paper.
Which one of these actions our character will follow depends on the
kind of character he is. Thus a brilliant story plot is not enough to
write a good screenplay because in itself it is not sufficient to tell
us how the people in our story will "answer" the "questions" put to
them by our plot line.
Authentic responses to plot questions require not random but
appropriate answers by characters. Otherwise you'll hear your viewers
complain out loud with that familiar "no way!"
Decide on who your characters are while building up your story line.
Otherwise your "answers" to plot "questions" will be pretty random,
like the case with most "bad movies" out there. If you keep this
Question-Paradigm in mind, it'll be easier for you to weave through
the complex web of Character-Plot interactions.
-------------------------------------------------------
Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced
and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in
fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases,
movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical
Writer for Fortune 500 corporations since 1999. Visit his copywriting site
http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary
background, writing career, and client testimonials.
posted by BAWGAWK! @ 10:30 AM
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