In SciFi magazine, the writers of "Cowboys & Aliens," Alex Kurtzman and Robero Orci, said this about the structure of their film:
"There were several times during shooting that it occurred to us that if we didn't have a story that could continue without the aliens landing, we didn't really have a story. So this movie should be able to continue without the sci-fi interrupting it. You can't just rely on the sci-fi to save you from the fact that you couldn't figure out what the story should have been, had this other thing not interfered."
I think that's a great point in terms of adding depth to a story. Most films start with some situation that is interrupted by something unexpected--the protagonist finds out he's terminally ill, or her child is kidnapped, or they witness a crime, or even just that Crazy Uncle Eddie comes to live with them.
The standard "what if" question is what if one of these things happened?
The different "what if" is what if these things hadn't happened? What if these characters' lives had continued the way they were going?
If there was something going on before that interruption, that is then affected by the new development, it will feel less like the people were just waiting for something dramatic to happen.
For instance, I'm in the very early stages of a project in which the protagonist undergoes some major physical and mental changes. What was happening before that was that his family life was falling apart. He was so involved in his work that his marriage was faltering and he was distant with his teen-age son. Now I'm also thinking through what would have happened in his work life and his relationship with his business partner. Knowing what would have happened should make what does happen more authentic as well.
My guess is that in many cases of writer's block, thinking about this would be a help.
(If you're interested in screenwriting, have a look at my other blog, at www.ScreenWritingSuccess.com)
