3-Act Structure

This is a less-wordy summary of the basics of screenwriting structure.

ACT 1

First 10 pages will set the tone of the script, and will set up the scenario.

(protagonist)
(key line) - Spoken by a character which will give the audience a clue as to what themes and ideas will be explored in the script.
(hook) - Not mandatory. Grabs the reader’s attention and draws them into the story. (Collat - Max’s postcard of paradise.)
(o) - Usually focuses exclusively on the protagonist, deepens their characterisation by showing their personality. The interaction with the situation you have designed for them will form the character problem which they must overcome by the end. Acts as a benchmark by which the audience can measure character growth. Major subplots are also established.
(turning point 1 / climax) - Act wound up by introducing an element of risk. Incident sends story in new and dangerous direction. Alters protagonist’s motivation / goal. Deadlines if needed usually established here.

ACT 2

(a) (o) - Audience chance to relax after climax. Protagonist reflects on dilemma. Has now formed a goal, but it will prove a false one. There will be a setback, but minor in grand scheme. Problems that occur later are set up here. Section ends with:
(focus point 1) - Refocuses action begun at TP1. Also sign of growth in protagonist.

(b) (o) - Protagonist takes first decisive action towards attaining ultimate goal of story. Similarly, any subplots will show the first signs of change in the protagonist’s character. Obstacles get tougher and protagonist gets stronger.
(point of no return) - Protagonist was floundering as the victim, uncommitted and not in control. After PONR, the protagonist begins to take charge of their own destiny. PONR is moment of realisation for protagonist, which forces them to reassess their quest and consider giving up, but ultimately continue, with no going back to their former ways and notions.

(c) (o) - Subplot sometimes explored here or location changed. If so, this section may include a self-enclosed sequence, something that could be a short film. Also shows protagonist holding to commitment made at PONR. End’s with:
(focus point 2) - Refocuses story by restating problem at hand. Good focus points should be linked, with the first setting up the second. They also emphasise protagonist’s character growth, first FP hinting at it, the second revealing it in full.

(d) (o) - Sometimes be a long, expositionary speech explaining the inner motivation of the protagonist. Section mainly sets up action that will lead to:
(turning point 2 / climax) - Refocuses story. Thrusts into next act. Well integrated into the story with obvious set-up, will lead to a sense of failure / despair.

Fast summary of Act 2:
(o) - (focus point 1)
(o) - (point of no return)
(o) - (focust point 2)
(o) - (turning point 2 / climax)

ACT 3

(o) - Brief pause to relax. Focused entirely on accelerating action toward final climax. Often has chase or pursuit. Act 3 is often a single major sequence.
(climax) - Protagonist faces final confrontation. Peak emotional moment for protagonist. Provides satisfying ending.
(epilogue) - Ties up all loose ends. Key line or image hooks set up at beginning will be resonated, but with their meaning changed.

Bibliomancy

Bibliomancy is the art of telling the future by choosing words at random from a book. In this creative writing exercise, we use this practice to discover new writing prompts. Let the randomness of your choices — the writing prompts — lead you to themes and stories you might not have come to on your own.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 30 minutes

Here’s How:

1. Open the dictionary up to a random page. True bibliomancers recommend closing your eyes, setting the book on its spine, and letting it fall open.
2. With your eyes still closed, point to a place on the page.
3. Open your eyes and write down that word on a piece of paper.
4. Repeat the above steps two more times, so that you have three words at the top of your piece of paper.
5. Set your timer for 15 minutes.
6. Write steadily for 15 minutes, being sure to incorporate each of your three words into the piece.
7. When the timer rings, stop writing. Evaluate what you have written. Note if the words have generated a theme or idea that you might not have written about otherwise.
8. Use this piece or a portion of it to write a longer story. If nothing strikes you, feel free to discard and try again.

Tips:

1. Write for the entire time, even if you feel stuck or frustrated.
2. If your writing prompts don’t lead to anything that inspires you, don’t beat yourself up. The idea is to get you writing. You’ve already succeeded simply by writing for the full 15 minutes.
3. If 15 minutes does not seem adequate, expand your limit to 30 minutes. Try to avoid writing for under 15 minutes, however, as it takes some time in any creative writing exercise just to warm up.
4. You can also try this exercise with different books. Any book will do, but books that typically contain words, phrases, or themes very different from your own writing may have the best effect.

Source

Freewriting

# Sit down at a desk with pen and paper, ideally in some quiet place, though freewriting can be done anywhere.

# Decide beforehand that you will only be writing for ten minutes (longer if you’d like) and that you will not stop before that time is up. Set a timer or an alarm.

# Write without stopping until the timer goes off. Do not lift your pen from the paper, even if this means writing, “I don’t know what to write,” over and over again. Write nonsense, write anything, but don’t stop writing.

# Look back over what you’ve written and see if anything sparks your interest. If so, use it as a point of departure for a short story, or for tomorrow’s freewriting exercise. If nothing comes of it, don’t be discouraged. The only goal to this exercise is to fill the page with words. If it leads somewhere, consider it a bonus.

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