There’s a phase in the story development cycle where you are absolutely wracking your brains to come up with fifteen little plot points, and you are making no headway. It’s not really that you’re trying to come up with ideas – I have THOUSANDS of ideas – but it’s more that you’re trying to find the RIGHT idea to develop the story.
There’s a crucial spot in the story that if you don’t pay special attention to, it guarantees a bumpy ride. In the Save The Cat template, it’s Break into Two – Midpoint. I guarantee, if you don’t put special attention into this area, you will make good speed and then (screeching brakes).
My usual response when working on something like this is to put the movie script or book sheet aside until later. Usually, all I need is a little time. And when you look at it later, the ideas usually flow.
But what if it’s something you’re under contract to do? You don’t have that luxury. Here’s the way to fix it.
Pitch it to someone. Usually as you’re laying the script out to someone, you’re seeing the story flow. And as you get to the missing part, something connects, and you get the idea. I mean, I could be cynical and say “and you just start faking it”, but at that point the story is getting you excited.
If the story is getting you excited, it's getting the person you're pitching it to excited. Click To TweetAfterwards, you should be able to see that story in your mind. If I KNOW what my story is, I can write that story quickly. But I have to be able to SEE it, not just KNOW it. When you KNOW a story but don’t SEE it, you’re in for a struggle.
The thing that really sustains you is that excitement. I can hold onto that excitement with a story for a long time. When that happens, I know it’s genuine – you’ve got a great story.
And that’s the key. You can buy every seminar out there and read all six million books on writing novels and screenplays, but if you don’t have a great story, you’re not going to have a great movie or novel,
