I’m curious about how other authors/screenwriters navigate the writing process.
After writing my first script, without a clue what I was doing, I started learning how to write a script. You know the 3-act structure, the arc, how the protagonist & other characters change…
After taking a few classes, reading blogs, etc. I found that I’d unintentionally taken my script through the basic “structure” without realizing it.
Some writers create a map before they jump in. (I’m guessing most do.)
I have the story in my head, but I’m a pantser and when I get into a writing fog without thinking strategically, I find the best material. Outlining distracts me.
Then I go back and edit the script (or book) obsessively – to conform to industry standards. Am I weird?
I aspire to organize the next script to experience a structured process, maybe.
Do you know where you're going before you start? Do you outline, create beats, define characters… or do your characters and story find their own way as you write?
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You may want to read Chris Vogler's, "The Writer's Journey" or Paul Guyot's "Kill The Dog" as they are insightful. I have to say that I really used Chris Vogler's direction until I read Paul Guyot's book that really changed the way I see script structure.
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Hi, Debbie Seagle, I make a really detailed outline when I write a feature script or teleplay. I come up with the logline, theme, character bios, scenes, and more.
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Thank you Scott Weisenfeld ! I'm going to strive to be more purposeful writing the next script. AND I'll make time to read Paul Guyot's book.
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Maurice Vaughan - Your advice always turns me around. I think a pre-plan will result in fewer re-writes. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Hi Debbie, to give you a bit of a background when I saw Chris Vogler speak at a lunchtime lecture it really helped me structure my ideas. I then filtered what he said and what I read in his book to help my path as a writer. After working with my writing partner and creating scripts, plays, sketches, etc. for over 20 years I learned more about being a writer. When we look at our early work we see how much we have grown. It takes time and making a lot of mistakes but the bottom line it to keep writing. Knowing what the structure of a professional level script is important but also knowing your story, characters, and being aware of the audience are also points that help shape the story. We have outlined story arcs and characters and as we write we realize the characters don't seem to follow the path we created as they evolve into living entities to us. After feedback from some of our professional friends and contacts we evolved further. I recently read the book I mentioned before Paul Guyot's "Kill The Dog" and it opened my eyes to not being trapped into the common tales of how the structure must be locked into a specific formula. I felt more freedom and wrote based on his ideas of if the story is good and keeps the reader interested if goes over 120 pages it isn't a crime. If you don't hit certain plot points by a certain page number, that is okay. The point being if you write a compelling story those issues won't be a concern as much as captivating the reader.
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You're welcome, Debbie Seagle. A pre-plan will result in fewer re-writes. Sometimes. And even though I make an outline, I'm open to things changing when I write the script.
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Thank you for sharing this! I’m also just beginning to seriously study structure, and I’ve been testing a few of my own “home rules”:
Pantomime and telegrams — writing as if everything is between the lines, no direct declarations.
No “on-the-nose” honesty — using any method except saying it straight.
Emotions over logic — especially in dialogue.
But the main thing I’ve learned so far is: always start with a scene plan.
Not just wait for inspiration or "the muse."
Though, sometimes I do let the soul speak — and write what flows. Then I go back and revise with structure in mind.
So I’m right there with you — learning as I go, and dreaming of one day being a seasoned screenwriter
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I write exactly the way you described, only I always see where the character has to end up, so I know where I’m leading them. Other than that—no plans at all, none. The character chooses what to say and what to do.
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Aleksandr- you work like Mozart. He just took dictation. No revision.
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In a way, yes, Mozart could hear the music in his head that he was dictating, exactly like that. I don’t sit down to write a script until I can see the entire film in my mind and in front of my eyes. Only then do I sit down to put it on paper.
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It is a difficult process, condensing a 300+ page book down to just 120 minutes. I have now completed the conversion of two of my books using finaldraft to screenplays, one with the help of a professional screenwriter who taught me the process. It is painful and hardwork. The next hard bit is getting them sold!! I am New Zealand based and the screen production here has limited funds.
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Outlining first would kill that spark. Many brilliant writers work exactly as you do: discovery draft first, structure second. Your method of getting the raw story down and then obsessively editing it into shape is a completely valid and effective process.
If you want to try more structure on your next project, maybe just sketch a loose beat sheet after your first draft as a editing guide, rather than a writing rulebook. But honestly, your process works because you understand the rules well enough to apply them in the edit. Keep trusting it.