Screenplay and novel plots are ambitious, complicated things. I've found that making sure you know the answer to two questions is helpful from start to finish.
- What's the story about?
- What's the story REALLY about?
WHAT'S THE STORY ABOUT?
This simply means, what's the basic idea?
It's similar to a logline, but since the latter is designed to get somebody else interested in the story, it needs to be carefully crafted. That's not necessary here. All that's required is a simple statement like:
"It's about a husband and wife who let their divorce turn into a force that destroys both of them."
"It's about a group of middle-aged male friends whose attempt to re-create a wild night they had when they were in high school ends in disillusion about their past."
"It's about a superhero who has to give up the love of his life in order to keep saving the world."
Notice the elements: the protagonist(s), the conflict, and the outcome.
The answer will guide you through the rest of the process.
If you developed the plot of the first one, for instance, you would check that every major scene revolves around the husband and/or wife, that whatever they do keeps escalating in destructiveness, and that by the end they've both been destroyed (financially, emotionally, or literally).
Sometimes this kind of simple statement reveals that the story is flawed, and it's good to find that out at the start rather than after you've written the whole script or novel.
For instance: "A man turns to crime in order to raise money for expensive medical treatment for his child but is able to return to the honest ways he prefers when he wins the lottery." What's wrong with this, of course, is that the solution to his problem comes out of nowhere instead of somehow being the result of his struggles.
WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT?
Here we're talking about the theme. If you don't decide on one it's more likely you'll lose your way in the writing process.
The three elements (character, conflict, outcome) will point toward the theme.
If the divorcing couple is fighting over who gets what, the theme might be that greed is destructive.
If their conflict stems from a desire for revenge because each thinks the other was responsible for betraying them, the theme could be that revenge is destructive to both parties.
Since the story about the middle-aged men ends badly, the theme could be that it's better to look forward rather than back.
If your story was, "By recreating a night they experienced when they were in high school, a group of middle-aged men rediscover the sense of fun they'd lost," the theme could be that it's never too late to experience the fun of youth."
Which one is right? Whichever one you believe.
If you have a story description for which you can't identify a theme, that may be an indication that the story is flawed.
Going back to the earlier example, what's the theme of, "A man turns to crime in order to raise money for expensive medical treatment for his young son but is able to return to the honest ways he prefers when he wins the lottery?"
I can't think of one.
If the ending is that he gets caught but not before he's paid for the child's treatment, then the theme might be, "No sacrifice is too great for the life of your child."
If the ending is that he gets caught and then it comes out that the child's illness was misdiagnosed and he never actually needed expensive treatment, then the theme might be, "Life is a joker and the joke is on us."
WHICH COMES FIRST, PLOT OR THEME?
Some writers start with a theme they consider important and fashion a story that fits, but in my experience, most start with a character, a moment, or the seed of a story, and then figure out what it's really about.
For example, I'm working on a script about a small group of people who go to a personal development retreat, struggle with their inner demons, and end up getting not what they want but what they need.
The theme is that when you try to find yourself, the person who turns up may not be the one you want to meet.
Note that this story, like most, could be a comedy or a tragedy. Because my experience is that life is a combination of the two, so is my story.
WHAT IF YOU'RE NOT SURE OF THE THEME AT THE START?
Sometimes it happens that you're not sure of the theme at the start. That's fine, just develop the story until you figure out its basics, especially the ending. When you've done that, the theme will emerge.
AREN'T THESE THEMES SIMPLISTIC?
Yep. That's why you build a story that represents a more sophisticated embodiment of the theme. The theme should be so well clothed in the story that the viewer or reader is not aware of it until much later--if at all. We're telling stories, not preaching sermons. The theme will have an impact on the subconscious level even if the reader or viewer never thinks about it.
"Love conquers all" has spawned a million stories and there's room for a million more. There's also room for stories which suggest that "Love can't conquer all," for those writers who believe that.
KEEP THEM VISIBLE
I recommend that you write the answers to the two questions on an index card or a sticky note that you keep visible as you write. If you get stuck, go back to these and the chances are you'll find your solution.
