Building Blocks

By now, you have a general idea of your story.

Bravo! You’ve read through an entire script, too. It’s time to solidify the major building blocks of your story. Completing a story design worksheet is your task for today. You’ve already brainstormed most of the building blocks in previous chapters, so now the object is to bring them all together, in the same document. This is also a good time to decide if you’d like to make changes and adjustments. Great writers rarely settle for their initial idea.

I encourage you to check out other overviews and explanations, like Blake Snyder’s beat sheet in Save The Cat. While most writers engage similar building blocks in the crafting of their stories, the explanations they provide for them are different. We all tend to agree on several key elements, but you’ll see, for example, that I sometimes have one (the brick wall) where Blake has three (“all is lost,” “dark night of the soul,” and “break into three”). I’ve found this unified approach to a single building block, or “beat,” at the end of Act Two provides me with a more punchy transition into Act Three. However, you may prefer a lengthier transition. It’s up to you to decide what works best for your story.

I’m also grateful to teachers at UCLA for helping me see the true value of the character moments I’ve included in my own outlining process. These play such a key role for me in shaping the first and second halves of Act Two. Making these kinds of moments count is a great way to keep the character arc on track and ensure your character is growing as the story progresses. I can’t recommend them enough.

The verdict? To each his (or her) own. There’s no single, correct way to achieve the structural integrity of a story. One person’s process doesn’t eclipse or render obsolete other approaches. It’s really a question of finding out what works for you, and covers all of the highs and lows discussed in steps 1-10. Some writers may prefer to get everything down on paper, driven by inspiration alone. That’s fine. I'd argue that at some point, if you want to have a chance of selling your screenplay or seeing it made into a movie, you’re going to have to integrate each of the building blocks and take your pages back down to outline to find out what’s working—and what’s not. Learn structure so that, ultimately, you can forget about it and embrace it as a natural part of your visual storytelling tool kit.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to find your voice and develop your own method. Draw upon my experience and that of others, and you’ll eventually come up with your own outlining principles. Make your story, and your process, your own.

For convenience, I’ve included a review of each of the main building blocks and their reason for being below, along with approximate page references for a 100-page spec script. 

• Point of Attack (pp. 1-2, at most 1-3). This is the beginning of your movie. You'll want to try a few options in order to pick a scene that best introduces the premise and themes. Remember to showcase the values at stake in the story world. If need be, go back to Lajos Egri    and study the art of the dramatic premise.
  

• The World as We Know It, or the Ordinary World. It’s time to build a sequence (a series of scenes) to introduce the reader and audience to your protagonist. Remember: Show, don’t tell. Actions and interactions are more powerful than background and exposition.
  

• As part of the ordinary world, you’ll want to signal that a storm is brewing. Things may appear to be continuing on as usual, but you want to create the impression that the protagonist’s world (and life) is on the brink of a change. Things cannot continue as they are. You’re setting up the opportunity for an event to take place that invites the protagonist into a new journey.
  

• Inciting Incident, or Catalyst (pp.10-12). One day, everything changes. Remember, we’re just lighting the fuse here. The stick of dynamite doesn’t explode quite yet. This is the day everything changes, even if the protagonist is unaware of how much that change will impact her life. As far as the protagonist is concerned, this isn’t necessarily her business; she can still avoid or turn down the invitation. Great writers have different names for this story moment, but you can be sure that their stories all have one.
  

• Dilemma (p. 17). By page 17 at the latest, you want to up the ante. The stick of dynamite explodes and the protagonist faces a decision: to stay home, or follow the invitation into a new world. It’s not clear yet as to what decision the protagonist will make. Something’s going to have to happen to cause her to jump off the ledge. And when she does, she won’t fully understand what she’s getting herself into. Around the dilemma point, we get an initial sense that the character may be on the brink of biting off more than she can chew.
  

• Protagonist commits to crossing the threshold (pp. 25-27). It’s time to commit to the quest. Reread Christopher Vogler’s Writer's Journey if you need a refresher on this important story moment. Something happens and prompts the protagonist to make a proactive decision to move forward. Remember, the protagonist cannot simply be swept along into the action. An active decision must be made and clearly presented in the story. The protagonist must take ownership of this moment. She has agency. Moreover, I like to keep in mind that this commitment sheds light on the dramatic premise. The protagonist makes a decision to take a stand, through action, for something she believes in. Typically, her position is to become a champion of the underdog values of the story world, or at the very least, to align with them and be willing to take a step towards championing them.

[End of Act One]

• Adventure Sequence. We're in the extraordinary world and it’s time to engage in the adventure. Remember, you don’t want to up the stakes again until the midpoint. This is your opportunity to present us with the rules of the new world, and stage events that challenge your protagonist to grow along the character arc. Each event in the adventure is an opportunity for your main character to grow and build confidence.
  

• Gaining Support (p. 30). Don’t forget to introduce your supporting character. The main purpose of the supporting character is to present a new influence for the protagonist. Interacting with this character will help your protagonist grow through the character arc. In a 100-page script, you want this introduction to happen no later than page 30 or 35. Ideally, you’ll weave the path and desire line of the supporting character directly into the protagonist’s story and desire line. For example in STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE , Han’s path intersects with Luke and Obi-Wan because there’s a price on his head, and he needs the money. Although Luke and Han don’t share the same desire line, their individual MacGuffins temporarily align in the same direction. In other words, Han embraces a shared goal, but he pursues that goal for different underlying philosophical principles and motivations than those that drive Luke and Obi-Wan. (Ultimately, when their paths bifurcate, and no longer align, Han will leave Luke and set off to settle his debt. But he, too, will have grown over the course of the story. That’s why he comes back: supporting his friend and fighting for something greater than himself has overtaken his desire to settle the price on his head.)
  

• The Adventure Sequence Continues. With the supporting character in tow, the protagonist continues to progress towards the critical midpoint and live the adventure of the extraordinary world.
  
  When it comes to executing the whole Adventure Sequence, I find it especially useful to build a series of three or four mini-goals to help me get from the threshold crossing all the way to the midpoint. For example, let’s say our overarching goal is to “deliver the plans to Alderaan.” (Sound familiar? Good.) Then I’m going to think of three mini-goals upon which my protagonist can realistically focus in order to get them all the way to the midpoint. (1) We need to get into the city and find a pilot. (2) We have to make sure we don’t draw the attention of the Empire. (3) We have to get to the ship and make the leap to hyperspace.
  
  Then, it’s a question of designing scenes that make it difficult for the protagonist to achieve each of these goals. First, to get into the city, we have to get past the stormtroopers. Luke and Obi-Wan succeed in the famous “these are not the droids you’re looking for” scene. This is an important moment for Luke, because it showcases Obi-Wan’s Jedi powers in action. It makes him a believer in the Force. Second, as much as Luke tries to fly under the radar in the space tavern, he gets involved in a brawl. This forces Obi-Wan to show his hand and blow their disguise when he pulls out his lightsaber in Luke’s defense. Enter mini-goal three. Obi-Wan has found a pilot, but Luke finds Han’s attitude off-putting. However, the ticking clock set in motion by the brawl has drawn the attention of some stormtroopers. There’s no time to lose. The race is on to get back to the ship, under attack and enemy fire. The ship takes off and (after a minor hiccup) makes the leap to hyperspace. The adventure sequence is a resounding success! Except… there’s no Alderaan.
  

• Character Moment #1 (around p. 40) The protagonist does something she wouldn't have done in Act One, based on what she has learned and most likely the influence exerted by the supporting character. This demonstrates through action that your protagonist is evolving through the character arc.
  

• Midpoint (p. 50). The tide turns. If the movie is to end with the triumph of the underdog values, the midpoint represents a setback. Most importantly, the protagonist moves from passive to active. This decision changes the course of the story and is a direct cause of the brick wall—although the protagonist doesn’t know that yet.

[End of Act Two, First Half]

• All Downhill: Attack of the Dominant Values. Everything goes from bad to worse. The second half of Act Two represents a series of ever-increasing setbacks for the protagonist. Keep in mind that, for me, it’s not as simple as the “bad guys closing in,” as Blake Snyder puts it. Rather, the shift from passive to active that the protagonist made at the midpoint has likely led her to do something that was premature, or a little too bold. At the midpoint, by taking a stand and shifting the direction of the story, the protagonist pushes the plot in a direction that now causes harm to those on the journey with her. Unknowingly, she oftentimes transfers the strategic advantage to the antagonist.
  
  In keeping with my approach to outlining the first half of Act One, I like to split this second half of Act Two into three or four mini-goals and adventures, to make the progression specific. The only difference is that this time, the forces of antagonism have the upper hand at every step of the way.
  
  Taking once again STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE as our model (but you’ll be able to do this with any carefully constructed story), Luke moves from passive to active when he realizes the Princess is detained in the cell block. Note how Han resists, siding with Obi-Wan for the first time in the movie: even the old man told them to stay put. (1) We’ve got to get into the cellblock and find the princess; (2) We’ve got to get out of the cellblock; (3) We have to rendezvous with Obi-Wan and escape. (By this time, he’ll have the shield down.) At each step of the way, the adventure goes from bad to worse. The plan to get into the cell block ultimately succeeds, but as Princess Leia herself points out, they have no plan for getting back out, and are now under enemy fire. (2) She takes matters into her own hands and blows them an escape route… straight into the garbage compactor. There, they confront the octopus-like creature that attacks Luke, and when it leaves, the walls start moving in. C-3PO saves the day, but (3) when they attempt to rejoin Obi-Wan (who did get the shield down), he faces off against Darth Vader and sacrifices himself so they can escape. Things are looking pretty bad for the rebels. The princess even suspects their enemies allowed them to escape and that there’s a tracking device on board.
  

• Character Moment #2 (around pp. 60-65) The protagonist does something she wouldn't and couldn't have done in the first half of Act Two. This moment represents a step further along the character arc than the first character moment.
  

• The Brick Wall (p. 70). Blake Snyder, in Save The Cat, likes to think of this point as the “all is lost.” Indeed, the brick wall represents the ultimate low for the protagonist. But more importantly, I like to remember that the protagonist now faces a decision that amplifies the commitment she made to the quest at the end of Act One. It’s time to pick up the sledgehammer, break through the wall, and recommit to the quest. Oftentimes, the quest is redefined and a bigger picture comes into focus. The protagonist is ready to enter Act Three. (You’ll note that I choose not to separate this moment from the act break. I find the story is more powerful when the two are conflated.)

[End of Act Two, Second Half]

• The Final Face-Off (around pp. 95-98). Act Three is defined by three major movements:  (1) The beginning of the end—the protagonist commits to a plan, mimicking the crossing of the threshold in Act One.  (2) The middle of the end—the plan seems to work but then experiences major push-back, leading to the impression that the protagonist has reached the end of the road. This segment mimics the upwards and downwards movements of the first and second halves of Act Two.  (3) The protagonist now makes a bold move to confront the antagonist in the final face-off. Conflict is at an all-time high and culminates in the climax of the movie. (This is the moment that, for Aristotle, provokes catharsis in the audience.)
  

• Resolution (pp. 99-100). We turn the cameras off after a meaningful scene that shows us how the ordinary world has changed as a result of the events portrayed in the movie. This is the new world and new equilibrium. We experience, first-hand, the results of the protagonist’s quest and inner transformation on the story world.

[End of Act Three]

© SJ Murray, 2018