Screenwriting : Screenplays are stories. Not formulas by Steven Harris Anzelowitz

Whatever works for the individual writer that gets you to THE END. I agree there should not be any formulas also. Story Characters, Concept that is at the heart of EVERY great screenplay. Just write every day with passion and soul.

Formulas are guides for stories.

A great story with compelling characters does not need a formula. Just my opinion. Every writer is DIFFERENT. If a formula works for you and as DovS-S Simmons says gets you from Reel to Deal(His Book not nine) Than beautiful God Bless.

Thank you for the article.

You 're welcome Izzibella. FYI-- I am just taking network requests from METRO NYC. Doing my best to build City & Suburban Motion Pictures into a going concern. I will be a lot more relaxed after we do our first table read for "Hope Saves Manhattan" our first copyrighted feature film. on June 26th at Shetler Studios @ 244 West 54th Street here in Manhattan. All the best. Thanks.

Open-ended question: Has anybody here ever used Dramatica? If so, what did you think of it?

Patricia-- A clear and concise description on your process. Very informative. Most appreciated. Let the learning continue for all of us "Happy Writers"

It seems to me that story IS formula. Let me explain. When not writing my own material, I help new writers edit and rework theirs. Recently, I received a hot mess. It was nearly 200 pages, had almost that many named characters and probably 100 locations. It was a true story and the author was very close to the characters. There were delightful scenes, interesting transitions and flashbacks and a ton of information, but no story. It was difficult to identify a lead, a character arch, a climax, a crisis etc. The author had a hard time seeing the forest for the trees and it took stepping back and imposing structure over the whole thing to see the story. Once the formula (or the structure) was imposed on the script, a story emerged. The story was complex, it had more than one main character, it did not fit neatly on a beat sheet, however, it did have the basic structure and this made it comprehensible. A story has to have, at minimum a beginning, middle and end. To make it interested there has to be a twist, something that makes it more than a recounting of facts. Many argue that something like Snyder's beat sheet creates monotony, however, I agree with Patricia, it's not the structure that is boring, but the content.

Screenplays are structure. - Bill Goldman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr7VIb4_QAE)

more aptly put, Screenplays are formulated stories. the formula for box office success now a days relies on past success, remakes, reboots, prequels, sequels, not anything new, original or inventive. and movies now a days must have a plot twist and it must make sense. even if it's a bio pic, there's going to be a plot twist. I blame that bitch Shamalayan.