How to get the planning done quickly so you can start (and finish) your script

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So… you have ideas and want to write a screenplay or TV pilot. Maybe you’ve already written a few, or at least started them. But you find yourself getting stuck in indecision, second-guessing every choice. Sometimes that means you never quite feel “ready” to start writing. Sometimes the whole process just takes longer than you’d like. Sometimes it takes so long that you abandon the project indefinitely, telling yourself you’ll come back to it… someday.

Here's a simple plan to help you avoid that.

It doesn’t have to take forever to map out your script so you can start writing pages. You just need to know what you need to know. Then putting those puzzle pieces together becomes a process of small, manageable steps.

You can count the steps below on one hand, each one can be done pretty quickly, and you’ll come away with a lightweight but sturdy roadmap to guide you through writing your script.

Ready to get started?

Step 1. Tell us what the movie or pilot is about

If we can get to the essential stuff at the core of your story then we have a clear starting point. We also have a North Star to keep an eye on so we can make sure your script is doing what you want it to do.

So start by just telling us what the movie or pilot story is. Aim for something even more basic than a logline here. For example, if I were writing Pixar's Elemental, I might say:

• It's about a Fire person who has to work with a Water person to save her family shop, and falls in love along the way.

For The Bear, it would be something like:

• A high strung world-class chef returns home to run the family's failing sandwich shop.

It may sound obvious, but it's an exercise that will help you get clarity on what's at the essential core of your story so you don't get lost along the way.

Step 2. Match the plot to character arc

In any good story, plot and character development are intertwined. Plot events act on a character and force change. The changing character makes choices that drive plot direction.

When plot and character are designed to intertwine effectively, it makes the story feel more meaningful because we can see how those elements are working on each other and effecting change. So we want to think about that now, in the development phase. For our Elemental example:

• Forming a forbidden friendship with a Water person causes the Fire heroine to confront her true desires and the faulty beliefs she's been raised with.

In a pilot we're less likely to show a complete character arc, of course. But a strong defining characteristic can create great conflict on an ongoing basis in the series, so that's something to plan for at this stage. For example:

• In House, Dr. House is caustic. He's so brilliant that the hospital keeps him on, but his interpersonal skills (or lack of) create conflict with patients, other doctors, and anyone else he comes in contact with.
• In Castle, Castle is a cocky womanizer. Then you team him up with a strong female NYPD detective and watch the sparks fly.
• In The Minx, idealistic Joyce dreams of publishing her feminist magazine. But it turns out the only way to do that is to compromise... and turn it into the first erotic magazine for women. That character in that scenario generates endless conflict.

Step 3. Break the story down, but only into its biggest parts

A story itself is composed of parts that all relate in some way to a goal. The story you’re telling actually demonstrates the life cycle of a goal:

• In Act 1 the goal is created.
• In Act 2 the goal is pursued.
• In Act 3 the pursuit of the goal is resolved, i.e. the goal is achieved or not.

This is true in feature screenplays, but also in the storylines of a TV pilot when you look at the story itself, not the commercial breaks. And in a pilot, the goal is likely to evolve at the end of the episode to set up what comes next.

Step 4. Use the parts to find the major plot points

The major plot points are the big turning points that define the shape of the story:

• Inciting Incident
• Break into Act 2
• Midpoint
• Low Point
• Break into Act 3
• Climax

If you know these important plot points, you know the story. Not every detail, but a sense of the whole. And all together they create a spine for the story.

They work a little differently in feature scripts and pilots, but the basic idea is the same. Whether you're writing film or TV, you'll want to figure out what these story beats are.

Step 5. Go from 40,000-foot view to roadmap

The 3-act breakdown and major plot points give you a 40,000-foot overview of the story. It’s complete, but from some distance. Now we’ll get a little closer so we can see the story in more detail.

But don’t worry – you already have so much of this figured out, that this step in the process is about simply expanding on what you already have.

For a feature screenplay you can think of this as laying out the “chapters” of the story, or teasing out the 3 acts into 8 smaller parts.

For a TV pilot, the script is going to be much shorter so you don't need to break it down into sequences. However, you'll likely have additional storylines (a B- and C-story) that you want to work out at this point. And you'll also want to think about where your pilot episode "lands" in order to properly launch the season.

Get ahead of self-doubt and procrastination

You can learn so much by reading everything that’s available in books and online. But that can take dozens or hundreds of hours. If you want to start your next (or first) script quickly, then a simple plan may serve you better. You just need to know what you need to know, and how to put it together.

Adapt this simple set of steps to your preferences and use it as a guide to develop your story idea without getting overwhelmed in theory or detail. That way you can get a good burst of momentum and start writing before you lose that spark of enthusiasm.

And if you want some accountability, feedback, and guidance as you're putting your roadmap together, join us in this weekend's workshop!

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As always, I'd love to hear from you! Hit reply and send me your questions.

Until next time,

Naomi

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