Screenwriters Secrets of

StorytellingBased on the book Screenwriters Tricks for

Novels by Alexandra Sokoloff

http://www.screenwritingtricks.com/

Master the Craft!

Learn your craft.

break the rules with intention

List 5 Favorite Movies, Shows, book

Think of your WIP – list at lest 25 words that

set the mood.

So, what’s your premise?

So what’s your book about?Logline, one line, elevator pitch or TV Guide pitch…All

mean the same thing

A young, female FBI trainee must barter personal information with an imprisoned psychopathic genius in order to catch a serial killer who is skinning young women.

The Opening – Big Set Piece

• limitless budget!• So make it big

Act One – Sequence 1

• Set-up, Opening image, Meet the hero• What they want (could be

false)• Scar/Ghost/ lie they believe• Hope/Fears (the stakes)• Inner and outer conflicts

(desire/problem)• Ordinary world (introduce

Disturbance)• Sequence 1 climax- can be the

call to adventure – Inciting Incident

Act 1 sequence 2 They have a plan

• State the theme• Introduce all the characters• Mentor/ love

interest/allies/antagonist• Plants/payoffs (set ups and

payoffs)• The glimpse of the essence• Plan –central story question• Crossing the Threshold

Act I Climax Crossing the Threshold – No going back– New

information – New twist

Quick Note on Antagonist• They need to believe it is

their story – Strong, smart, motivation needs to be real – not just because they are evil.

Act Two – They can’t get what they want

Act Two A• Crossing the threshold/ Into the

special world (may occur in Act One)

• Threshold Guardian/Guardian (maybe)

• Hero & Antagonist’ plan – remember the plan!

• Genre beats –Training sequence• Series of test• Assembling the team

• Attacks by the Antagonist END of Act Two Part A – MIDPOINT

• First Plan is falling apart! Look in the Mirror Moment – Y in the road - Disappointments

Act Two – The plan has fallen apart

Act Two B –more disappointment!• Recalibrating – after the shock or

defeat of the game-changer in the mid-point, the hero/ine must Revamp THE PLAN and try a new Mode of Attack.

• Escalating Actions / Obsessive Drive

• Hard choices and crossing the Line (immoral action by the main character to get what s/he wants)

• Loss of Key Allies (could be because of the hero’s obsessive action or through death or injury by the antagonist).

• A ticking clock (can happen anywhere in the story)

• Reversals and Revelations/new twist

• The long dark night of the soul and or Visit to Death also known as ALL IS LOST…THE Black moment. HELP!

Act Three - They get what they need

• Final Battle & Resolution • final showdown

between protagonist and antagonist• HELP! (Storming the

Castle)

Act Three - They get what they need

• The final battle itself• Thematic Location often a visual and literal

representation of the hero - Greatest Nightmare

• The protagonist character change (overhaul)• Gaining of desire• Possibly a huge final reversal or reveal

(twist) or even a whole series of payoffs (Back to the future and It’s a Wonderful Life)

• (twist) or even a whole series of payoffs (Back to the future and It’s a Wonderful Life)

Huge final reversal or reveal

New Way of Life

• Resolution: A glimpse into the New Way of LIFE –the hero will be living after this whole ordeal and all they learned from it.• Closing image

Now that I understand the element, where do I start?

Get to know your character.What motivates them?• What is their greatest

fear?I’ll do anything

for you but, don’t ask me to…….

Let them drive your story• Ghost from the past/scar• What is the lie he believes• Greatest Dream?• Purpose?• What is he good at?

People and Books that influenced meChristopher VoglerMichael HaugeThe Late Blake SnyderJoseph Cambell – Hero’s JourneySusan May Warren- My Book TherapyDeb Dixion - GMC (Goals, Motivation & Conflict)Stephen King – On WritingGroups – SARA – San Antonio Romance Writers

http://www.screenwritingtricks.com

http://jolenenavarrowriter.com

jnavarro32@gvtc.com