#21 - Don’t Forget The Story
Edition #21 of the Lighthouse miniLetter!
You'll always get:
Three examples of great screenwriting
Two quotes about storytelling
One thing to think about
Plus some fun links at the bottom.
Three examples of great screenwriting
Dickinson (Pilot)
Written by Alena Smith
Two things.
First, the music choice really triangulates the sort of mashup of period drama and modern sensibilities this show achieves.
Then, Smith challenges the reader directly, which reinforces the exact tone the music created in the first place.
Such an effective one-two punch.
Evil Under The Sun
Written by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, Based on the book by Agatha Christie
This is one of three pages before the script officially begins. If you know the story, the geography of the island is crucial. It’s extremely likely there’s going to be a shot of a map, or perhaps an overhead of the island itself, in the finished film.
Personally, I might put it on the page it appears in the narrative, but regardless of placement, I think it’s great to include a visual when it’s this important. (Even if some will say it’s not allowed.)
Bodice Rippers (Pilot)
Written by Laura Mannino
I think the positioning of Mia’s character here is a masterful thread of the needle. Mannino clearly communicates the following:
Mia’s not writing original work, but fan-fiction
the in-universe fandom in which she’s writing (Foreign Bodies) and the type of fandom it is
Mia’s fan-fic is relatively successful within the fandom, but she prefers to remain anonymous
By the end of this passage, which is describing nothing more than a homescreen, we have a crystal clear sense of Mia’s relationship to Foreign Bodies, fellow fans, and herself. Incredibly deft work.
Also, how funny is the escalation of those tags?!
Two quotes about screenwriting
“Don’t wait for someone to enable you to make something.”
“I don’t try to guess what a million people will like. It’s hard enough to know what I like.”
One thing to think about
Are you forgetting the story?
Screenwriting is a blend of themes, structure, metaphor, and layered meanings. It's easy to get lost in it all, dissecting symbolism and decoding nuances. These things all make a story rich and textured, but it’s important to remember: they are not the story itself.
Take the story of Red Riding Hood. It can be seen as a parable of coming of age, awakening sexuality, confronting the fearsome unknown, and all sorts of other things. This analysis adds depth and color, making the narrative resonate on a deeper level.
But let's not forget that at its core, it's a story about a young girl versus a wolf. Will she escape or will the wolf get her?
Sometimes, if you’re stuck the best thing to do might be to forget about meanings and metaphors and just return to the narrative itself.
Regardless of deeper layers, what would be exciting right now, to these characters, in this world?
Subtextual ideas may be the spices of a narrative, but the story is still the main course.
Are you forgetting the story?
Have a great draft,
David Wappel
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