I've been fortunate enough to get on to
Creative England's talent
development scheme - a series of seminars and networking events for filmmakers looking to shoot their first feature.
Last night there were 2 talks, the first on story telling from Kate Leys, was particularly interesting. Kate is a feature film script editor who works on screenplays at all stages of development from first outline to pre-production and she spoke about the dynamic between story and character, the importance of the hook, and the top 10 things that most commonly go wrong with a story. Below are the key takeaways.
Story in General
Satisfaction at the end of a story comes from character and us caring/relating to the character on some level.
Character flaw - the story forces them to confront it and get over it.
It's interesting when characters DON'T want to change, rather, they want the world to change around them so put them in a situation they can't get out of and continually throw trouble at them.
In any story, you main character is facing something (could be small and simple) that they've needed to for a long time.
Ending is the answer to the question posed at the beginning. A tragedy might not answer the question.
Character is more important than story.
Most stories are about CHANGE.
A stranger comes to town and they bring trouble, and it's the thing that goes wrong that instigates change - the inciting incident. The 'stranger' doesn't have to be a person, could be love, death or a box of matches.
Film Story
Hook - tell the story in a sentence that makes sense and is interesting. Titles can be hooks - 'The Astronaut Wives Club'
Check big name/cult movie hooks on IMDB.
Stories at their core are precise.
Strong characters - big, recognisable, they can be ambivalent but always FLAWED.
Clearly defined characters that DO things, NOT well meaning, they need to cause trouble.
What is your character doing wrong? Secondary characters add pressure to the central character.
Characters WANT things and they're going to do something about it.
Got to have stakes, it has to matter - especially to the main character.
When planning try writing in bullet points and tell yourself the story out loud.
Whose story is this? What do they want and why can't they get it? What do they need? And remember, you don't have to give them what they want, as is the case in tragedies.
What does my character have at the end, that they didn't at the beginning?
10 Things that Most Commonly Go Wrong
1) Veering - sliding off track.
2) Nothing happens - no problems, no confrontation, no action.
3) Not knowing whose story it is.
4) No one wants anything.
5) Not enough going wrong.
6) Leaving the story off the page.
7) A plot with characters you don't connect with.
8) Whole 1st act is a set up.
9) Not about anything, no emotional pay off.
10) Don't have anything to say and therefore nothing to connect with.
The idea of knowing whose story it is resonated with me. I'm currently working on a short about 4 hipsters who rob a bank to pay off their student loans, but they come up against this grizzled old bank teller who hates her job and isn't gonna take it any more. I've been struggling and think it's because I don't know which character owns the story - is it Horse (they wear animal masks for the heist) the ringleader, or is it Janet - the grizzled bank teller? I'm going to crack that tonight and then HOPEFULLY the prose doth flow.
