by Will Dunne
11. What would your title be if it highlighted when the story takes place? Telling when important action takes place, literally or figuratively, this title implies that a certain time or circumstance is key to what happens in the story, for example:
12. What would your title be if it focused on something physical? This title identifies one or more physical objects, elements, or personal qualities that are pivotal to the story action or somehow represent it, for example:
1 3. What would your title be if it highlighted a certain feeling or mood? This title suggests emotional life that is important to the action, for example:
14. What would your title be if it combined two elements not usually thought of as a pair? This "odd combo" title suggests that two elements have an important relationship that is not apparent at first glance, for example:
Love and Drowning
15. What would your title be if it highlighted a lesson that your story has to teach? This title acts instructional and explains what is supposed to be learned by the characters or the audience as a result of the story, for example:
How I Became an Interesting Person
16. What would your title be if it were a metaphor? This title describes a leading character, important story element, or even the whole story itself by making a poetic comparison to something else, for example:
IT What would your title be if it summed up the main event of the story? This title tells what happens literally or figuratively, for example:
18. What would your title be if it identified the subject of the story? This title goes above and beyond the plot to the highest level and identifies the subject embodied by the story, for example:
rg. What would your title be if it identified the kind of story you are writing? This title steps back from the story and identifies its genre, for example:
20. What would your title be if it made a literary allusion? This title alludes to a famous saying, proverb, biblical passage, quotation, or literary source which reflects the plot or theme of the story, for example:
Of Mice and Men alludes to the saying "The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray."
A Raisin in the Sun draws its title from a Langston Hughes poem which asks about a dream deferred: "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
Little Foxes echoes the biblical Song of Solomon when it describes "the little foxes that spoil the vines."
Shadow of a Doubt refers to the legal imperative to a jury to be certain beyond a shadow of a doubt when returning a guilty verdict.
You Can't Take it with You doesn't refer to an old adage. It is one.
You may need to do some research to complete this final round. Think about what matters most in your story and draw from another source to find a literary title.
WRAP-UP
Once you have a title, it may influence your story decisions, because, as you write or revise, it will always be somewhere in your mind as a guide. Later on, it will be a guide for the audience as well, because it will, by nature, signal what matters most during the story. Be sure you have the right guide in place. Here are a few questions to help evaluate any title you may be considering now:
• How well does the title fit the story? Does it stress the right stuff?
• Is the title unique?
• How well does the title match the mood and style of the story? If it's a comedy, for example, does it sound like one?
• Is it a memorable title that will stir up interest in your work? Remember that the title will be the first impression you make on an audience.
• How does the title look in print and how does it sound when you say it aloud? These elements can have a subliminal impact on its appeal.
THE QUICK VERSION
Sum up what you know about the big picture of your story
BEST TIME FOR THIS
When you have a completed draft or are well into the story
SOMEWHERE THROUGH THESE TREES LIES A FOREST
When you're on the fourth page of the third scene of act 2 and you're trying to figure out what this particular character will do next or say next with that particular character at this particular time and place in the story, chances are you're not thinking thematically or pondering what this whole thing was supposed to be about in the first place. You may not be able to see the forest for the trees.
In the end, however, it's not about the details of the story so much as how they add up. As with any art, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. By keeping the forest of the story in mind, you can keep the dramatic journey on track as you maneuver the countless details that demand your attention. The term "forest of the story" here includes three basic elements-plot, subject, and theme-wrapped together in one vision. What is the forest of your story?
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
This exercise offers questions to help you clarify how your story's plot, subject, and theme interconnect. You can use the exercise either as a summary tool to reflect what you have learned from other big-picture exercises, or as an introductory tool to establish a broad context for other big-picture exercises that you may try later. Either way, you will be exploring your story in global terms.
As you address the exercise questions, keep in mind that there are no wrong answers. You can interpret and respond to each question any way you wish. You may learn the most from the questions that pose the most difficulty. Exercise examples are from the play Doubt by John Patrick Shanley.
SUMMING UP YOUR PLOT
I. A story is what happens among certain individuals in a specific time and place. In Doubt, Sister Aloysius, the principal of a Catholic elementary school, becomes so obsessed with driving away a suspected child predator that she ends up shattering her own belief system. Briefly sum up the plot of your story.
2. Most stories raise a big plot question near the beginning. This question then remains unanswered through most of the story so that we must follow the entire dramatic journey in order to get the answer or to discover that there is no clear answer. The early scenes of Doubt stir up the questions "Is Father Flynn really guilty of child abuse? And, if so, how will Sister Aloysius prove it?" Think about what happens in the world of your characters. What big question is raised early on, but left unanswered through most of the story?
3. The big plot question is usually answered by the final outcome of the dramatic journey. In most cases, we had a sense of what this answer would be-we have been gradually prepared to believe it-yet it is not quite what we expected. In Doubt, we follow much of the story wondering whether or not Aloysius will be able to prove that Father Flynn is guilty. By the time we reach the end of the story, however, we realize that this quest has been more about her blind certainty than his guilt or innocence, so the big plot question is left unanswered. We are left with doubt. Think about the big plot question that spans the events of your story. What is the final answer? If there is no clear final answer, why is that?
4. Other exercises in this guide explore the idea that all human emotions can be boiled down to three basic feelings-fear, anger, and love. For example, anxiety, alarm, and grief are forms of fear. Irritation, hate, and rage are forms of anger. Joy, tenderness, and sympathy are forms of love. When all is said and done, Doubt might be seen primarily as a story of fear. Think about your story. Which primal feeling-fear, love, or anger-best describes its emotional landscape?
5. In Doubt, Aloysius's fear is what drives her to launch a crusade against the priest she suspects of wrongdoing, even though she has no real evidence to support her accusation. This fear might reflect worry about the well-being of the children of St. Nicholas School as well as concern about failing to live up to the duties of a principal. On a larger scale, Aloysius also maybe demonstrating a profound fear of uncertainty and of the chaos that can result from operating outside a prescribed system of rules. Think again about the emotional landscape of your story. Briefly describe any connection you see between its primary emotion and its sequence of events.
EXPLORING Y
OUR SUBJECT
i. Though Shanley's play centers on the brewing scandal of a priest suspected of child abuse, the subject of the play is neither corruption in the Catholic church nor pedophilia. The subject is doubt. This is why the play ends not with the guilt or innocence of the priest, but with Sister Aloysius experiencing for the first time the pangs of doubt. Think about your story at the highest level and in relationship to your plot. In one or two words, what is the real subject of your story?
2. Shanley's play explores doubt as a hallmark of wisdom and an opportunity for growth. Think again about your subject. In a little more detail, what is your story about? Expand your description of the subject by qualifying its meaning and making it more specific.
3. In Shanley's view, doubt in modern life has become something to be avoided rather than embraced. Expressing doubt is perceived too often as a sign of weakness and not as a sign of strength, especially in the world of politics and power. In media interviews, he has said that the play was inspired by-and in some ways serves as an allegory for-the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Why is the subject of your story important?
UNDERSTANDING YOUR THEME
i. A thematic statement reflects an important idea about the subject that the author believes and is trying to show as true. For example, the theme of Doubt is "Doubt leads to wisdom and growth." Think about your subject in relationship to your plot. What theme does this combination suggest?
2. The main character of the story typically embodies the theme. For example, the main character of Doubt is Sister Aloysius, one whose dramatic journey moves her from unwavering certainty to transformational doubt. Who in your story embodies your theme, and how?
3. While the main character's quest is meant to demonstrate the truth of the theme, certain forces oppose this truth. These include all of the obstacles standing in the character's path-from personal traits and conditions that weaken the character, to other characters or groups with opposing needs. These forces of antagonism embody a countertheme also at work in the story. If the theme is "Doubt leads to wisdom and growth," for example, the countertheme might be "Unwavering certainty gets the job done." The story then becomes a struggle between these opposing ideas. What is the countertheme at work in your story?
4. In many cases, the countertheme is embodied by the story's main antagonist. In Doubt, it is the protagonist Sister Aloysius who embodies the countertheme as well as the theme. At the beginning of the dramatic journey, she sees doubt as a sign of weakness and operates from a position of absolute certainty. By the end of the dramatic journey, she has begun to question her entire belief system. Who in your story embodies the countertheme, and how?
5. Think some more about your theme. Ideally, it raises a big universal question which is above and beyond the specifics of your story. Rather, it is a question about us in the audience: an inquiry into the human condition. While the plot raises its big question early on-this is what hooks us in and engages us emotionally-the theme may operate more slowly. In some cases, it may raise its big question gradually over the course of the story. Doubt poses its big thematic question in the opening line when Father Flynn in a Sunday sermon asks his congregation, "What do you do when you're not sure?" Think about your theme. What big question does it raise on a universal level?
6. Because the big thematic question operates in the realm of higher truths and beliefs, the answer may be complex and have many different shades and dimensions. Doubt shows us that, when we are not sure of what to do, we can either cling to rules that protect us from the discomfort of uncertainty or use the power of doubt to explore new possibilities and gain new wisdom. At the end of the story, when Aloysius is finally able to experience and express doubt, she is in anguish yet also on the verge of becoming a new person. She has undone the certainties that until now have been blocking her growth. What is the answer to your big thematic question? Try to state the answer as simply yet truthfully as possible.
WRAP-UP
One of the most common dramaturgical problems is a weak throughline: a series of often good scenes that don't add up to enough when put together in sequence. By keeping the forest of the story in mind, you can make smarter decisions at the scenic level when you are focused on smaller story elements, such as what a character knows or doesn't know at this point in the dramatic journey, or what a character wants now or does next.
THE QUICK VERSION
Clarify the big picture of the story by simplifying and prioritizing your story ideas
BEST TIME FOR THIS
When you feel ready to revise a completed draft
MANAGING THE ELEMENTS OF A DRAMATIC JOURNEY
We encounter many different elements in a dramatic story: a cast of characters who all have distinct needs and values, experience different emotions, and exhibit a gamut of behaviors as they tackle the problems and obstacles in their way. Meanwhile many different images come and go, and many different topics are debated from different points of view and for different purposes. Ideally, the combination of these elements creates a series of events that move us from the beginning of the dramatic journey to the end. All of these various elements are important, but in the end they are not all equally important. Some matter more than others. How well can you tell the difference?
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
The goal of this focusing exercise is to prepare you for the revision process by boiling your story down to a series of simple terms. Try to address each exercise topic with only one word or, if necessary, two words. Do not repeat a word that you have already given. These restrictions can be challenging but also enlightening. Consider doing this exercise more than once during revisions to see how your responses change or don't change.
IN A WORD (OR TWO) ...
i. Sum up what your story is about.
2. Describe your main character.
3. Identify the most significant setting in your story. Use a noun.
4. Describe this setting. Use an adjective for the noun you just wrote.
5. Identify the most important time-when-story action takes place.
6. Describe your main character at the start of the dramatic journey.
7. Describe your main character at the end of the dramatic journey.
8. Describe the most important part of the transition: how your character moves from the beginning to the end of the dramatic journey.
9. Define your main character's goal in the story: what he or she wants overall.
io. Define the most difficult problem that your character must overcome in order to achieve the story goal.
i i. Identify an important strategy that the main character triessuccessfully or not-at any time in the story in order to achieve the goal. Use a verb.
12. Identify a second important strategy of the main character at any time during the quest. Use a second verb.
13. Identify a third important strategy of the main character at any time during the quest. Use a third verb.
14. Name something that tends to be highly valued in the world of your story.
r5. Name something that is often very important in other places, but not so in the world of your story-for example, money might be very important in the business world but of little value in a religious commune.
16. Identify an important discovery that your character makes at any time during the story.
17. Identify something important that your character gains during the story.
I& Identify something important that your character loses during the story.
ig. Rethink your answer to the second question and sum up who your main character is. Remember not to repeat what you wrote before.
20. Rethink your answer to the first question and sum up what your story is about.
IN A SENTENCE ...
Sum up the main event of your story-what happens overall-in one sentence. Use any of the words you found in the first part of the exercise.
WRAP-UP
Before you begin to revise a completed draft, take the t
ime to identify the most important elements that have emerged from your character and story choices. Even the most complex material can be boiled down to simple terms that can help guide you through the rest of the script development process.
THE QUICK VERSION
Revise the current draft of your script
BEST TIME FOR THIS
When you feel ready to revise a completed draft
WRITING IS REWRITING
Just as there is no one way to write a script, there is no one way to revise one. However, most dramatic writers would probably agree that, regardless of how and when it occurs, revision is one of the most important parts of script development. Once you have put your ideas down on paper and completed a draft, you can begin to look at your material with different eyes, evaluate what you see from this new perspective, and begin to refine the meaning and shape of what you have created.
In most cases, revision focuses first on how well the whole story works, how fully the characters have been developed, and how effectively the sequence of events has been composed. Once major character and story issues have been addressed, revisions can turn to smaller, though still important matters, such as cleaning up remaining issues at the scene and beat levels, and refining the dialogue.
It is not unusual for a dramatic script to undergo several rounds of revision. Some of this rewriting may occur before anyone else sees the script. Other revisions may take place after the script has been reviewed by others through dramatic writing workshops, development conferences, private readings, private or public staged readings, and-if the script makes it into production-the rehearsal process.
Dramatic scripts are meant to be seen and heard, so getting your characters off the page is vital to the revision process. If you have access to actors, you can set up a formal or informal reading of your work once you feel that you have a draft ready for this level of attention. In the early stages of revision, if the actors are good, such readings can work just as well in a living room as they do in a theater, and a small audience can sometimes be as useful as a large one in assessing a script's strengths and weaknesses. Aside from any comments that other listeners might share, you will learn a lot just by seeing what happens when the actors bring your characters to life in front of others.