Step-By-Step Screenplay Structure Software User Guide v1.0 © Copyright 1998-2009 Mariner Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this documentation may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, microfilmed, or otherwise duplicated on any medium without written consent of Mariner Software, Inc. Use of Contour software programs and documentation is subject to the Mariner Software license agreement enclosed in the Contour package.
Chapter 1: Introduction 4 Chapter 6: The Formula 28 Philosophy of Contour 5 Constructing the “A” (Orphan) Statement 29 Installing & Launching 7 Constructing the “B” (Wanderer) Statement 30 Registration 8 Constructing the “C” (Warrior) Statement 32 Constructing the “D” (Martyr) Statement 34 Check For Updates 10 System Requirements & Troubleshooting 11 Contour Notes 12 Developing Act I Plot Points 37 13 Plot Point 1 38 Three Act Structure 13 Plot Point 2 39 The Four Questions
The First Half of Act II 48 Developing the First Half of Act II in Contour 49 The Second Half of Act II 51 Developing the Second Half of Act II in Contour 52 Chapter 9: Act III Structure 54 Act III Plot Point Overview 55 Developing Act III in Contour 57 Chapter 10: Landmarks 58 About Landmarks 59 Chapter 11: The Guide 67 Using the Guide 68 Accessing the Guide 69 Mnemonic Sayings 70 Chapter 12: The Idea Pane 76 Adding an Idea 77 Modifying an Idea 78 Removing an Idea 79 Chapt
Chapter 1: Introduction Welcome to the Contour story development system - a system of getting your stories out of your head and down on paper in the shortest amount of time possible. This step-by-step structure tool has generated millions of dollars in script deals and assignments. Contour enables writers to develop a movie concept from the idea stage to a bulletproof outline.
Philosophy of Contour Contour is a streamlined approach to creating a flawless, professionally structured screenplay outline. Unlike other systems you don't need to know a lot of tedious screenwriting theory in order to get started writing. There are only 6 basic concepts you need to know in order to use Contour system: Mac OS X Technologies in Contour Universal Screenplays have 3 acts. Act one is 27 pages long, act two is twice as long at 54 pages long, and act three is once again 27 pages long.
In all of the top movies, the main character moves through 4 distinct archetypes during the course of the movie: In act one, the main character is or becomes an orphan. In the first half of act two, the main character is a wanderer. In the second half of act two, the main character becomes a warrior. In act three, the main character becomes a martyr. Act one ends and act two begins with the clear statement of something called the central question.
Installing & Launching To install Contour: 1 Mount the disk image by double-clicking on the Contour.dmg file in the Finder. 2 Drag and drop the Contour icon onto your Applications folder. Contour is copied onto your hard drive. 3 Once the copying is complete, youʼre ready to start using Contour. 4 Launch Contour by navigating to your applications folder and double-clicking the Contour icon.
Registration To register Contour: • When you first launch Contour you are prompted to register the software or operate it in Demo Mode • Click on the hyperlink to go to the Mariner eStore to purchase a license if you havenʼt done so already. • Click Enter Serial. . . to enter your serial number. • Click Not Yet to continue to use the software in trial mode. Note: The trial period lasts 30 consecutive days from the first time you enter into the trial period.
To register Contour (continued): 1 Click the Enter Serial button (previous page). 2 Enter your name. 3 Enter your name. Enter your serial number. Your serial number was either provided on the back of the disk sleeve on a sticker or in an email receipt. Note: The serial number will be in the format of: CNXXX-XX-XXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXXXX Hint: Your serial number can be found in the General pane of Preferences. Further help can be obtained on the Mariner Software website at: http://www.marinersoftware.
Check For Updates When Contour starts up, or at any time youʼd like, you can check for updates. Hereʼs how: On first start up, a dialog appears. 1 Click the Check Automatically button. Contour will now check for updates on every launch. 2 When you check for updates a dialog appears letting you know you are either up-to-date or there is a new version to download. Note: You can always check for updates manually from either the Contour menu>Check for Updates... or from the Help menu.
System Requirements & Troubleshooting Hardware and Software Requirements To use Contour you need: • at least 128 MB (megabytes) of available memory (RAM) For updates, tips and tricks, information about other Mariner products, user group discount information, and articles for user group newsletter publication, visit our web site at: • at least 100 MB free hard disk space http://marinersoftware.com • Mac OS X 10.3.
Contour Notes Notes Before using Contour, you should have a basic knowledge of Mac OS X. You should understand pointing, clicking, double-clicking, dragging, and how to choose menu commands. You should also know how to operate dialog boxes, re-size windows, and use the Clipboard. If you arenʼt familiar with these or other basic Macintosh operations or terminology, refer to the Macintosh® Help documentation included with your computer.
Chapter 2: Process Overview Contour is a multi-step approach to producing a structurally sound outline from which to write screenplays, guiding the writer from script idea to the final beat of Act III. The software is laid out in a step by step manner, with a progress meter to show the writer where they are in the process.
The Four Questions In ascertaining whether a story is worth telling, any story idea is subjected to the Four Questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. Who is your main character? What is he trying to accomplish? Who is trying to stop him? What happens if he fails? Title Who is your What is he trying to accomplish? Who is trying to stop him? What will happen if he fails? Save himself and Rose from the sinking Titanic Cal Hockley He and woman he loves will die.
The Four Archetypes There are six archetypes that real-life people live by: Innocent, Orphan, Magician, Wanderer, Martyr and Warrior. The theory is that people make certain choices about how to live their lives and how to respond to various issues based on their defining archetype. Contour utilizes four out of the six archetypes -- Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, and Martyr.
In Act I, the Orphan is sometimes a real orphan; sometimes a figurative one. At times, the cause of his orphanhood is outside of his control, yet at other times, itʼs by choice by distancing himself from family and love because of duty, iconoclasm, selfishness, or emotional reserve. In some way, shape, or form, the Orphan is unique from the rest of the world around him. Think Clark Kent in SUPERMAN or Cole, the boy who sees dead people in THE SIXTH SENSE.
The Central Question Throughout the story, the Protagonist moves closer and closer to answering the Central Question; once the question is answered, the story is over.
Plot Points A plot point is a discreet, unique and essential chunk of story information. In the hierarchy of scriptwriting it falls out above beats and scenes and just below acts. A linear breakdown is supplied below. Screenplay >Act > Plot Point > Scene > Beat Forty-four plot points are needed to tell the story; itʼs up to the writer to figure out how many beats and scenes are necessary to flesh out those plot points.
Chapter 3: Adding a Screenplay In This Chapter: So you have an idea for a movie. How do you know if itʼs worth writing? The first step in finding out if your idea passes muster in the Contour method, the idea must first be added as a new screenplay.
The User Interface Contour is made up of several parts. The overarching part is the concept, the contour system of story development. The user interface, the documentation, and more. The following is a breakdown of the user interface. Main Window Contourʼs main window contains several parts.
Progress Meter The progress meter provides you the ability to see the progress of your idea in a timeline fashion. Each “tick” along the timeline is equal to a step requiring thoughtful development. Ideas Button Pressing the Ideas button, located at the lower right hand corner of the screen, provides you with a floating pane in which to store ideas. These ideas appear no matter what screenplay you are working on. Go ahead and record that inspiration when it comes to you.
Adding a Screenplay A Screenplay outline in Contour can be added in three different ways. Using the menu or keyboard, hereʼs how: 1 Click on the File menu, and choose New Screenplay or press Command (⌘), Shift (⇧), and N. The Info Pane appears 2 Enter the title (or working title) of your screenplay. 3 Enter any relevant information into the screenplay information panel. To add a screenplay from the Screenplays Pane: 1 Click the Add button in the lower-left corner. 2 Repeat Steps 2 and 3 as listed above.
Deleting a Screenplay A Screenplay outline in Contour can be removed in a few different ways. Hereʼs how: 1 Click on the title to be removed. 2 Choose File. 3 Choose Delete Screenplay. A confirmation sheet appears. 4 Click Delete to confirm. To delete a screenplay from the Screenplays Pane: 1 Click on the title to be removed. 2 Click on the delete (minus) button in the Screenplay pane.
Chapter 4: The Four Questions In This Chapter: The first, great mistake of every failed screenplay can often be traced to a weak central idea. A seemingly good idea runs out of steam around page 55 or so -- the halfway point. The key is to recognize a strong idea from an inherently weak one. Answering the Four Questions Four basic questions must be asked when developing your story: 1. Who is your main character? 2. What is he trying to accomplish? 3. Who is trying to stop him? 4.
Answering the Four Questions Using the screenplay idea of your choice, answer the four questions. 1 Choose your Screenplay in the Title pane. 2 Move the slider to the first tick in the Questions area. 3 Enter your answer to “Who is the Main Character?”. 4 Press the tab key to move to the second question. 5 Enter your answer to “What is he trying to accomplish?” 6 Press the tab key to move to the third question.
Chapter 5: The Archetypes Now that the four questions are answered, itʼs time to take a good, hard look at the protagonist in your story to define his journey from Orphan, to Wanderer, to Warrior, and finally, to Martyr as discussed in Chapter 2. Spend some time considering your protagonistʼs journey. Youʼll be spending a lot of time with this individual, so make sure that you know what makes them tick.
Entering Archetype Information Taking the screenplay idea of your choice, answer the four questions. 1 Click on the title in the Screenplay Title pane. 2 Press the tab key to move to the first archetype 3 question. 3 Enter your answer to “How is the main character an Orphan in Act I?” 4 Press the tab key to move to the second archetype question. 5 Enter your answer to “How is the Main Character a Wanderer in Act II?” 6 Press the tab key to move to the third archetype 5 7 question.
Chapter 6: The Formula One of the concepts that we discussed in Chapter 2 was the concept of the formula, which amplifies, expands, and clarifies the protagonistʼs his journey from Orphan, to Wanderer, to Warrior, and finally, to Martyr. It serves as the logline for the script which is necessary for pitching a script to an agent, studio, or production company. It also serves as the creative mission statement for your screenplay and acts as a promise to the audience of what the film will be about.
Constructing the “A” (Orphan) Statement Remember that all journeys begin with the Orphan Archetype, who is unique in some way, shape or form, either intentionally or unintentionally. Letʼs compare the Contour “A” statement -- the Orphan Statement -- with the “A” statement for HOME ALONE: The “A” Statement: “When a type of person has/does/wants/gets A. . .” The HOME ALONE Statement: When an under-appreciated boy is accidentally left behind by his family when they leave for a European vacation. . .
Constructing the “B” (Wanderer) Statement The second part of the formula is the “B” statement, which is the Wanderer Statement. Remember that the Wandererʼs journey centers around the protagonist gathering the knowledge and the support system he thinks he needs in order to answer the Central Question. The Wanderer Statement: “. . .he gets/does/tries/learns B. . .” The Home Alone Statement: “. . .he must learn how to take care of himself and be the man of the house. . .
Letʼs take a moment to construct your “B” or Wanderer statement. Itʼs assumed that you are already in the Formula field and have just concluded writing your “A” statement. 1 Give yourself some room to write your “B” statement. Once youʼre happy with your “B” statement, connect the two statements together with a comma.
Constructing the “C” (Warrior) Statement The third part of the formula, the “C” statement, is the Warrior statement, where the Warrior springs into action either after learning all he needs to know in order to answer the Central Question, or because that heʼs run out of time and has no choice but to act. The Warrior Statement: “. . .only to discover that C now happens. . .“ The Home Alone Statement: “. . .
Now construct your “C” or Warrior statement: 1 Give yourself a little room after your “A” and “B” statements to write your “C” statement. Once youʼre satisfied with your “C” statement, connect the three statements together.
Constructing the “D” (Martyr) Statement So far, the protagonist has been an Orphan, a Wanderer, and a Warrior. Itʼs time for him to sacrifice it all and become the martyr who will finally answer the Central Question. The Warrior Statement: The Home Alone Statement: “. . .and he must respond by doing D.” “. . .and he must now single-handedly defend the house.
Itʼs time to write your “D” or Martyr statement. Again, itʼs assumed youʼve just written the previous statements and youʼre still in The Formula field: 1 Give yourself a little room after your Orphan, Wanderer and Warrior statements to write your Martyr statement. Once youʼre satisfied with it, connect the four statements. Donʼt be afraid to spend some time writing and refining the Formula for your story; if you are not clear about your story and what itʼs all about, no one else will be, either.
Chapter 7: Act I Structure With the Central Question established, and always in the forefront, itʼs time to get specific about how weʼre going to answer it within the 108-115 pages of our screenplay. Weʼve previously discussed a screenplay being divided into three acts, and how if you divide the second act in half, youʼll have four sections of approximately the same length. We also mentioned that a script is made up exactly 44 plot points -- no more and no less.
Developing Act I Plot Points 1 Choose your Screenplay from the Title pane. 2 Click on the slider and drag it over to the first Orphan tick. 3 Click in each plot point and develop it as it applies to your 1 story. 4 Click on the slider and drag it to the next tick in the Orphan section. 5 Enter the information for the next plot point. 6 Repeat steps 4 & 5 until all of the plot points are complete.
Plot Point 1 We meet either the Hero, Victim/Stakes Character, or Antagonist. In E.T. we meet the victim first, E.T. and the aliens; itʼs the same thing with JAWS, though itʼs coupled with meeting the antagonist at the same time. In FORREST GUMP, we meet the hero first. In STAR WARS, we meet the antagonist first. The hero is usually introduced in his native setting. Forrest Gump is sitting on a bench, waiting for life to happen around him.
Plot Point 2 We see the Hero’s flaw in relation to the Stakes Character. The stakes character is the face that represents all of the people that the bad guys are victimizing. Itʼs usually someone the hero feels very deeply about. • In DIE HARD, Bruce Willis is trying to save the hostages, but the stakes character is his wife. • In STAR WARS, Luke is trying to destroy the Death Star and save the rebel base, but the stakes character is actually Princess Leia.
Plot Point 3 Antagonist or someone or something symbolic of the Antagonist. We finally meet our bad guy, or at least his representative. Sometimes itʼs a moment in the film that is representative of what the bad guy is trying to accomplish. • In STAR WARS, Leia is captured by the Stormtroopers who are representatives of the Emperor. • In AMERICAN BEAUTY, Lester dumps the contents of his briefcase while his wife and daughter stare at him as if heʼs the biggest loser on the planet. • In THE SIXTH SENSE, Dr.
Plot Point 5 Inciting Event. Hero now gets emotionally involved. The hero starts getting tugged out of his ordinary world by an emotional connection to the adventure at hand. If itʼs not the Hero who gets emotionally involved, itʼs the audience getting involved on the Heroʼs behalf.
Plot Point 7 Ally (either true or unintentional) aids Hero by propelling him out of the status quo. There are two things that drive your Hero: his wants and his needs. Sometimes itʼs the same thing. Usually, theyʼre different, but related in that the Hero often gets what he wants only by first getting what he needs. • In LIAR LIAR, Fletcher wants to be with his son, Max, but what he needs is to learn how to be a good father, specifically by not continuing to lie to Max and breaking his heart.
In all three of these cases are heroes who were living through their everyday existence and through the unsolicited help of an ally, they are pushed out of their complacency and into the start of the extraordinary. . Plot Point 8 The Hero seems ready to move forward toward goal and/or Stakes Character, but can’t. Now that an ally has moved the Hero towards his goal, the Hero must decide whether to remain bound by his ordinary life or go for something bigger.
Plot Point 9 The Antagonist or Deflector conflict stops the Hero or threatens emotional stakes. Whatever or whoever has been lurking in the background starts moving into the foreground of the Heroʼs world. • In STAR WARS, the Jawas are found dead and itʼs deduced to be the work of Stormtroopers. • In THE SIXTH SENSE, Tommy, who has been acting the part of Coleʼs friend, walks him to school and calls him a “freak.
Plot Point 11 The Deflector or Antagonist threatens to take the Stakes Character from the Hero. This is a beat which the Hero may or may not be aware of as itʼs happening. • In STAR WARS, this beat is the start of the interrogation scene where Darth Vader enters the Princessʼs cell with his nasty floating droid.
The Central Question Now, itʼs time to not only create the Central Question, which we know once itʼs answered, our story is over.
Chapter 8: Act II Structure Now that Act I is done, your protagonistʼs journey really kicks In This Chapter: into high gear, but itʼs at this point where most writers donʼt know where to go, and they freeze up. The First Half of Act II As previously mentioned, what comes after the Central Question are 28 plot points; 14 in the first half of Act II to make up the Wanderer beats and 14 in the second half of Act II to make up the Warrior beats.
The First Half of Act II Act I of STAR WARS ends with Luke joining Obi-Wan on his quest to deliver the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance, save the Princess and become trained in the arts of the Jedi Knight.
Developing the First Half of Act II in Contour Keeping in mind the fact that your protagonist is now a Wanderer, gaining knowledge, making friends and allies, and for every positive step he takes in moving closer to the Central Question, heʼll meet resistance, letʼs develop the first half of Act II. 1 Click on the title in the Screenplay Title pane. 2 Click on the slider and move it to the first tick in the Act II/ w Wanderer section.
That takes us to the end of the first half of Act II. Itʼs simple and complex at the same time; there are certain things that have to be kept in mind, such as creating interesting situations, creating intriguing characters, and creating increasingly difficult obstacles. However, once you understand the simple mechanics of the yes/no reversals of Act II, you will have a leg up on the writing process.
The Second Half of Act II By mid-point in Act II, your protagonist learns all that they need to learn, or they simply run out of time and must act decisively. Itʼs at this point, your Wanderer morphs into a Warrior. Weʼve previously discussed what happens by the end of Act II, and thatʼs where the protagonist reaches “the lowest of the lows”, having lost it all. They experience death in some way, shape, or form -- only to be “reborn”.
Developing the Second Half of Act II in Contour Keeping in mind the fact that your protagonist is now a Warrior, and that the severity of his opposition grows by leaps and bounds until “all is lost” as he struggles to move closer to the Central Question, letʼs develop the first half of Act II. 1 Click on the slider and move it to the first tick in the Act II/ Warrior section. 2 Click inside the first “Yes” field and enter your scene ideas and/or beats for your first “Yes.
5 Press tab to move to the next text field and continue adding “Yes” and “No” plot points until you reach the end of Act II, where the Warrior will experience his “death”.
Chapter 9: Act III Structure Act III, the Martyr phase of the heroʼs journey, consists of four plot points -- two yesses and two noʼs -- but their order is a little different from the reversals in Act II and perfectly suited to help close out the action of your story.
Act III Plot Point Overview The last four plot points, in order, are BIG YES, NO, BIG NO, FINAL YES. BIG YES - The Hero has achieved a substantial victory. George McFly defeats Biff in BACK TO THE FUTURE. In JAWS, Brody, Quint and Hooper head back to the shallows to lure the shark, whoʼs traveling with three barrels Rose has finally made it onto a lifeboat and is being lowered towards the water in TITANIC. And then. ..
FINAL YES - Pulling success from the jaws of failure, the Hero achieves his main goal, although sometimes the goal can be quite different from what the Hero first set out to achieve. In these cases, the Hero gets what he really needs, rather than what he thought he wanted. And sometimes the yes is bittersweet. Brody grabs his rifle in JAWS, climbs the mast of the sinking Orca, and shoots the compressed air tank the shark is chomping on.
Developing Act III in Contour Keeping in mind the fact that your protagonist is now a Martyr, and it seems that the Central Question is more elusive than ever, letʼs develop Act III. 1 Click on the title in the Screenplay Title pane. 2 Click on the slider and move it to the first tick in the Act III/ Martyr section. 3 Click inside the “ Big Yes” field and enter your scene ideas and/or beats for your first “Big Yes.
Chapter 10: Landmarks Now that weʼve established the plot points for Acts I, II, and III, we can now turn our attention toward fleshing out our outline even more with the use of the Guide The guide is a window that helps you incorporate your plot points into a solid treatment. Mnemonic sayings help you remember what goes where and why. “Belly of the Whale”, “...Make Lemonade”, and “Kick the Dog” will all soon make sense to you. Read on for enlightenment.
About Landmarks “Landmarks” in a story are like geographical landmarks; they provide you with familiar features on your journey so you know where you are and -- if youʼre lucky -- where youʼre going. In a story, character/plot/theme landmarks make the audience willing traveling companions because these are the moments that all good stories have in common. Just as no journey to Washington D.C.
ACT 1 -- 12 PLOT POINTS 1 THROUGH 3 In these first three plot points of Act I, known as “I Donʼt Get No Respect” in the Guide, several landmarks occur, including: The theme of the film will have been stated either explicitly or implicitly, either through action or a visual. Think of the opening to GLADIATOR with Maximus running his hands over the tall grass. This is a statement of the theme “Thereʼs no place like home.” The hero is established in his/her ordinary world as the “greatest” or “most” something.
ACT 1 -- 12 PLOT POINTS 6 THROUGH 8 In these next three plot points of Act I, known as “Calls and Busy Signals” in the Guide, several landmarks should occur: The hero is hassled and or reminded about his/her major point of “brokenness.” Often itʼs in the form of a question from an ally: “Why donʼt you think about how someone else feels for a change?” The heroʼs orphan status is amplified. The theme is amplified. The call to adventure is now clearly stated to the hero.
Act II -- 14 YES-NOs 1 THROUGH 3 In these first three pairs of reversals of Act II, known as “Kick the Dog” in the Guide pane, several landmarks occur: The hero gets help from allies and aides, often in the form of a mentor character. The villain will be established as being not just bad but really bad. In the absence of a standard villain (such as in a romantic comedy), the opposition to the heroʼs goal will be shown to be a very strong opposition.
Act II -- 14 YES-NOs 6 THROUGH 7 In these next 2 pairs of reversals of Act II, known as “When Life Gives You Lemons. . .” in the Guide Pane, several landmarks occur: The threat to the stakes character increases to the point of Life or Death (literal or figurative.) The third act solution is shown, though the significance of it is likely lost on the hero at this time. The opposite value of the theme is clearly stated (“Hokey religions are no substitute for a good blaster, kid.
Act II -- 14 YES-NOs 11 THROUGH 12 In these next two pairs of reversals of Act II, known as “Inside the Whale” in the Guide Pane, several landmarks occur: Intense, direct conflict between the hero and the opposing force/villain. Hero realizes that he or she still lacks the skills needed to succeed. The hero enters his or her darkest internal space, often physically expressed by a tight, enclosed place. The hero undergoes the Ultimate Test leading to a death-moment.
The hero is at his or her lowest moment, which can be expressed through a character interlude. Act III -- BIG YES - NO In this first pair of reversals of Act III, also known as “Whatʼs the Worst that Can Happen” in the Guide Pane, several landmarks occur: The hero, having embraced the positive thematic argument, makes a commitment to change. This sets up the resolution to the Private Conflict.
Act III -- BIG NO - FINAL YES In this last pair of reversals of Act III, known as “Good Guy vs, Bad Guy over Stakes” in the Guide Pane, several landmarks occur: The Central Question is on the brink of being answered to the negative. The hero (and indeed, many of the heroʼs allies) make a huge sacrifice. Hooper goes into the shark cage, Brody goes into the water to face the shark. (JAWS) Luke switches off his targeting computer, the Princess stays on the planet, Han comes back.
Chapter 11: The Guide Sometimes it's easier to think of your story in bigger moments and then In This Chapter: work your way down into the nitty-gritty. Contour knows this and provides the Guide as an alternate way of looking at your story. Using the Guide The Guide is a series of 12 sequential text boxes, each with it's own memorable title. These titles are actually defining statements that represent what the general tone of your script should be as your story unfolds.
Using the Guide The Guide works as either something you can fill in to broadstroke your story, or something you refer to as you fill in the Plot Points in Contour to make sure the tone of the Plot Points matches professional story structure. Of course, you can flip back and forth between the Guide and the Plot Points. The Guide is designed to be both another tool to jar your story ideas loose and get them on paper as well as an easy way to shorthand the major moments of your story.
Accessing the Guide The Guide is a display of your plot points, the page numbers they will approximately fall on, and a saying that will point you towards what is going on in that area. 1 Choose your Screenplay from the Title pane. 2 Click on the Guide button.
Mnemonic Sayings Approx. Pages Mnemonic Guide 1-6 I Donʼt Get No Respect 6 - 12 You Know What Your Trouble Is? 12 - 17 Calls And Busy Signals 17 - 28 Through The Looking Glass 28 - 35 Kick The Dog 35 - 45 Which Way Is Up? 45 - 55 When Life Gives You Lemons... 55 - 65 ...Make Lemonade 65 - 75 Inside The Whale 75 - 85 Death & Rebirth 85 - 95 Whatʼs The Worst That Can Happen? 95 - 105 Good Guy Vs.
I DONʼT GET NO RESPECT Most screenplays are about one thing…respect! Your protagonist doesnʼt have it, knows he doesnʼt have it, and wants it. In this first section make it clear to the reader that your main character is an orphan; an outsider looking in at world that doesn't want him. Shrek is being hunted by the townspeople who hate ogres. (SHREK) Elliot is ignored and disrespected by his brother and his brotherʼs friends (E.T. – THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL) Peter Parker is a slight, nerdy high school kid.
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Force the protagonist out of the normal world and have him or her answer the "call to adventure." Sometimes the protagonist does this by choice, sometimes by circumstance. Neo chooses to take the red pill. Or was it the blue pill? (THE MATRIX) Luke's aunt and uncle are killed and now there's no reason for him to stay on Tatooine. (STAR WARS) Will Turner joins with Jack Sparrow to pursue Elizabeth on the Black Pearl.
WHICH WAY IS UP? Give the protagonist a series of successes and failures as he or she "wanders" and starts to master the skills needed to ultimately answer the Central Question. Dr. Cole makes progress in getting Cole to tell him what his problem is. (THE SIXTH SENSE) Kevin gets groceries, orders pizza, and starts defending his house. (HOME ALONE) Jack starts conquering the class divide and begins his relationship with Rose. (TITANIC) WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS...
...INSIDE THE WHALE In classic mythological storytelling, this is the "belly of the beast" or the "inside the darkest cave" moment for the main character. Often the scene takes place in a confined space, representing that the forces at play against the protagonist are closing in...tightening...and the protagonist must dig "deep" and face his or her darkest fear. Indiana Jones is abandoned inside the Well of Souls, surrounded by snakes.
WHAT'S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN? The title says it all! Your protagonist's whole life (your whole story) has been built towards both avoiding this moment as well as confronting it. Avoiding, because it is his worst fear. Confronting because this is what he needs to do in order to become the person he needs to be. Luke is out-gunned, out-numbered, and the Death Star is closing in on destroying the Rebel Base and killing Leia. (STAR WARS) Jonah runs away and Sam frantically has to go to New York to find him.
Chapter 12: The Idea Pane Every screenplay, play, short story, or book begin as the glimmer of an idea, born in the imagination of the human mind.
Adding an Idea The Idea Pane is a place to store ideas. Any idea that you add will appear no matter what screenplay you are currently working on. There are several different idea types and you can add your own. 1 To add an idea to the Idea Pane: 1 Choose File - New Idea or press Command - N 2 The idea sheet appears. 3 Select the idea type from the Idea Type menu. 4 Change the date if necessary. 5 Click on the Save button.
Modifying an Idea To modify an idea previously added to the Idea Pane: 1 Click on the Idea title 2 Click in the text area below and modify the text.
Removing an Idea To remove an idea from the Idea Pane: 1 Click on the idea you want to remove. 2 Click on the Remove (or minus) button. 1 Hint: Launch Contour and keep the Idea Pane visible at all times.
Chapter 13: Now, What? We have been through quite a journey, getting a handle on what our story is about, creating the Central Question, and taking our protagonist through their archetypal stages, from Orphan, to Wanderer, to Warrior, and finally, to Martyr. Youʼve answered all of the questions along the way. The progress meter bar is now a bright green, and your slider has gotten quite a workout and has made it to the far right hand side of the bar.
Printing a Structure Report The Structure Report provides you with the 44 plot points that you have created for your story. 1 1 Choose File. 2 Choose Print. 3 Choose Structure. 4 Click the Print button.
Printing a Beat Sheet 1 The Beat Sheet provides you with the contents of the Guide. 1 Choose File. 2 Choose Print. 3 Choose Structure. 4 Click the Print button.
