Screenwriting 101: Brian Arnold

“One of the reasons I historically have not been a big outliner is I have a lot of experience with improv. I know that’s a weird thing to say, but there are times when I’ll have an outline and I’ll be writing and be like, ‘That character wouldn’t say that. That feels so fake. I’m only having the character do that because this thing is supposed to happen next.’ I like to give characters freedom to surprise me and take over the plot themselves. I’m trying to write a lot of these scenes as improvisation, in that: there’s a game to the scene. There’s a reason this scene exists, and this is where it needs to go. Let’s let these characters talk to each other and see what comes out of it.”

— Brian Arnold

From Go Into The Story interview, March 2022

For 100s more Screenwriting 101 articles, go here.

The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling is a 5-star rated, #1 Amazon Best Seller. Endorsed by over thirty professional screenwriters, novelists, and academics, you may purchase it here.