CHAPTER 1
THE OVERVIEW
MAIN CHARACTER
What kind of person is he?
PROBLEM
What difficult situation occurs?
ACTIVITY
What does he do about it?
STAKES
Ultimately, what does he have to lose if he doesn’t succeed?
EMOTION + ACTION = STORY
Start your main character off on an active, emotional journey by asking the following
questions:
In the beginning of my story, this event occurs:
It makes my main character (MC) feel this way:
So he does this:
But that makes someone else do this:
That event makes MC feel:
So MC does this:
THE MAIN CHARACTER FLAW BRAINSTORM A
1. Keeping your main character’s flaw in mind, what’s the WORST SITUATION he could find
himself in?
2. What is the FIRST ACTION your MC would take?
3. How might that action BACKFIRE?
4. Who is the LEAST LIKELY PERSON who might help the MC or team up with him?
THE MAIN CHARACTER FLAW BRAINSTORM B
5. What NEW ACTION might that person push the MC to take?
6. Who or what might GET IN THE WAY of this new activity?
7. How might the flaw of the MC turn into a SKILL?
8. What SURPRISING FINAL ACTION could be taken that is the least-likely thing your
character would have originally done?”
FIND YOUR LOGLINE
What if…?
See the big movie in that one sentence? Didn’t think you could boil it down like that, did
you?
Now, scratch off the “what if” so you turn your statement into a workable log line.
YOUR SECONDARY CHARACTERS’ LOGLINE
What if ( Love interest logline ):
What if ( Mentor logline ):
What if ( Best friend/family member logline ):
What if ( Antagonist logline):
DISCOVER COMPLICATION A
Find the big complication of your movie story:
Problems occur when:
Now heighten it. Don’t be afraid to go to extremes.
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
What’s the most emotional thing that could happen?
DISCOVER COMPLICATION B
What’s the most genre-worthy thing that could happen?
Problems occur when:
List two more complications. Don’t forget to think about your supporting characters and
what they’re going through.
Problems occur when a)
b)
and c)
BRIEF SYNOPSIS
PREMISE WITH HOOK: ( What if )
COMPLICATION: Problems occur when
SOLUTION: This leads to the discovery that
OR
Fortunately,
OR
Tragically,
WORK BACKWARD TO FIND YOUR ENDING A
1. Start with the final reveal: What does the character discover that is most painful,
shocking, surprising, or delightful?
2. Where did that person discover it?
3. What physical clue led her to that place?
4. What was said that triggered the character to search for that clue?
WORK BACKWARD TO FIND YOUR ENDING B
5. What event occurred that caused that character to speak the line?
6. What problem occurred that created that event?
7. How did the main character’s own actions create that problem?
8. What goal did the main character have that caused her to behave badly enough to create
this problem?
9. What circumstances in the main character’s world inspired that goal?
INTENTION SHEET
Use this sheet to sum up your “take-ten” exercises so far.
Main Character Flaw:
Logline:
Secondary Character Logline:
Major Complication:
Third-Act Trigger:
Fortunately / Unfortunately Ending:
DESCRIBE YOUR MOVIE LIKE A BEDTIME STORY
10 MINUTES:
ACT 1
Once upon a time, there was a (main character)
Who was (character flaw)
When (obstacle)
Happened, she (flaw-driven strategy)
Unfortunately (screw up)
So she decided (goal)
And hand to (action that begins a new journey)
DESCRIBE YOUR MOVIE LIKE A BEDTIME STORY B
10 MINUTES:
ACT 2A
In order to take this action, she decided to (Strategy).
Unfortunately (Obstacle)
Happened, which caused (Complication)
Now she had to (New Task)
or risk (Personal Stake)
DESCRIBE YOUR MOVIE LIKE A BEDTIME STORY C
10 MINUTES:
ACT 2B
Where she once wanted to (Old Desire)
She now wanted (New Desire)
But how could that happen when (Obstacle)…?
Filled with (Emotion)…,
She (New Action)
But this only resulted in (Low Point)
DESCRIBE YOUR MOVIE LIKE A BEDTIME STORY D
10 MINUTES:
ACT 3
Fortunately, this helped her to realize (The Solution)…!
All she had to do was (Action Using New Lesson)…!
Using (Other Characters),
(Skills),
And (Tools From Journey)
DESCRIBE YOUR MOVIE LIKE A BEDTIME STORY E
10 MINUTES:
ACT 3
She was able to (Victorious Action)
Unfortunately (Final Hurdle),
But this time, she (Clever Strategy)
This resulted in (Change in Situation).
CHAPTER REVIEW
STORY
1. Brainstorm the central ELEMENTS and EMOTION of the story.
2. Find a CHARACTER-DRIVEN STRUCTURE through the character’s FLAW.
3. Commit to concept by creating a “WHAT IF” LOG LINE.
4. Discover the second act by creating a COMPLICATION.
CHAPTER REVIEW B
STORY
5. Decide on a beginning, middle and end by writing a BRIEF SYNOPSIS.
6. BRAINSTORM BACKWARD from the reveal to “trigger” the solution in your third act.
7. Get a sense of the flow by describing your movie like a BEDTIME STORY.”
