StoryNotesNewsletter #2:


(This is a continuation of the
article which began in Issue #1; see
the online archive at e-groups if
you did not receive or save Issue 1:
www.egroups.com/StoryNotesNewsletter)


PART 2 (OF 4):


THE KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR PROTAGONISTS & SCREENWRITERS



THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS:

A MODEL FOR GOAL ACHIEVEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING

(AN EXPANDED ACCOUNT)


1 -- GOAL

Without a perceived goal and intended destination, the
audience gets restless. The script lacks a sense of cohesion and
forward direction. A goal for your main character(s) can provide
that sense of direction. An audience now has something to
anticipate. A goal helps to generate suspense. It gives audiences
something with which to measure the progress and setbacks of the
main characters.

Now let's consider goal not as a dramatist, but in terms of
the characters in a story – or people in real life. It helps for
story characters and real-life individuals to have goals. A goal
increases the odds for successfully solving a given problem and/or
in attaining desires. Otherwise, the results can be drift, or at
best, haphazard and unproductive efforts. Without goals (which are
then pursued), the status quo will likely remain the same, or
worsen.
And clear-cut, specific goals are better than overly general,
hazy ones; our plans and actions will be more precisely targeted.
Well-defined goals help to clarify the desired result. They can
serve as reminders. And they act to focus our mind and behavior.

Goals are important for writers, too. A struggling writer
without specific goals will be too unfocused to develop the high
level of craft needed to attract attention and to launch a career.
Develop clear and specific goals for your main characters – and
for yourself.

2 -- STRONG MOTIVATION

A character with insufficient or unclear motivation will puzzle
the audience, and be seen as implausible. For characters to
try as hard as they do, endure suffering, and be persistent, they
must have some compelling reasons for pursuing their goals.
Usually the motivation will be clear. Occasionally, it can
work if the reasons are implied or assumed. But we must sense and
be able to guess at the motivation when it isn't explicit. All in
all, characters who take resolute and sustained actions must be
strongly motivated.

And so must you be. Becoming a good screenwriter is a tough
and time-consuming process; breaking in is just as tough. If you
don't want it badly, give up now. If you do have a truly strong
desire, sometimes remind yourself why, and visualize the creative,
social, and material rewards to come.

3 -- TOTAL COMMITMENT

Sometimes a character starts out only partially committed, and
becomes fully committed later, when given more reason: the
motivation is strengthened. If full commitment has not been
reached by the end of Act 1, it is usually attained by the
Midpoint. But a character who is not psychologically determined
and fully committed will not make the maximum effort necessary for
success.

In real life, great and/or difficult deeds are rarely possible
unless a person is totally committed. "I'll try" isn't enough, nor
are partial or half-hearted efforts. Strong desire and motivation
must lead to a conscious decision to do what it takes (values
permitting). Whatever amount of time and effort are needed, will
be applied.

Your desire and your goal to be a working screenwriter also
will require complete determination. Without the right attitude,
and without the conscious decision of being willing to do all that
is needed – full commitment – it's likely your efforts will
be too modest and that success will prove elusive.

4 -- THE PLAN

As in life, a character pursuing a goal without a well-considered
plan stumbles blindly. Most characters come up with a
plan soon after setting the goal. The plan is the mechanism or
pathway by which the goal may be achieved. The goal is the "what,"
the motivation is the "why," the plan is the "how."
At first, the protagonist's plan will not work; he or she
lacks sufficient information, or the problem and/or opposition is
underestimated. The plan will then be changed. Even so, things
will go wrong, and it will sometimes be necessary to "wing it."

Later (in the last act, or some time earlier) another plan
will be formulated, and then put into effect near the end. Some
parts of this plan, too, will go wrong. This reflects what often
happens in life. Plus, a plan that unfolds smoothly is too
predictable, even boring. When this Final Plan (or some aspect of
it) fails, improvisation is necessary. In effect, new plans or
adjustments to the old plan are made on the spot.

In stories and in life, the plans may be simple or elaborate,
quickly arrived at or only after much deliberation. It depends on
the specifics. But when goals and problems are difficult, leaving
things solely to chance and spontaneous thinking is usually a
prescription for failure. A plan is a natural and necessary
response. A plan helps translate desire into reality.

For screenwriters, planning can be used for your writing
schedule and the acquisition, storage, and organization of your
materials. As the saying goes, "plan your work, and then work your
plan." It can also be helpful to plan at least some of the major
plot events of your script before writing. Finally, effective
writers create a marketing plan for their scripts, and do some
flexible career planning.

5 -- PERSISTENCE

Audiences admire a character who shows persistence – who keeps
going despite obstacles, setbacks, poor odds, and scant hope. They
respect someone who refuses to give up. They also sense how
important it is toward the character's success. Persistence is one
of *the* most important factors for success.

The careers of many successful individuals – leaders,
inventors, artists, and others – are strewn with stretches of
adversity and numerous instances of failure. In a prize fight,
when one combatant hits the canvas, the fight is not over unless
the boxer can't or won't get up. Otherwise, it's just a knockdown,
not a defeat. Successful individuals expect setbacks and
difficulties. They pick themselves up, learn from their mistakes,
and then they persevere.
In every difficult endeavor, persistence pays. Tenacity leads
to triumph. Not by itself, but in conjunction with some of the
other character attributes and actions.

Many talented individuals quit when they don't sell their
first or second scripts. Most writers – even very gifted ones
– need to write five or six scripts (in addition to studying books
and movies and reading produced screenplays) before they get good.
Some scripts have taken ten years to sell. One reason for success
is persistence. Desire, developing your talent, and persistence
are the main keys to success.

6 -- WITS

This is another thing audiences admire. We delight in seeing
an outmatched character gain ground by being clever, witty, tricky,
or resourceful. If you can't outfight or outrun your opponents,
then you'd best out-fox them. Often, the protagonist was never
like this before. But now, when challenged, when it's necessary, the
mental under-achiever learns how important it is to "use your
head." It's a definite key to victory, and audiences love it.
Ingenious, crafty thinking was one of the most-prized
qualities of Greek heroes (along with courage and persistence). It
even predates Greek drama; Odysseus/Ulysses escapes doom several
times by being clever, such as in the way he deals with the
Cyclops. In Greek mythology there are many examples: gazing
directly at Medusa turns people into stone, so how does one destroy
her? Perseus looks only at her image in a mirrored shield. There
are some Biblical examples, too – David slays Goliath not with
brute strength but with superior tactics.

In both real life and fiction, searching for fresh options or
solutions, coming up with new ideas, departing from the tried-and-
true, looking beyond the obvious solutions or approaches,
continuing to brainstorm when failure seems certain, seeking new
ways to use existing resources, anticipating the moves of one's
opponent, considering new angles and perspectives ... all of these
can lead to successful problem solution or goal achievement.

Screenwriters must, of course, strain their brains when
creating plots, and even more when thinking of ways for their
protagonists to be clever! We must also exercise ingenuity when
marketing our work; being resourceful can really pay off.


(TO BE CONTINUED ...)

(End of Part 2; see Issues 3-4)


Copyright Jeff Newman, 2000


For information about Jeff Newman's "StoryNotes Screenplay
Evaluation Service," go to www.storynotes.net.