Screenwriting Mantra: “The story rules”
The first and last commandment of writing.
The first and last commandment of writing.
I’m a big believer in prep-writing: Generating story concepts, brainstorming, developing characters, research, plotting, outlines.
If the final draft of a script is the tip of the iceberg, all the preparation that goes into the process before we type FADE IN is that huge hunk of floating ice underneath the surface of the water.
And yet…
…if we’re writing and the characters suddenly veer off in a different direction than we’d imagined…
…if a sequence suddenly feels devoid of connection to the plot…
…if we’ve written a fantastic set piece we’d dreamed up, but now it just feels wrong…
We have to be prepared to change because —
The story rules.
At the end of the day, bottom line, and what it’s all about is the story.
Nothing else matters.
We really don’t want to sacrifice this little subplot because it’s just so damn cool, but we discover the story doesn’t need it.
Gone. Because the story rules.
We wrote a character who ventured off the page and they led us into a surprising plot development.
Followed. Because the story rules.
We’ve got a terrific side of dialogue that just sings, but does not work in the context of the scene as it’s evolved.
Silenced. Because the story rules.
We go into the story to find it. And once we immerse ourselves in that story universe and understand what it’s about, that knowledge becomes the final arbiter on what stays in and what goes out.
The story rules: The first and last commandment of writing.
For more articles in the Screenwriting Mantra series, go here.