Story Planning - Outlining - Breaking - Carding

The editable (and thus functional) Apple Keynote files used to illustrate this post can be downloaded for a small fee. See this link.

However they do it, successful-efficient-productive story writers plan - outline - "card" - or - "break" long form stories before they write.

I've recently completed working with four different writers, helping them to break (or Outline, Plan, or Card) their story, and guide them through with the script writing, rewriting, end editing process. 

Without becoming anal or planning too deeply, story planning of the major story beats, for both the main plot and the subplots, is easily accomplished (okay, nothing good is really easy) by using one or more visual methods for outlining the story.  I've used 4" X 6" index cards on a door wall with masking tape, and I've used color Post-It's on a 4' x 8' pice of masonite with the Story Diamond outlined on it. I've tried to use Final Draft's Beat Board, but still find it limiting in ways I find Keynote freeing. 

In the last few years I've found the use of Apple's KEYNOTE application on a Mac to be easy to use, flexible, and transportable. I emailed drafts of complex carding files (in Keynote) to Dubai, Beijing, Moscow, and and yes email works here in the U.S., too.  I like Keynote over PowerPoint because Keynote is easier to use in terms of duplicating cards, adjusting fonts, colors, card alignment, and the slide size (i.e. beat board) can be as large as 8,000 x 8,000 pixels. The "slides" can be shared in various fixed formats like jpg or PDF, or you can send off the entire keynote file.  If you'd like the keynote file that created the slides below (the file will work with Keynote 10 and later) just write and ask for it. I'll send it for free though email, or post a link for you to download.

If you've followed me I keep offering up different ways to break or card-out stories. These ideas come from working with different clients and their stories, which dictate what we need to create to facilitate the communication of the story beats, and how the story is structured.   So below are a few beat plates for Story Planning I've created in Keynote, with a few comments below each image. Related is this linked post on the 8 Mini-Movie Beat Plate.

Here are the slides (or beat plates). I think you can click on any image and see a larger version. These were saved as 8K square jpegs.

TRADITIONAL CARDS ON A TABLE OR WALL

The typical 3x5 or 4x6 cards written on with a felt pen and then stuck to a wall or laid-out on a table are also easy to move around and arrange in keynote. You can add highlights to the cards or use different color cards or pens to indicate scene breaks, turning points, climaxes, etc. Or you can use different rows or columns for the story sequences.

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER ARC BREAKDOWNS

In the above graphic each column represents the plot or subplot for a character. Seeing the chronological ordering of cards like this (in one column, top to bottom) helps me to ensure that the beats are chronologically logical. Looking at the beats for a plot in sequence allows me to check if there is an easy to understand cause and effect relationship between the beats, as the story for that column progresses down. 

One column per subplot or character arc. The first card at the top of a column names the character or subplot and the character's physical goal.  The last card in the column should indicate the resolution of the goal. Somewhere in the middle is that subplot's Moment of Grace (MOG).  All subplots whether they are 3 beats (the minimum) or 20 need: (A) to focus on ONE character (even if that character is a town or ensemble); (B) a Physical Goal; ; (C) a MOG; thus leading to (D) the arc needs to be clearly redemptive (up), tragic (down), or ironic (a little up and down). Also, each arc should illustrate the Moral Premise for the story in different ways... and yes, all the subplots and arcs in a single story need to have a common Moral Premise. 

NOTE: There is NO relationship horizontally to the cards from one column to the next. A subplot with only 3 beats might not begin until the middle of the movie. Once these individual character subplots are chronologically laid out (as above), you would place them in a beat plate like the one below in one of the subplot rows... and arrange them chronologically with respect to the other beats of the other subplots. Being able to shift these beats/cards left and right (or add or subtract beats) is critical to story planning or beating out the story. 

The final thing I keep stressing is that the Protagonist or Hero has about 50% of all the dramatic beats in the whole story. Thus, Protagonist "A" may have 45 beats, and when you add up all the other character beats and all the other subplots you should have about 45 beats for the others as well. That means while the Protagonist has 45 beats, the next largest number of beats associated with a single character may be only 20. There should be no question about who the movie is about. See also Story Structure Basics

BLANK BEAT PLATE 8000 (not sure what to call this)

This beat plate is a derivation of the 8 Mini-Movie Beat Plate without the focus of the 8 Mini Movies. Time moves left to right. The color boxes down the left side (A-Z) identify each subplot. They should have text inserted in them that label the CHARACTER and their PHYSICAL GOAL for that subplot. "A" is the main plot and will have the most beats. Across the plate horizontally (in four places) are the traditional beat numbers (1-13 Major Beats), and a few ancillary beats explained in the Story Structure Basics post. The light blue vertical spaces indicate PINCH POINTS (PP) where the antagonist creates a challenge for the protagonist. They escalate from left to right. The dark blue vertical spaces indicate TURNING POINTS (TP) where the protagonist actually takes action to change the direction of the story, because of the Pinch Points. The gray spaces between the blue columns are sequences of multiple scenes that set up the PP or TB. The theory behind this "IDEAL" structure is that there is never a dull moment in your story, and there is a regular emotional roller coaster effect from beginning to end. The actual dynamics of the story, however, will not look this regular. This is theory, don't try to match it exactly. 

COMPLETE BEAT PLATE 8000

This is what the a completed beat plate may look like just prior to writing... obviously here without any of the text in the boxes (this is an actual beat plate for a client, used with permission). Notice all the white boxes in the main "A" plot. The plot lines A, B, C, and D all belong to the protagonist. Subplots T–Z belong to other characters, one of which is an institution (Z). The number of beats for the protagonist (A–D) is close to the number of beats for all the other subplots combined (T–Z).   The white boxes that are not in the A plot are notes and not actual beats. 

I hope you can see the advantage of BEAT PLATE 8000 compared TRADITIONAL CARDS. The completed beat plate lets you easily examine the beats's interplay and chronological juxtaposition of events, that the index cards on a table do not allow. 

And, yes, the rows in this BEAT PLATE 8000 (e.g the 8 beats/cards in the orange row) correspond to the column of 8 orange cards in the INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER ARC BREAKDOWNS graphic.   (But don't try to correlate the other columns with the beat plate above. The orange column and the orange row both having 8 beats was entirely coincidental. 

If you want me to help you on your story or script, see my Script Consulting Page. 

What is Motion Picture Development?

As announced earlier I'm facilitating TD Jakes' International Faith and Family Film Festival Short Treatment Contest. (I'm also presenting two workshops at the event, August 30, 31, in Dallas.) The winner of the treatment writing contest will be offered a motion picture development deal with TD Jakes Enterprises. 

One entrant asked what "Development" entailed. Here was my response. NOTE THAT WHAT I DESCRIBE BELOW IS NOT NECESSARILY THE PATH TDJE WILL FOLLOW. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. WHAT'S BELOW IS INDUSTRY TYPICAL.  ALTHOUGH "TYPICAL" DOES NOT DESCRIBE THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY.

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Development of a motion picture can take years. The process begins with a story idea, such as the selection of a treatment that has been submitted for the IFFFF Short Treatment Contest. Development typically involves the following steps, but not necessarily in this order:

a. The writer (you) and the Executive Producer (EP, e.g. TDJE) would sign an "Option-Purchase Agreement" that would temporarily transfer ownership of the story and script (referred to an the Intellectual Property (IP), to the EP for a period of three years.  The OP Agreement is in two parts. Part A is the Agreement for the EP to try to get the story through development and into pre-production. For that the writer is paid a small fee. Part B of the Agreement for the EP to purchase all rights in perpetuity to the story, for a larger fee. The Purchase is not executed until the EP is absolutely sure the story will actually get produced, usually on the first day of principal photography.  If the story cannot be fully developed and entered into production, the ownership of the IP reverts back to the writer, and the writer keeps the option fees.  

b. There may also be an over all "Development Agreement" with the writer, wherein the writer is hired to help develop and write the story and the script. But, like the OP Agreement, signing a development agreement is no guarantee that the project will eventually get made into a movie. It is often the case that multiple writers and script story-consultant are involved. The EP pays all costs.

c. Working with a team of story experts the story idea (or original draft of the script) is "broken" or "broken down" or "beat out". That is the story is formally structured to meet the demands of a mainstream movie.

d. The story or script is then written and rewritten (over and over) to make it so good that others will want to be part of the project, and agree to "attach" themselves to the effort.

There are both technical (objective) and aesthetic (subjective) aspects to the above two steps.

e. The EP then attempts to "attach" to the project a line producer, production manager, director, and principal actors. With each attachment (a task that is subjectively dependent on the opinion and taste of the various parties) the script will go through another revision as each person that comes onto the project will make suggestions.

f. The EP will search out and attach funding from a combination of private equity, production entities (studios), and distributors. This may involve writing a business plan and creating preliminary marketing materials.  This step can be long and finding the money very elusive.

g. Along the way, all parties sign "Deal Memos" that confirm the parameters of the parties' involvement in making the picture. Deal Memos are short letters that precede formal contracts that are not signed until pre-production begins, which is the stage following development and just before production. Pre-production does not begin until all the deal memos are signed and the executive producer (and TDJE) agrees to actually make the picture. The approval to proceed with production is called a "Greenlight."

h. It is sometime during the above stages that the "Option Agreement" is executed and the actual sales of the intellectual property (the story and script) is transferred permanently to the executive producer and the writer is paid his or her purchase fee.

Yes, it can take years, and not thing is guaranteed.  Welcome to "Development Hell." 

Story Development Steps - Story Fundamentals

REVISED August 13, 2020

PART ONE
Writing a Focused Story

The broad, first steps in writing a successful story are outlined below in two sections. This first part lists The Story Fundamentals. The second is The Story Development Process.

If you're a story client of mine, stick with just Part One. Part Two will inform you about the whole thing, but the answers I want to accompany your script are just  1-7 of Part One, NOT Part Two.

I believe the Story Fundamentals should be listed on the first page of every script or manuscript because it sets up the reader in much the same way that a movie goer is set up to see a  movie. No movie goer attends a movie without first understanding what the movie is about in a general way; they know the fundamentals of the particular story.  So, that is how scripts should be read, with a page listing the Story's Fundamentals right up front.

For the writer, it really does not matter HOW you get to the story fundamentals. But knowing the fundamentals of your story are critical to effective and efficient writing the treatment and subsequent drafts of script or novel.

For my story coaching clients, please provide me with short one- or two-line descriptions of  the first seven (1-7) steps below. The more focused and precise you think them through and write them, the more effective will be our time together on step 8, which is what most need help on. Few of my clients actually have all seven items below answered when they come to me. But our consulting time together is designed to first get Steps 1-7 right, and then move on to Step 8.  Once you get past step 8 your story will practically write itself in terms of plot and character motivations. Actors who are writers will especially enjoy this, because after they answer 1-8 (with or without my help), they will fully understand their on-camera motivations.

The Story Fundamentals

What You Should Know Before You Start Writing,
and my goal in coaching you... to get you here.

1. TITLE, GENRE, ERA, SETTING, DEMOGRAPHIC
2. HOOK
3. LOG-LINE (Short and Long), TAG LINE
4. CONFLICT OF VALUES (Simple Dipole, Linear Nicomachean, or Layered Nicomachean)
5. MORAL PREMISE STATEMENT (Simple or Complex)
6. PROTAGONIST, ANTAGONIST descriptions
7. Protagonist's physical GOAL and STAKES

Before we get into Step 8, it will be helpful to have read The Moral Premise, or to review this linked blog post: http://moralpremise.blogspot.com/search/label/13%20Major%20Beats

      8. MAJOR BEATS FOR PROTAGONIST (13-19, Turning Points, Disasters and Sequences)

The Writing
Now you can start to write, in order:

     9. SYNOPSIS (600 words with ending)
    10. OUTLINE (every major scene)
    11. TREATMENT (prose short story)
    12. DRAFT (formatted)

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PART TWO
The Story Development Process

Steps to Writing a Successful Screenplay, Play or Novel

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the above.

The first eight steps should be executed iteratively. That is, it doesn't matter where you start, or in what order you do the steps in; although there is a logic to the order as presented. But it may not be your logic. So, just get on with it. Whatever works. Do it!

With each progression, go back and review the former decisions and see if they still fit. When you're done with 1-9 there should be a cohesiveness that will naturally drive steps 10-12. Although... even in working on 10-12 you will probably need to go back and revise 1-9. You're not God, so plan to do it over, and over, and over until you get it right.

My consulting is principally focused on the first eight steps and then how the decisions made are executed in your subsequent writing. These structural steps should be imbued in every sequence, every scene, and every dialogue exchange (and when it comes to production... in the casting, art direction, cinematography, music, etc.... all the way through marketing.) In the end the project should fit perfectly together and allow your story to resonate deeply with your audience.

1A. What is your story's working TITLE?

1B. What is the story's GENRE?

1C. What ERA (time period) does the story take place in?

1D. What is the story's SETTING (location, country, class)?

1E. What is the target  audience's DEMOGRAPHIC? (Sex, Age)

2. What is the story's physical HOOK? (this is the story's physical premise)

3A. What is the SHORT LOG LINE? (10-second pitch)

3B. What is the LONG LOG LINE? (or 60-second pitch)

3C. What is the story's TAG LINE? (What is the emotional heart of the story expressed in a short pithy line that would go on a poster?)

4.  What is the core CONFLICT OF VALUES that all the characters deal with?

5.  What is the MORAL-PHYSICAL PREMISE STATEMENT that guides every aspect of the film/novel?

6.     PROFILE MAIN CHARACTERS (start with your protagonist), in a short, descriptive and compelling paragraph that tries to answer these questions. You might construct these as interviews, with you asking the questions, and the character answering.

• What is the character's name, sex, age, career, family?
• What is she/he trying to accomplish? What is his/her goal for each of the subplots in his/her storyline, e.g., personal, family, professional, hobby, romance. Which of these plots drives the overall story? (i.e. there are multiple characters with multiple sub-plots, but ONLY one character, and ONLY one sub-plot for that character will drive the story forward.)
• What is the character's moral vice or weakness?
• What is the character's moral virtue or strength?
• How does the character transform and change?
• Who is trying to stop the character from reaching their goal?
• What happens if the character fails? (i.e. what are the stakes?)
• What irony is involved in each of the physical storylines?
• What irony is involved in the psychological storylines?

7.   Describe

• Protagonist's Physical GOAL
• STAKES if goal is not achieved?

8.  Outline the MAJOR BEATS (13-19), first, for the protagonist across the 3 ACTS. Describe, also, the major beats (3-9) for each secondary character. (see description under 10 below.)

NOW YOU CAN START WRITING

9.  Write a 600-word SYNOPSIS that dramatically summarizes the main character and the major beats revealing the story's resolution.

10. Construct a scene OUTLINE. If you've followed my goals and plots advice, you will have beat out every storyline for all the characters. The protagonist will have between 3 and 6 story lines, one of which will be the physical spine of the story and include no less than 13 major beats. Minor characters will have between 1 and 3 story lines, none of which will exceed 13 beats, and most will have from 3 to 9 beats.  Place (stick) all of those story line beats (now on 3x5 cards) on the wall (like a large story diamond) and discover in what scenes the various beats of the various story lines occur simultaneously.  From this, draft your scene outline, including every beat of every storyline. Exclude establishing shots. This outline can then be expanded into prose, creating a full treatment.

11. Write a succinct prose TREATMENT (not script formatted). Make it read like a high-level short story. Avoid too much detail.

12. WRITE the first draft properly formatted. (Review and Repeat ad nauseam.)