The Dramatic Writer's Companion

by Will Dunne

  If you do not have access to actors, you can trigger some of this discovery on your own by reading the script aloud and literally hearing your words. Some writers prefer to read the script aloud even if they have actors available to read it for them later.

  ABOUT THE EXERCISE

  This exercise offers practical guidelines for revising your script in steps, starting with a broad look at what you have so far, gradually narrowing your vision of the script down to its details, and then returning to the broader view. These guidelines are designed for a full-length script which centers on the dramatic journey of one main character. As with any exercise in this guide, however, these can be adapted to any story structure and writing process.

  How you adapt the exercise will depend not only on the size and form of your script, but also the number of drafts you have completed so far. If this is your first draft, consider doing all six steps in the order given so that you can get a thorough review of your work. If this is a later draft, you may wish to abbreviate or skip some of these steps, depending on what your script still needs.

  During the revision process, you can use almost any character, scene, or story exercise in this guide for additional support. In "Causing a Scene," the exercises most directly applicable to revisions include "Thinking in Beats" and any of the stage 3 dialogue exercises. In "Building Your Story," try "The Art of Grabbing," "Step by Step," or any stage 3 big-picture exercise during revisions. Be sure to review the troubleshooter at the end of the guide as well for further suggestions of exercises to consider when addressing common script problems.

  STEP I: DO A GLOBAL REVIEW OF THE SCRIPT

  Is the story clear, complete, and interesting? Begin the revision process by reading your script from beginning to end as quickly as possible and preferably in one sitting. Jot down any ideas or questions that arise, and flag specific areas of the script that need more attention. As you do this, try to keep your focus on big issues and avoid getting bogged down in details. The goal of this global review is to move through the script with as little interruption as possible so that you can get a clear first impression of how the whole thing works so far. This impression is critical because it will provide a working context for all of the revisions to follow.

  When making script changes after a global review, be sure of the following:

  • The story adds up clearly to one main event.

  • The subject and theme are clearly demonstrated by what happens in the story.

  • What happens is always believable within the world of this story.

  • The story prepares us intellectually and emotionally to understand why the crisis is a true crisis for this main character and not just a difficult situation.

  • The beginning of the story raises a big question that doesn't get answered until the end.

  • The conclusion is the result of everything that has happened and not a product of external forces, such as chance, accident, or any other last-minute plot surprise.

  STEP 2: FOCUS ON ONE CHARACTER AT A TIME

  Is each character necessary, distinct, and appropriately developed? A thorough character review requires a number of rereadings of the script so that you can see the story from each character's unique perspective. The goal of this review is to track the character's needs, feelings, and actions through the story as well as the larger transition that the character is undergoing. For best results, do each reading in one sitting so that you can clearly follow the character's overall arc of action and determine how well the character holds up as a distinct individual with a consistent core identity and a unique set of values and beliefs.

  Start with the main character and review the script with only this character in mind. Reread only the scenes in which this character appears and, within these scenes, focus primarily on the stage directions and dialogue that apply to this character. As you note your observations and questions, try to stay focused on the larger issues of who this character is, how this character is causing the dramatic journey, and how this character is being affected by what happens. Be sure that the main character

  • is someone whom we can care about and want to focus on;

  • has an important goal that is clearly stated or implied;

  • actively pursues this goal through ever-changing strategies;

  • faces increasingly difficult challenges as the story evolves;

  • has enough at stake to keep trying harder in spite of obstacles;

  • is revealed and affected by what happens in the story.

  Once you have analyzed the main character and identified issues to address, continue the character review by focusing in a similar way on each of the remaining characters in order of importance, with a focus on how each of these other characters is unique, why each is essential, and how each is changed or not changed by story events.

  STEP 3: REVIEW STORY STRUCTURE

  Does the story make sense intellectually and emotionally? Focus next on the chain of events that comprise the story. The goal this time is to see how the dramatic action flows, and whether or not the end of the story differs from the beginning of the story because of what happens in the middle.

  Instead of approaching this chain of events in detail, look first at the most important events in the sequence: the inciting event that triggers the main character's dramatic journey, the turning point that ends each act and shifts the journey into a new direction, and the crisis and climax where the main character is most tested and revealed. These key events are the bold strokes of the story and can be important measures of the fundamental strength of the story structure.

  Once you have analyzed the key events, you can review the throughline that connects these events scene by scene, act by act, from beginning to end. If you have not already created a step outline, this might be a good time to do one so that you can get an at-a-glance view of the story structure (see "Step by Step" earlier in this guide).

  When reviewing story events, focus on them in relationship to one another: how they connect or don't connect, and why each is an important part of the whole chain. Check that no event simply repeats what has gone before, has no consequences later, or is an unnecessary detour from the throughline. As you do this, make sure that:

  • The inciting event occurs during the story-not before it-and directly affects the main character.

  • Each act ends with a turning point that is dramatically strong enough and different enough to draw us into the next act with a compelling new question.

  • The dramatic action slowly rises to a crisis that forces the main character to make the most difficult decision in the story.

  • Each dramatic event in the story is both unique and essential: without this event, the story would not make sense.

  • Each dramatic event in the story is connected through cause and effect to at least one other dramatic event in the story.

  • The sequence of events grows out of a changing emotional landscape that explains why and when things happen as they do.

  STEP 4: FOCUS ON ONE SCENE AT A TIME

  How well does each scene work dramatically on its own? With a strong throughline in place, you can begin to "think smaller" and analyze the details of each scene. Ideally each is a turning-point experience that changes the world of the story in either a good or bad way, and moves the dramatic journey closer to its ultimate success or failure. The goal of the scene-by-scene review is to ensure the dramatic integrity of each of these units. When making script changes during a scene review, be sure that:

  • The characters each want something important and have an irresistible reason for wanting it here and now.

  • Conflict is always present in some form throughout the scene.

  • The scene is mostly about what's happening now and not about what happened in the past or somewhere else.

  • Unless it is short, the scene unfolds in different beats of action that reflect a variety of character topics, strategies, and emotions.

  �
� The beat changes are clean and make sense at a gut level.

  0 The main event of the scene is clear.

  STEP 5: REVIEW THE SCRIPT TECHNICALLY

  Is the dialogue effective and boiled down to its essence? Once the larger pieces of the story are in place, you can begin to approach the script technically and edit the remaining wordage of each scene for impact, density, and length. The goal of this refinement process is to heighten the language of the script and to eliminate any speeches, lines, or words that do not fit or are not really necessary. This is often when "darlings" die, scenes shrink, and stories tighten.

  Just as much of writing is rewriting, much of rewriting is cutting. During this stage of revision, cut the story as much as you can without damaging the voice of any character, the main event of any scene, or the central throughline of the story. You may need to read through the script a number of times to accomplish this important task, cutting sometimes only a few words at a time, or a line here and a beat there. It can all add up to a major cut of several pages in the end. During this technical review, be sure that:

  • The voice of each character remains distinct and true.

  • Any unnecessary exposition has been eliminated.

  • The dialogue leaves room for subtext that is knowable and adds another level of meaning to the scene.

  • Unnecessary beats in each scene have been cut.

  0 Unnecessary speeches in each beat have been cut.

  • Unnecessary words in each speech have been cut.

  STEP 6: DO ANOTHER GLOBAL REVIEW

  Is the story clear, complete, and interesting-or does it still need more work? Read your script again as quickly as possible. As with the first global review, the goal is to get a broad impression of how the whole script works. Jot down any questions that you still need to address and any tasks that you still need to complete. By this time in the revision process, these issues are likely to be small, though a larger new question or task can sometimes emerge when you return to the big picture of the story. Your findings will determine where you go from here.

  WRAP-UP

  The revision process is when many scripts really get written. As with any of the writing arts, however, your script will probably never be "finished": there will always be something more that could be done to make it just a little bit better. Hopefully, at some point, however, you will feel satisfied enough with your work to abandon the revision process, send your script out into the world, and leap into the refreshing process of starting something new.

  Here in random order are twenty dramaturgical problems that often arise during new script development. Each description highlights the nature of the problem, briefly suggests how to approach it, and gives examples of specific guide exercises that can help you find a solution.

  FALSE CHARACTER

  Problem. The writer has not spent enough time getting to know the characters and has imposed artificial choices and actions on them to fit the prescribed structure of the story. These choices may look good at the moment but, in the big picture, the characters don't ring true. In addition to such characters imprisoned by plot, false characters include the stock character, such as the prostitute with a heart of gold, the two-dimensional villain who is nothing but evil, the author's mouthpiece who stops the show to deliver thematic messages, and the foil who exists in a scene only to ask the right questions so that another character can ramble on.

  Solution. Double the time you spend fleshing out your principle characters. Know what traits, knowledge, and experiences make each one unique, and let the characters-not the plot-lead you to what happens next. To learn more about your characters, try any tool in "Developing Your Character," from "Basic Character Builder" to "In So Many Words." For difficult characters, be sure to try exercises that can lead to surprising discoveries, such as "Where the Character Lives," "Where the Character Works," Into the Past," "The Secret Lives of Characters," or "The Dramatic Triangle." For a two-dimensional bad guy, try "The Noble Character" or "The Character You Like Least," or go to "Causing a Scene" and try "Good Intentions."

  UNNECESSARY CHARACTER

  Problem. Some characters are too much alike. They duplicate each other's functions in the story and sometimes even sound so much alike that their lines of dialogue are easily interchangeable. Other characters play such incidental roles that their presence barely matters-for example, the waiter whose only function is to serve cocktails in a scene that could have begun with the cocktails already on the table. In the end, the overall chain of events in the story would not be significantly affected if any of these redundant or utilitarian characters were removed.

  Solution. Challenge the necessity for each character by imagining how the story would unfold without him or her. Know why each character is essential, how each differs from the rest, and what each contributes to the story. Get rid of characters who don't really matter, and make sure that each remaining character is distinct. To find greater contrasts among your characters, go to the section "Developing Your Character" and try such exercises as "Defining Trait," "Characters in Contrast," "Finding the Character's Voice," "Three Characters in One," and "In So Many Words." To analyze the importance of character relationships, try "Allies: Then and Now," "Adversaries: Then and Now," and "The Dramatic Triangle."

  NO ONE TO CARE ABOUT

  Problem. The principal characters fail to engage us because they are neither likeable nor empathetic, or because their needs and problems seem trivial, or because they are simply not very interesting. As a result, it's hard to care about what happens to them in the story.

  Solution. Review the character's universal traits. Have you presented someone with whom we can empathize? Then look at what makes him or her unique. Is the character unusual enough to command attention? You may need to shift the balance between the ordinary and extraordinary so that a strange character becomes more familiar, or an everyday character becomes more unusual. You also may need to heighten the emotional impact of the character's dramatic journey. To make a character more engaging, go to the section "Developing Your Character" and try such exercises as "Getting Emotional," The Noble Character," "Character as Paradox," and "Seven Deadly Sins." To increase a character's universality, go to the section "Causing a Scene" and try "Universal Truths and Lies." To heighten a character's dramatic impact, try "Good Intentions" and "The Emotional Storyboard."

  NOT CLEAR WHAT THE CHARACTER WANTS

  Problem. The character is saying and doing things in a scene, but seems to have little or no objective. As a result, the scene wanders in and out of various topics, but ends up going nowhere.

  Solution. Make sure you know what the character wants in each scene and use that desire to drive the dramatic action. Even if the character is secretly up to something else, we need to sense that someone is trying to accomplish something important. In some cases, you can strengthen or clarify a character's objective by heightening the problem. To explore character needs, go to the section "Causing a Scene" and try "What Does the Character Want?"

  NOT ENOUGH CONFLICT

  Problem. The conflict in a scene has either dropped out or weakened to such a low level that the scenic event occurs too easily. As a result, the importance of the event feels diminished and the character's commitment to his or her objective has not really been tested. What's more, we have lost the opportunity to discover something new about the character's true nature by observing him or her under stress. One of the first signs of weak conflict is a scene that feels flat, talky, or expositional.

  Solution. Know what the character wants and create obstacles that will make the objective more difficult to achieve. To explore character conflict, go to the section "Causing a Scene" and try "What's the Problem?" and "Heating Things Up."

  NOT ENOUGH AT STAKE

  Problem. The character doesn't have a strong enough reason to attempt a difficult or troublesome task. Either too little is at stake or nothing is at stake. As a result, it doesn't make sense for the character to tackl
e problems, take risks, or use up important resources in order to get something done.

  Solution. Motivate your characters appropriately for the tasks they face: the greater the challenge, the stronger the motivation needs to be. At the scenic level, the stakes need to be high enough to make the scene happen. At the story level, the stakes need to be even higher: critical enough to push the main character to the end of the line and make compromise or surrender seem unthinkable. To explore character motivation, go to the section "Causing a Scene" and try "Good Intentions."

  FALSE STARTS AND STOPS

  Problem. It takes too long to get to the meat of the scene. There is too much setup and unnecessary delay before the core action begins. In some cases, the scene goes on and the characters keep interacting even though the core action has ended.

  Solution. Know what the scene is really about. Then enter it as late as possible and get out as soon as possible. To explore a scenic event, go to the section "Causing a Scene" and try such exercises as "Basic Scene Starter" and "Scene in a Sentence."

  STRATEGY GONE STALE

  Problem. The conflict in a scene has grown static because the character has been trying the same unsuccessful strategy for much too long.

  Solution. Use what you know about your unique character to find different ways to tackle a scenic objective. Some of these strategies may reflect a step-by-step action plan. Others may be spontaneous changes of behavior due to unexpected conflicts. Whether these strategies succeed or fail, they reveal different sides of the character, create the different beats of the scene, and bring variety to the dramatic action. To explore character strategy, go to the section "Causing a Scene" and try "How It Happens," "Character Adjustments," "The Aha!s of the Story," and "Thinking in Beats."