- Outlines
That’s all great, but where do you start? There is no universal answer to that at all. It is based a lot on where you inspiration comes. For me, I always have some scene pictured in my head. Sometimes it’s the ending, sometimes the beginning, and usually it’s somewhere in between.
Others are more literal and have more of an idea of what they want to get across. Others have only the character. Either way, one of the most used starting points is the outline. It’s a good jumping off point because you don’t have to be clever in your writing. This is really only a tool to figuring out the scenes you want to use, how to get from each and whether or not or ideas work together.
On paper (or using a word program) list out the scenes you are thinking of. You can start with broad strokes of the beginning, middle and end.
Now expand this list each to include the in-between steps that will carry you from the first scene to the last.
Then expand it more, using no more than 2 sentences for each steps. Each one should clearly describe what happens in the scene. All you are concerned with here is the central action of the scene, not dialogue.
If at any time you get stuck, don’t force it. Leave it and come back.
Go back and reread it. You can tell what works and more importantly what doesn’t. When you read it does the story move forward by fits and starts? You have a problem. Is moving from 1 step to another? Add another scene. Is a scene out of order? Move it. Is a scene that you really liked not working with the rest? Move it out and save it for another story.
Have other people read it. Does it make sense to them how you get from beginning to the end?
It is much easier to make corrections now then after you’ve written the screenplay.
