Script Tips!
With Script Frenzy just days away, I thought I’d offer an outlining technique that I use to help me set up my scripts. In Viki King’s book How to Write a Movie in 21 Days, she refers to something called, “The 9-minute movie.” This is a way to de-mystify the screenwriting process. She suggests getting nine 3 x 5 cards, and writing on each card what happens on page 1, 3, 10, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, & 100. Once you do that, you have your “9-minute movie". Post these cards near your computer, and voila! You’re ready to get started.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the common things that happen to characters on those pages:
Page 1 – Set up story, mood, tone, and place.
Page 3 – Introduce the central question your characters will explore.
Page 10 – Tell us what the story is. Tell us what the hero wants.
Page 30 – An event occurs that moves the hero into new territory.
Page 45 – We see the initial growth of your character. You’ll tell us where we’re headed from here on.
Page 60 – The middle of Act Two: your hero is in big trouble, he reaffirms and makes a deeper commitment to what he wants.
Page 75 – It looks like all is lost, and there might even be a scene where the character is about to give up.
Page 90 – The resolution of the problem begins.
Page 120 – The audience gets the resolution they deserve, and the audience is satisfied that you gave them the story you promised.
If you’re worried about not having an outline prepared for Script Frenzy! Don’t fret! It’s never too late to get cracking! I’m prepping my “9-minute movie” on Saturday morning.
Making an origami star box with my 3x5 cards,
Sandra
Script Frenzy Program Director
Notes
xmcuallerdrake liked this
sunshine-raygun liked this
krishnaanaberi reblogged this from nanowrimo
bonbonfirefly liked this
pinkbaron liked this
lovejam liked this
screenwritingcollectionblog reblogged this from nanowrimo
felinemalin liked this
asdfjkl-deactivated liked this
momingtons-stories reblogged this from nanowrimo
keyboardsanddarkness reblogged this from nanowrimo
pennlake liked this
sehelles liked this
ianhillan liked this
bonesmckay reblogged this from nanowrimo craftie-girl reblogged this from nanowrimo
edwardshundredyearoldspunk liked this
sohumnigerian-blog liked this disquietdreamlife-blog liked this
astray-thought reblogged this from nanowrimo and added:
This is a fantastic method to break down the plotting process, in scripts or novels! It’s advice like this I love NaNo...
aretecrowns13 liked this
adnanshamsi liked this
bumble--bean liked this
introqui liked this logicalabsurdity liked this
momingtonoregano liked this
hausofcards liked this
unexplored-corners liked this
heytherepumpkin liked this
superwhofflepuff liked this
lionslighttt liked this
appleof-eris reblogged this from nanowrimo
abookishweasel liked this deletednownownownow liked this
- jillswriting reblogged this from nanowrimo
qniquelywriting reblogged this from nanowrimo
bogfruit liked this
nanowrimo posted this
- Show more notes