Posted by mlc at authorized_proxy2.cogeco.net on November 16, 2003 at 21:29:29:
In Reply to: A question or two for you writers... posted by Gabe on November 16, 2003 at 21:16:10:
i'm not published and just a little dumbass undergrad, but...
for scripts (screen or stage) i make an outline. i try to answer...
- whose story it is.
- what is the big climactic decision.
- what event sends it into motion.
so my train of thought goes something like this
- what's the story about?
- what does the main character learn in the end?
- how do i turn that into a climax? in other words, where do i want to get?
- what's the conflict?
- what event sets the conflict in motion?
- what are some events that the main character can go through?
and in the end i have an outline with a vague idea of what i want to do (i.e. guy gets hit by car. guy goes through physical therapy. guy learns to walk again) and what the main character wants to learn (walking is good).
i have nothing against going in with no plan though (that's what i do story-wise because there is less parametres, such as length). what i recommend doing in this case is writing a first draft, taking the first draft and making an outline for it, editing the outline, and rewriting.