chapter all laid out and nowhere to go - save the cat!® · 2019. 10. 16. · in legally blonde,...

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ALL LAID OUT... AND NOWHERE TO GO

Overcominghurdles. That’swhatSave the Cat!isabout. Yetwhenitcomestothetopicof“structure,”whichIthinkmakesSave the Cat!abreakthroughfor any screenwriter, the trouble I’ve gotten inforbeingastructureadvocateispuzzling. We all have deficits in our writing skills.Some of us are missing the “idea gene,” somearehorribleattitles,butwithoutstructurewe’resunk.YetthefightsIgetonthis topicastoundme,andleadmetobelieveIhaven’tquitemademycase.Thegoodnewsis:Oftheskillsittakestobeagreatstoryteller,structureistheeasiesttolearn—ifyou’reopentoit. Andifyouare,itisalsothemostempowering! I think the biggest misconception aboutstructure,andthebiggestblockformanywriters,isthesensethatI’maskingyoutodosomething“formulaic.”CanIbehonestwithyou,justyouand me? This objection exhausts me. Let’s justsayfornowthatthosewhoargueagainststructureonthebasis that it is stoppingyoufrom“beingfree,”orfeelthatifyoufollowmyadviceyou’llbe

chapter 3Blake’s Blog /August 2, 2007

“ We transform every day, re-awaken to new concepts about the world around us, overcome conflict, and triumph over death… only to start again each morning. It’s why stories that follow this pattern resonate. Because each day is a transformation machine, and so are our lives.”

©BlakeSnyderEnterprises,LLC2009

SAVE THE CAT! STRIKES BACK | BlakeSnyder44

doomedtowriteBig Momma’s House 2overandover,arewrong.Andifyou’vereadmysecondbook,whichappliesthisso-called“formula”toeverythingfrombigstudiohitslikeSpider-Man 2andForrest GumptoIndieslikeOpen WaterandSaw,andyoustillaren’tconvincedthesea)hitthebeats,andb)areextremelydifferent,well...youwillhavetroublewithstructure,andthat’snofun! Andyet... Igrantyoutherearetimeswhenhavingdiligentlyfollowedmysuggestions,andworkedoutyourstructureasIprescribe,thereisuneasetohavingitallsoniceandneat.Thereissomethingaboutitthatfeelsmechanical,too“clean,”ortoosimple.Andthat’snogood either. If you’ve worked out your story but haven’t startedwriting,itmaybebecauseyou’velostthereasonforwritingit;theinspiration’s gone, you’re not feelin’ it! It might be because youknowtoomuchaboutyourtaletobesurprisedwhenyouactuallyputcursortocomputerscreen. Andifyouhavewrittenadraft,youmayhavehitallthebeatslikeamaster,andthepiecesareinplace,buttheemotionisn’t.Your hero seems so much like an order-taking automaton thatneitheryou,norwe,havemuchinterestinseeingwherehegoes. Ifanyoftheaboveapplies,itfeelsliketroubleindeed. Whether you bridle at the idea of churning out duraflame®logsthatseemsomuchlikefirewood,butaren’t,orifyoujustplaindon’tgetityet,takeheart.Thisisthechapterwhereweansweryourstructuredilemmasonceandforall,soyouwillfeelconfidenteverytimeyoufullyfleshoutanystoryyouwrite. Wemuststartwiththefactyourstoryisnotunique. I know! I know!Thatsoundsbad.Icanseeyounow,inyourgarret,withyourbowlofTopRamen,cursingme! Butit’strue. Youcanbreakuptime,astheydoinMementoandPulp Fiction;youcanhaveanti-heroesasseeninAmerican PsychoandElection;youcanintertwinemultiplestories,asinBabelandCrash;youcanpulltherugoutfromusbysaying“AndthenIwokeup,itwasalladream!”

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asexploitedinAtonementandStranger Than Fiction.Yes,youcanbreakalltherules,withvaryingdegreesofsuccess,butyouwillneverevadetheprinciplesthatcomebyconqueringstructure—foruntilwefindawaytoliveonEarthwithoutlessonsonhowtodoit,we’regoingtobestuckwithstorytellingprinciplesallwritersmustmaster. We’regoingtobestuckwithstructure.

THE TRANSFORMATION MACHINE Asstatedinthepreviouschapters,allwe’relookingfor—bothaswritersandasaudiencemembers—isatalethatgrabsusbythegonads.Ourjobissimple:tobeastounding!Anddoingthatisactu-allyeasy...solongaswemeetonlyonedemand: Tellusastoryabouttransformation. Iliketosaythataswebeginanystory,youtheaudienceandIthewriterarestandingonatrainplatform.YouandIareget-tingon that train...and we’re not coming back.The talewe tell is solife-altering,bothfortheheroandforus,thatwecanneverlookatourworldthesamewayagain.Othersmaybelingeringontheplatform,theymaytalkaboutthetrip,butintruthit’sonlytalk;they’veneveractuallybeenanywhere. It’sbecausechangeisnotonlyastounding,it’spainful. Everystoryis“TheCaterpillarandtheButterfly.” Westartwithacaterpillarlivingamongthetallbranches,eat-inggreenleaves,waving“hi!”tohiscaterpillarpals,littleknowingthathisisalifeofprofounddeficiency.Andthenoneday,anoddfeelingcomesoverhimthat’ssoscary,it’slikeafreefall.Somethingstrange ishappening.Andthat something... isdeath.That’swhatthecocoonstageis.Ascaterpillarbecomeschrysalis,hedies.He,andeverythingheknows,isnomore.Canyouimagine?Butwhenitseemslikethispurgatorywillneverend,whenthingslookblack-est,there’sanotherstirring;ourheroseeslight,andnowhebreaksthroughaweakspotinhisprison,tosunlight…andfreedom.Andwhatemergesissomethingheneverdreamedofwhenthisallbegan,something...amazing!


That’severystory. Andifyoucallthat“formula”... You’restillonthetrainplatformtalkingaboutit. Becausechangehurts. Andonlythosewho’vehadtochange,andfeltthepainofit,knowthatatacertainpointitisalsoinevitable.It’slikethoseTom and Jerry cartoonswhereJerry themouse tiesa string toTomthecat’stail,andrunstheendalloverthehouse,thenanchorsittoananvilupontheroof.Withonepush,thelookonTom’sfacetellsusheknows...he’sgoing!Andtherewillcomeamoment—likeitornot—whenhe’spulledass-backwardsthroughakeyhole!Overall,we’dpreferTomtoexperiencethissensation. Andthat’swhywetellstories. Thereareallkindsofwaystomapoutthischange,butneverforgetthat’swhatwe’rechartinghere.Wewillgetborednotseeingchangeoccur.Despiteallthepyrotechnicsyouthrowourwaythatdazzleusso,wemustexperiencelife.Andthetroublewegetintoasscreenwriterscomeswhenwethink“TheCaterpillarandtheBut-terfly”istoosimpletoapplytous. Sohowdoyoufindthetransformationinyourstory? InSave the Cat!,Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies,andchaptertwoofthisbook,Igointogreatdetailabouttwodifferentmapstochartchange:the15beatsoftheBlakeSnyderBeatSheetandthe40beatsofTheBoard. Butinthecourseofteachingstructure,I’vefoundanotherway,athirdmap,thatmaybetheeasiestwaytoseestoryyet.Thisisthe“flowchart”thatshowsThe Transformation Machinethatischangeinaction.Itillustrateshow,intheprocessofchange,theherodiesandthepersonemergingattheotherendiswhollynew.Wecanactuallytrackthatchangeusingthischart. Areyoureadyforalittlechangeyourself?


THREE WORLDS We startwith the fact there are threedifferent “worlds” inawell-structuredstory.Weheartheseworldscalledmanythings,includingActOne,ActTwo,andActThree,butIprefertothinkofthemas“Thesis,”“Antithesis,”and“Synthesis.” Thesisistheworld“asis”;it’swherewestart.Youasthewriterhavetosettheworldupforusandtellusitsrules—evenifyouthinktheyareobvious.Wherewemostlygetintotroubleasscreenwritersisdiscountingtheneedtostandintheshoesoftheaudiencewhoknownothingofwhat’sinourbrilliantimaginations.Wehavetobecon-siderate—andclear.Whatisthehistorictimeperiod?Whatstrataofsocietyarewein?Isitfantasy-orreality-based?Whoisourhero?Isheunderdogoroverlord?Whatishisburningdesire?TheworldofGladiatorisdifferentfromBlade RunneranddifferentagainfromElf.Whenweopenoureyes,whatdowesee,who’sincharge,whatarethecodesofconduct?Andwhatarethisworld’sdeficiencies? In each of the movies cited above, there’s also a systemicproblem:anempireintransition,killerreplicantsontheloose,ahuman—raisedbyelves—whosuddenlylearnsthetruth.Whatwearesettingupisnotjustaplacebutadilemma.Andwehavetosetitalluptounderstandwherewewillsoonbeheading. Antithesis is the “upside-down version” of the first, andabsolutelymustbe that. IoftenciteTraining Dayasanexample todistinguishtheseworlds,forwhenJake(EthanHawke)isgivenachoiceatMinute17byAlonzo(DenzelWashington)to”takeahitoffthatpipeorgetoutofmycar,”andproactivelysaysyes,Ethanleavesbehindtheworldof“ethical”copsthatishisThesisworldandentersits“funhouse-mirrorreflection.” Oftencharactersre-appearinadifferentformintheAntithe-sis.ThinkhowDorothy,inThe Wizard of Oz,meetsfunhouse-mirrorversionsofcharacterssheleftbackinKansas.InGladiator,RussellCrowe tradesnobleMarcusAurelius (playedbyRichardHarris)forthemoth-eatenversioninthegladiatorimpresarioplayedbyOliverReed.InElf,WillFerrellleaveselvesintheNorthPole,who


toldhimhewashuman,forhumanspretendingtobeelves—togetajobasanelfataNYCdepartmentstore! PartofthereasonformakingtheAntithesisworldanoddmir-ror reflectionof theThesisworld is a simple truth:Wecan leavehomeandgosomewhereelse,butourproblemsarealwayswithus.InLegally Blonde,let’sfaceit:ElleWoods(ReeseWitherspoon)isasortofapillwhenwemeether.Yes,she’sputdownforbeingblonde,butshekindadeservesthelabel.GoingtoHarvardforceshertochangebysettingherinaworldwhereherflawsareobvious.Buthavenodoubt,herproblemshaven’tgoneanywhere,andthat’swhychar-actersfrombeforemanifestindifferentform—justasinlife.It’slikethepersonwhosays:“EveryoneinLosAngelesismean!”anddecidestomovetoanewtown,wherehediscoversthat“Everybodyismeanhere,too!”Soonerorlater,itwilldawnonthispersonit’snotthetownthat’stheproblem;it’ssomethinghe’sdoingwrongthat’scausing“meanpeople”toalwaysappear. Again,goodstorytellingisso,becauseitreflectstruth. Often distinguishing these two worlds must be forced. Iworkedwithawriterwhoseloglinewas:“Astrugglingartistfakeshisdeathtoraisethepriceofhisworkandhidesoutintheworldofthehomeless,onlytodiscoverhisagentisactuallytryingtokillhim.”(AfearI’vehadforyears!)Problemwas:Thestrugglingart-istlivedinacold-waterflat,andwasalreadybrokewhenwestart,sowhenhefakeshisdeathandhidesamongthehomeless,what’sthedifference?WechangedittomaketheThesisworlddifferent,andmakethepoorartistsuccessfulandlivinginapenthouse!Nowthechangeinworldsismoredrastic,richer—andasaresultthestoryisricher,too. Thethirdworldisacombinationofthetwo:Synthesis.WhattheherohadinThesis,andaddedtoinAntithesis,becomes“thethirdway”inthefinale.AgaincitingTraining Day,EthanHawkestartsoutasanethicalcopinThesis,thenlearnsanewwayintheupside-downworldofdirtycops.BythetimeDenzelWashingtontriestokillEthanbydroppinghimataganghouse,Ethan,metaphorically,


“dies”atthehandsofthegangmembers.Intheverynextscene,Ethan has a “Dark Night of the Soul” as he rides a bus arounddowntownL.A.andweknowhecan’tgobacktothewayhewasbe-fore.TheoldEthanwouldheadtothepolicestationandtattleonDenzel:“Teacher,teacher!Denzeldidabadthing!”ButEthanissochangedbywhathe’slearnedinActTwo,hecan’tgoback.Likeourcaterpillar,theoldEthanisdead.AndtoemergeinActThreevictorious,hehastoretainhisethics,addthattowhathe’slearned,andbecomea“thirdthing.” Thesethreeworldsforcechangeinahero.Wesethimup,throwhimintheblender,andheemergesassomethingbrandnew. MuchofthetroubleshootingIdowithyourstoryisanexami-nationofthesethreeworlds.Bylookingattheprocessofchangethisway,it’seasytostepbackandtakeinthebigpictureofhowyourheroorheroesmovethroughthesephasestotheirfinaldestination.WhatI’malwaysgoingforis:bigger—oratleastclearer—waystodefinethe bouncing ballthatisyourprotagonistandthevariousupsanddownshemustgothrough.Thebiggestsurpriseformostwritersis:Youaretheengineerhere!Youare“smallg”godofthisuniverseandcanmakeitanywayyouwant!WheneverIpointouthowminorthechangesareinyourhero,orhowtheoverallarcisinsufficient,writersareforeversaying:But that’s not how I saw it,asifthewayitcameoutofyourimaginationistheonlywayitcanbe.ThisiswhypickingyourOpeningImageandFinalImageissovital,andwhyyouhavetokeepadjustingtheAlpha-Omegaandmakethosetwopointsaswildlyopposite,andasdemonstrablydifferent,aspossible. AndIknowyougetitbecauseyouareawesome!AndI’mnotjustsayingitbecauseyou’vecomewithmeallthewaytopage 50!

THE MAGICAL MIDPOINT Giventhesethreeworlds,wecannowputthe15beatsoftheBS2intotheTransformationMachineandlookhownicelytheylayout!FromlefttorightweseeOpeningImage,ThemeStated,Set-Up,BreakintoTwo,throughMidpoint,AllIsLost,Finale,andFinalImage.


Andeachstoponourtripinsomewaychangesthehero. Let’s startwithMidpointorwhat I amcalling the“MagicalMidpoint,”forinfactitisaverymagicalplace.WhenInotedinthefirstCat!bookhowvitalMidpointisfor“breaking”astory,IhadnoideahowmuchmoreI’dkeeplearningaboutit. IliketosaythattheMidpointistheGrandCentralStationofplotpoints,thenervecenter.It’sbecausesomanydemandsinter-secthere.TheMidpointclearlydivideseverystoryintotwodistincthalvesand is the“no-turning-back”partofouradventure.We’vemetourheroandshownhisdeficiencies,we’vesenthimtoanewplace,andinFunandGameswe’vegivenhimaglimpseofwhathecanbe—butwithouttheobligationtobethat!NowatMidpoint,wemustshoweitherafalsevictoryorafalsedefeatthatforcestheherotochooseacourseofaction,andbydoingso,makehisdeathandrebirthinevitable. False victoryatMidpoint is just that, thepointwhere thehero“getseverythinghethinkshewants”—andithasfeaturesthatarefascinating.Manytimesyou’llfinda“partyatMidpoint”:thecelebrationJimCarreyisfetedwithinBruce Almightywhenhegetshispromotion to anchorman, andeven a “kiss from the girl”;checkout Ironmanwhen, fresh fromthe false victoryofhisfirsttrialflightasasuperhero,RobertDowneyJr.goestohiscompanypartyandalmostkissesGwynethPaltrow;lookatthepartyDustinHoffmanattendsinTootsie,whenhetriestoflyasthemanJessicaLangemightkiss,butgetsslappeddownbyherinstead.Andevenwhen there’s not a party per se, there is often a “public comingout”oftheheroashetriesonthisnewidentity,ordeclaresanewwayofliving.KateWinsletandLeonardoDiCapriodothisattheMidpointofTitanic,when,aftermakingloveforthefirsttime,theygouponthedeckofthesoon-to-be-doomedshiptogetherforalltheworldtosee. False defeat is the same but opposite. The Midpoint falsedefeat is where the hero “loses everything he thinks he wants.”Italsohasapublicaspect.CheckoutthecostumepartyinLegally


Blonde,whenElleWoodsbottomsoutinherbunnyearsandistoldbyex-loveWarnerhedoesn’twanther,andthatsheshouldleaveHarvard.Note the falsedefeatpartyof Spider-Man 2whenTobeyMaguire learns Kirsten Dunst is engaged. It’s the point whereRichardGereisbrokeninAn Officer and a Gentleman,and—publicly—declaresdefeatbyshoutingtodrillsergeantLouGossettJr.hismelodramaticsecret:“Igotnowhereelsetogo!” Whethera falsevictoryora falsedefeat, thepurposeof thisMidpoint “public display of a hero” is to force that hero to an-nouncehimselfassuch—anduptheanteofhisgrowth.We’vehadsomefun,we’veseenyoueitherrisetothetoporcrashspectacularly;you’vetriedoutyournewidentity—hereintheupside-downver-sionoftheworld—butwhatareyou,thehero,reallygonnadoaboutit?Areyourealorareyoufake? “Stakesraised,”“timeclocks”forcinghisdecision,theheromustdecide.What’sitgonnabe,pal:butterflyorworm? TheMidpointiswheretheherostandsupandsays:Yes,I’mgoingthroughwiththis.Whetherbydumbluck,determination,orpressurefromthe“BadGuys,”hemustkeepgoingforward. AndspeakingofBadGuys, this iswhere they start to“closein”—andthere’sagoodreasonforthat,too.Partoftheriskofde-claringone’sselfaheroisthatitattractstheattentionofthosewhomostwant to stopus fromgrowing, changing, andwinning.TheBadGuy/GoodGuyintersectionatMidpointiskeytouppingthestakesofthatconflict.TheMidpointistheplacewhere“theBadGuylearnswhohisrivalis,”asAlanRickmandoeswhenhefirstmeetsBruceWillisandhiscowboypersonaatthefalsevictoryMidpointof Die Hard; it’s where the secret power or flaw of a hero, or hisrole inbestingtheBadGuy, isdiscovered,as inEternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindwhenJimCarrey’srivalforKateWinslet’saffections(ElijahWood),learnshe’sgettingcompetitionfromJim...still;it’salsowhere,iftheheroishiding,orhislocationisunknown,“theBadGuylearnsthehero’swhereabouts.”Weseethiswhenthechas-ersinWitnessrealizeHarrisonFordishidinginbuttermilkcountry,


andwhenPeterCoyoteandhisgangofkey-jinglersdiscoverE.T.issecretedsomewhereinsuburbia. TheMagicalMidpointhasall thesecharacteristics,butlikeawriterbrilliantlypointedoutinmyworkshoponeweekend,it’snotallonpage55!Thesebeatsarespreadout,oftenoverseveralscenesmid-way.ToquoteGeneWilderinthedart-throwingsceneofYoung Frankenstein:“Nice...grouping!”

WHY BAD GUYS REALLY CLOSE IN Havingcrossedthe“pointofnoreturn”atMidpoint,aheroofastorybeginsthemostdifficultphaseofhistransformation. Andthisistrueforthewriterofthetaleaswell. Rememberchangeispainful.MidpointisnotonlytheendoftheFunandGamesandtheglimpseofwhataherocanbe,it’stheknowledgethathehastochange.Whetherafalsevictoryorafalsedefeat,thelesson’snotover.That’swhytheherostartstofightitfromhereuntilAllIsLost.I don’t wanna go!youcanalmosthearhimcry.Butlikeitornot,he’sgoing! Andyouasthewriterhavetogowithhim. Partofthereasonthissectionissodifficulttofigureoutisit’saboutstuffhappeningtothehero—thatwillleadtotheulti-matewhenhe“dies”onpage75.Aswriterswelikeourheroestobeproactive,leadingthecharge,alwaysincontrol. But this is thepartwherewhat theherooncebelievedwasreal,solidground,iscrumblingaway,forcinghimtoreact. AfterthefalsevictorybeatinAlienwhenthemonsterattachedtoJohnHurt’sfacedropsoffand“dies,”SigourneyWeaverandthecrewoftheNostromopreparetogobacktoEarth. Hey! Let’s have a party! ButoncethatcreaturesplattersJohn’sstomachalloverthedinnertableandskatesoffsquealingintothedarkness,thedisin-tegrationofSigourney’sworldbeginsinearnest.Notonlydoherfellowcrewmembersstartgettingeatenrightandleft, it’s slowlydawningonSigourneythatherbeliefinthecompanyisfalse…andtherulesshethoughtwouldkeephersafe,won’t.


Andthat’sunthinkable. Sosheresists.Andresists.Andresists. UntilitbecomespainfullyobviousatAllIsLost. That’sBadGuysCloseIn.Externally,aliensareactuallyat-tacking.Internally,wearestillclingingtoouroldbeliefs. Andonebyonetheyarebeingexposedasfalse. Resistance isnotaseasy towriteasproactive, leading-the-charge,directionedactivitythatheroesnormallyexhibit. Howdoyourevealtheinternalfearofahero,forwhomit’sgraduallybeingrevealedheroldbeliefs arewrong?Howdoyoushowpanic—whichmostheroesaretryingnottoshow? That’swhyBGCIissotoughtowrite! But if youknow that’s thepurposeof that section, it’s atleast easier to think about, plan, and aim for in your writing.Thisisdisintegrationoftheoldways,theslowsloughingoffofideas,beliefs,andfriendshipsthatarewrong,useless,harmful.Thehorriblerealizationthatthekeyholeisnearandyou’regoingthroughitandthere’snoescape.We...are...going! AndthatrealizationbeginsattheMagicalMidpoint.

THE THEME STATED – B STORY CONNECTION Whyare there somanyscenesatMidpoint that involve the“herokissingagirl,”youmaywellask?It’sbecauseanotherinter-sectionthathappenshereatMidpointistheA and B Story cross.And since many writers have asked for more on this, there’s notimelikethepresentforfurtherelucidat’n’. Midpointisnotonlywherewe“raisethestakes”ofthehero’sAStory,butwherewedothesamefortheBStory.Andthat’swhytheboyandgirlsooftenkisshere—oratleastcomeclose.Itoldthis“discovery”toanold-timescreenwriteronce,thinkingmyselfquitebrilliantforhavingfiguredthisoutallbymyself,onlytobetoldbyhim:“Ohyeah!‘SexatSixty’!”Thatwasthetermheandhisscreenwritingbuddiesusedforthe“kissatthefirsthour.”Itjustgoes to showthatwhere thebasicsof storytellingareconcerned,nothingchanges.


Assuggested,mostmovieshavetwointertwiningskeins:

TheAStoryisthehero’stangiblegoal,whathewants.

TheBStoryisthehero’sspiritualgoal,whatheneeds.

TheAStoryiswhatishappeningonthesurface.It’stheplot.TheBStory,orwhatIcallthe“helperstory,”helpspushtheherotolearnthespirituallessonthateverystoryisreallyallabout.MostoftentheBStoryis“theloveinterest”aka“thegirl.”Theheroen-terstheupside-downversionoftheworldofActTwo,looksacrossacrowdedroom,andthere she is— thepersonwho’llhelphimonhiswaytotransformation,andholdhishandashediesandisreborn!And,ofcourse,becauseshecan’tbewithhimwhentheymeet(otherwisewhere’dwehavetogo?),theprocessofboywinsgirl,boylosesgirl,boygetsgirlbackinapokergame,isseentimeandagaininathousandforms. “Thegirl”canalsobe“thementor.”CheckouttheBStoryofthehitcomedyDodgeball: A True Underdog Story.Who’stheBStory?Who’sthe“helper”characterthatwillpushheroVinceVaughntolearnhis lesson in leadership?Why it’sRipTorn,asdown-and-outex-dodgeballchamp,PatchesO’Houlihan!ProofcomeswhenseeinghowtheBStorybeatsofthatmovielineup.WefirstmeetPatchesonpage30,whenVinceandhisteamseeanolddodgeballinstructionalfilmstarringtheyoungerPatches(HankAzaria).AtMidpoint,thestakesareraised,andAandBcross,whenanolderPatchesarrivesinthefleshand—publicly—tellsVincethatheisnowtheteam’scoach.Sinceallmentorsgotopage75todie,Patchesdoestoo,givingVincepausebeforepushinghimtoactioninActThree,wherePatchesevenreappears—en spirito—togiveVincetheghostlyfinalshoveheneedstogoontododgeballgreatness.Rudimentary?Yes.Silly?Ofcourse! Andyetthisbasicconstructappearsagainandagain. WhethertheBStoryisonepersonlikealoveinterest,mentor,orsidekick,oragroupsuchasthehostofhelperstheheroeslearn


fromin theActTwoworldsofLegally Blonde,Miss Congeniality,andGladiator,theseBStorypulsepointsdenotethefunctionofforcingtheherotolearnhisreallesson. AndallofittiesbackintoTheme! KeepinmindtheonlyreasonforstorytellingandwhyAandBmustcrossthroughout:It’stoshowthetruereasonforthejour-neyisnotgettingthetangiblegoal,butlearningthespiritualles-sonthatcanonlybefoundthroughtheBStory! TheThemeStatedmomentonpage5ofawell-structuredscreenplaytiesintothelessontheherowilllearn.Thisistheplace,upfront,whenyouaswritergettosaywhatthismovieisabout—and it might take a few drafts to enunciate precisely. A clue forfindingitisseeinghowtheBStory“helps”theherolearnthelesson.Whenyoudofigureitout,statethelessonupfront,tieittotheBStory’sintroductiononpage30,theraisingofthestakesatMid-point,themoment of claritythathelpstheherorealizehiserrorinDarkNightoftheSoul,andthefinalpushintoActThreetheheroneedstolearnhislesson—andtriumph.

OTHER INTERESTING PHENOMENA ThevarioussectionsoftheTransformationMachineareeachdifferent.Theyserveadifferentneed,haveadifferenttone,andyetallpointtothesamegoal:change.Theyalsohelptroubleshootourbrilliantideasthatdon’tquitefit,orthatwedon’tquiteknowwhattodowith—andevenhelpwiththeproblemofsellingourscripts.TheFunandGamesisagreatexampleofthis. “FunandGames”ismyterm,andindicates,Ihope,wherethe “promise of the premise” of a movie is found. It’s the partwheretheherofirstentersandexplorestheAntithesisworld—andit’s“fun”totheextentthatwearenotasconcernedwithplotaswearewithseeingwhatthisnewworldisabout.Butthistermhasalsoledtoconfusion.What’s“fun”abouttheseriesofbodiesfoundinthissectionofmanymurdermysteriesandslasherflicks?What’s“fun”aboutRussellCroweinGladiatorbeinggivenupfordeadand


learningtheropesofSpartacus-likecombat?WhilenoteveryFunand Games section is purely fun, it does offer us a cool way totroubleshoottheproblemoffiguringoutwhattheposterofyourmovieis,ifyoudon’tknow.Why? Because the Fun and Games is your pitch! Ican’ttellyouthea-ha!momentthatoccurredformewhenthisfacthitme.Iwastryingtohelpawritergetheradventurego-ing. It’s likeMissCongeniality, I was telling her, by the time you hit page 25, the story is on! Tomboy FBI agent, Sandra Bullock, is undercover...Thenalightbulb.IsawSandrainhergown,crown,andsash,aguninhergarter.That’stheFunandGamesofMiss Congeniality. It’stheposter! It’stheconcept! Tome,aguyveryconcernedwithdeliveringonhispremise,Ithoughtthatwasenoughtoworryabout.Butknowingthisnewtwist,IcanalsoreverseengineerbothwhatgoesintoFunandGamesandhowtodouble-checktomakesureit’smymovie’scrux. Thisisanimportanta-ha!becausewhenyou’retryingtofigureoutwhatyourstoryis,youwillpitchallkindsofthings:Setting,Theme,Catalyst,eventheFinaleofyourtale. I’veheardthemall.Andthey’reallnotyourmovie. No,themovieisnotwhereit’sset.It’snotits“meaning.”It’snothowtheherois“calledtoaction.”Andit’snotthebigslam-bangFinale—eventhoughallthesearevital. It’stheFunandGames. That’syourmovie. AndifyourFunandGamessectionisn’tsolid,orisn’tdeliv-eringonyourpremise,now’sthetimetofindout. Lookingatthemaponpage47,andseeingall thepiecesofthisflowchart,helpsusseeotherpointsofinterest,too,oneswhich,whileIstoodatthewhiteboard,ledtosimilara-ha!moments. Onereallyinterestingpointofcomparisonisthesimilaritybetweentwosections:“Catalyst – Debate – Break into Two”and“All Is Lost – Dark Night of the Soul – Break into 3.”


Justlookathowthesesetsofplotpointslineup:

– Catalyst and All Is Lost are both points where something isdonetothehero.InCatalyst,it’sinnocent,aninvitation,atelephonecall,thediscoveryofnewsthatstartstheadventure.TheAllIsLostisalsodonetothehero,butit’smoreserious:Thisiswherehe’sevicted,fired,loseshissignificantother,orsomeonedies.It’sadifferenttone,butthesamefunction.

–DebateandDark Night of the Soulalsoarealike.It’s...hesitation.Having received an invitation or, later, when the stakes are moreserious,andhavingexperiencedadeath,jail,orexile...nowwhat?Again,thedifferenceisthatearlyontheconsequencesarefew;later,more serious. But the function is the same: Given a life-alteringjolt,whatwilltheherodonext?

–Break into TwoandBreak into Three is theresponse.Bothareproactivemovesonthepartoftheherothattakehimtothenextlevel.Havingbeenhitwithsomething,andthoughtaboutit,theheronowacts.Hereagain,thestakesaremoreseriouslateronbecausewearejustabouttoface“thefinaltest.”

AndallthesesectionsofyourmoviearedesignedtodowhattheentireTransformationMachineissetuptoaccomplish:Forcechangeintheheroorheroes—andinus,theaudience. Soarewedoneyet?Notquite.

THE FIVE-POINT FINALE Whenitcomes to“structuredilemmas,”nopartofa storycanbemorefrustratingthanActThree—oneaboutwhichIrealizeIamguiltyofnotrevealingall.IhavebeenamusedbyhowoftenIgetcalledoutonpoint#14inmy15-pointBlakeSnyderBeatSheet—theonethatissimplylabeled“Finale.”“Well,thanksapantload,Blake,”isthegistoftheobjection.AndwhileIsaythebasisofthissectionisSynthesis,itdoesn’tseemquiteenough.Whereisthelit-tleredbuttonthatTommyLeeJonestoldWillSmithnottotouchinMen in Black thatSave the Cat!isknownfor?Becausewhenyou’re


deepinit,andhavetriedeverytrickyoucantosolvetheproblem,Iwantyoutonotonlyhavethatbutton,buttopushit! IammostexcitedaboutwhatIcallthe“Five-PointFinale”becausebyusingityoucanfinishanystory.AndthoughI’vehadaversioninmybackpocketforawhile,itwasn’tuntilIbeganhelp-ingwritersthatIrealizedhowusefulitis.We’veseenhowtheheroisthrownintotheTransformationMachineandforcedtochange,buthowdoyoufinishthisprocess?Synthesisgivesusoneclue.Butwhenitcomestofiguringoutwhattodo,IhopeyouwillsoonberocketingupsidedownthroughtheHollandTunnelsmiling—andthinkingfondlyofme. InadditiontoActThreebeingaboutSynthesis, theThirdActFinale isbest seenas the“FinalExam”forthehero.Havingstartedoffnaively,andbeenschooledintheworldofhardknocks,hehasdiedandbeengiventhechancetobebornanew.Buthashelearnedhislesson?Andcanheapplyit?ThereisnobetterwaytoshowthistestthaninwhatIcallStorming the Castle,theessenceofeveryendingandthekeytotheFive-PointFinale. Whatisthe“castle”?Andwhatarethesefivepoints?

1.Gathering the Team–Thefirststep,oncetheherohasdecidedtoproactivelycrossintoActThree,isthe“GatheringoftheTeam,”thosehe’llneedto“stormthecastle.”Thecastlecanbeanything,fromanactualfortress(the“DeathStar”inStar Wars),togettingonstageata localrockclub(School of Rock),tohelpingyourgirlreachtheairport(Casablanca),to“rushingtotheairport”tostopyourgirlfromleavingwithoutyou(Love Actually).Abigpartofbeingabletodothisistherallyingofallies,whomaynotbeonspeakingtermswiththeheroatthemoment,and“amendinghurts”tobeabletoworktogether.Italsoinvolves“gatheringtools,”andmakingplansforwhatwehopewillbeasuccessfulrunatthetaskathand.Thisincludes“strappingontheguns”inThe Matrix,whenKeanuReevesandCarrie-AnneMossliterallychoosetheweaponsthey’llneedtostormthecastleandfreetheircapturedmentorMorpheus(LaurenceFishburne)fromtheclutchesof...thoseguys.


2.Executing the Plan—Thesecondstepistheactual“StormingoftheCastle”whentheexecutionoftheplanfeelsfoolproof.Sureit’sachallenge,andtheremustbesomesenseineveryStormingoftheCastlethat“thisiscrazy.”Infact,thatverylineisheardinmanyFinalesjusttoletyouintheaudienceknowwhatanimpos-sibletaskisathand.“Thiscan’tbedone”iskeytosettingupthechallenge our heroes face. But as the plan begins to unfold, bygum,wejustmightpulloffthiscrazyplan!We’resucceeding!Theteamisworkingtogetherlikeawell-oiledmachine.Inmanyin-stancesthisisalsowherewepayoffthearcsandproofsofgrowthfortheminorcharacters,andshowhowthatdefecttheyhadatthebeginningofthestoryisnow“fixed”—andevenuseful—thankstothejourneytheherodraggedhispalsalongon.It’salllookinggoodhere.Andyetthereisasenseasthegoalnearsthatthisistooeasy.Surewe’velostsomenamelesssoldiers,whodemonstratetheirloyaltybytakingabulletfortheteam(RandyQuaidinIndependence Day,RhysIfansinNotting Hill,thoseway-too-happy-to-diepilotsinStar Wars),butthecrewistogetherandtheHighTowerinsight.

3. The High Tower Surprise – The third step in the Five-PointFinaleproveshowoverlyoptimisticthatassessmentwas.ForthisisthepartwheretheheroreachestheHighTowerwheretheprincessisbeingkeptandfindssomethingshocking:noprincess!(Foratwistonthe“Princess,”checkouttheFive-PointFinaleofEnchanted,whichprovesPrincessescanoftensavetheirowndamnselves,thankyouverymuch!)Butthepointismade:TheHighTowerSurpriseshowswewerenotonlyoverlyconfidentinourplan—overconfidenceisoneoftheproblems!Seemsnotonlyistheplandashed,buttheBadGuy,or the forcesalignedagainstourhero,“knewwewerecoming”allalong.Thisisthepartwhere“traitorsareexposed”andourbrilliantplanisrevealedtobeatrapsetbytheBadGuys(asRussellCroweinGladiatordiscoverswhenhisplottorallyRomeandoverthrowJoaquinPhoenixprovestobedoomedfromthestart).Theeffortnowcomestoadeadstop.Theheroandhisalliesare


“arrestedintheirtracks,”andthe“clockisticking”onourdoom.Itlookslikeallislostagain!Howeversmartourherothoughthewasuptothispoint,howevermuchhe’sdoneto“synthesize”hislessonbyreunitinghisalliesandgivingithisall…it’snotenough.TheshockoftheHighTowerSurpriseislearningthat’snotwhatthisefforthasbeenabout.AndtherealchallengeoftheFinalExamtheheromustpassisabouttobecomeclear.

4. “Dig, Deep Down”–Thewholepointof theFinalenow isrevealed—and it’snotwhatweexpected.This is thepartwhereall human solution is exhausted. This is where we’ve got bupkis;there’snotaback-upplan,noranalternatecourseinsight.Andit’sallcomedowntothehero—who’sgotnothingeither.Yet,asitturnsout... thisisthetruetest!Inasense,everystoryisaboutthe“strippingaway”ofthestufftheherothinksisimportantatthestartofthestory,includinghisownlittleideasforwinningattheend.Thisisthepartwheretheherohastofindthatlastounceofstrengthtowinbutcan’tusenormalmeanstodoso.Andlestyouthinkthisisagoofy,“formula”thing,infactitisthewholepointofstorytelling.Forthisisthepartwe’vewaitedfor,the“touched-by-the-divine”beatwheretheheroletsgoofhisoldlogicanddoessomethinghewouldneverdowhenthismoviebegan. Devoidofahumansolution,theheroreturnstotheblacknesshesuccumbedtoduringthecocoonstageofhistransformationtoprovehe’smastered thatpartofhimself that isbeyondhuman tofindfaith,innerstrength,alast-ditchidea,love,grace.It’stheDig-Deep-Downmoment all stories teachus:At somepointwehavetoabandonthenaturalworld,andeverythingwe thinkweknow,andhavefaithinaworldunseen.ThisisthepartinStar WarswherewehearObi-Wansay:“UsetheForce,Luke!”;thepartofGladiatorwhen, seeminglydead,RussellCrowefinds that lastbitof energytostabJoaquinPhoenixrightinhisColiseum.It’sthepartwhereHughGrantdaresspeaktoJuliaRobertsinthepressconferencefinale of Notting Hill, and in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when


HarrisonFordisgivenachoicetosavehisfather(SeanConnery)bygivingupeverythingelse.It’sthepartinPlanes, Trains and AutomobileswhereSteveMartin,havingfiguredout JohnCandyhasnowife,recallsthelonelymanthathasbecomehisfriendandgoesbacktorescue him. This is the moment of faith when, with a breathlessgasp,thetrapezeartist,highupinthedarknessofthebigtop,letsgoofhisgripontheworld,doeshisspin,andsnapsoutintothevoidhopinganotherwilltakehishands.Andwewatchinanticipa-tion,forinourownway...we’vebeenwaiting,too.

5.The Execution of the New Plan–Theanswercomesfromaplacewe’veallhopedisreal,butonlytheherohasfaithenoughtotrust,andwhenhedoes,hewins…andsodowe.Awakenedtothetruelessonofthisstory,theheroputsthislast-ditchplanintoactionanditworks!Thisiswhere“onthefly”theherotriesitanewway–andsucceeds.Thinkingfast,HumphreyBogart’splanprevailsinCasa-blanca;riskingall,DustinHoffmangrabsKatharineRossandrunsinThe Graduate;goingwithhisgut,DevPatelanswersthefinalquestionthatwillmakehimaSlumdog Millionaire.Itwasonlybysteppingintotheunknown—andtrusting—thattheherocouldfindthewaytotriumph.This isthetest.Canyougiveupbeliefinyouroldwaysandhavefaithinthedark,quietplaceinside?Rewardsgotothosewhoseekthismomentinfictionandinlife.It’sthereasonwetellstoriesandhonorthosewhounderstand.Thisiswhy,whenwegototheFinalImageofamovie—suchastheceremonyattheendofStar Wars—wefeellikewewonaswell. Becausewedid!

Believeitornot,thisFive-PointStormingtheCastleoccursinsomeformorfashionineverystory!Thisisthe“face-your-fear”part,thefinaltestthatprovestheherowaspayingattention—ornot!Andyettheriskofputtingthisoutthereistoonceagainhearcriesof“formula!”TowhichIsay,phooey! TheFive-PointFinaleisyoursecretweaponforfindingthetruemeaningofyourtale.AndthatDig-Deep-Downpoint,that


“UsetheForce,Luke!”beat,iswhatwe’realllookingforwhetherwearethewritersofthestoryortheaudienceforit.Yes,thiswayoflookingattheendingofanystoryalsoworkswhentheheroorheroesare“DefendingtheCastle”asseeninthefinalesofSaving Private Ryan,Shaun of the Dead,andBlazing Saddles — orin“EscapingtheCastle” asseeninAlien,Free Willy,andDefiance.Whetheryourteamisontheoffenseorthedefense,thelessonsoffriendship,teamwork,selflessness,andnobilityare thesame,andtheDig-Deep-Downmomentiskey.Nomatterwhatthepermutationofyourtale,it’sthedynamicweseek,fortheneedofanystoryboilsdowntobeingtouchedbypowersunseen. Specialeffectsarefine,greatsetpiecesarewonderful,funnyjokes andunique characters are vital.But if you takeme to thedivineinyourstory,Iwilltellallmyfriendsaboutit. That’swhatstorytellingisreallyabout. Andthatkindofmagicisasfarfromformulaasitgets.

LET’S REVIEW Mygoalismuchsimpler,however:tohelpyouavoidfeelingstuck.BetweentheeaseoftheBS2,thevisualclarityofTheBoard,and this latest structure map, you should feel fully empowered.YounowhavetheWurlitzerkeyboardatyourcommand.Youcansetthetempo,rhythm,andstructureforeverystory!Usingthesetools, youcanfinesse yourway throughany structure snag.Andthoughwe’llgetintoallnewmonkeywrenchesinthenextchaptersaswedealwithactualnotes fromexecutivesandothers, fornowyoucanfeelgood.Youhaveallkindsofnewways tothrowyourcurveballs,spitballs,sliders,andfastballs. Butperhapsyou’restillfeelingpennedin? Ifyoucan’tshakethefeelingthatstructureisn’thelpingyoufeel“free,”Iunderstand.It’sacommonhesitation.UsingtheBS2andworkingoutthe15beats,thengoingtoTheBoard,youmaystillthinkit’salltooeasy,toomechanical,tooformulaic.Youare“AllBeatOut...withNowheretoGo”—dressedtothenines,picture


perfect,butunmotivatedtocontinueontotheshow.Well,ifthat’sthecase,youhavetoshakeitup.Youhavetogetoutofthestructureandtellthestoryinanewway.Ihaveusedthesetacticstodoso:

4My movie: the one page–ThisisthetrickfamedscreenwriterWilliam Goldman uses. He will not start writing his screenplayuntilhecantellhisstoryinonepage;hegiveshimself300wordsandnomoretotellthetale.Thisforceshimtogettothecruxofhisstory.

4My movie: the tone poem–I’mnotkidding.Ihaveoftenretoldmystoryasapoem.Inrhymingcouplets,withallbrandnewchal-lengestogetacrosswhatmystoryis,sometimesIhavehadallnewbreakthroughs,andsometimesallnewstoryideas!

4My movie: the comedy–Perhapsyou’retoowrappedupintone?Isyourstoryoverlydramatic,overlycomic?Trypitchingtheopposite.Ifadrama,trythecomedictaketoshakeitup.

4My movie: the Rubik’s Cube–Oneoftheniceaspectsof theSTC! software is theability tomovescenesaroundatwill.Try it.Takethemofftheboard,shuffle,andrandomlyputthembackupoutoforder.Youneverknowwhatinsightswillberealized.

Anythingyoucandotofreeyourstory,freesyoutoo.Itletsyou deal with the continuing elasticity of your tale. All the waythrough, from the first Save the Cat! to this chapter, I hope I’vestressedthenimblenessrequired,thetalentto—atanyminute—throwawayeverythingyouholdnearanddear,andtrysomethingbrandnew.Andnowhereisthisparticularchallengegreaterthanwhenwehaveactuallyexecutedascriptandarenowstaringattheresult.Panic.Self-Recrimination.Grief.Theseare justsomeoftheemotionalcandywesnackonwhenweknowsomething’swrong—andwedon’tknowhowtosolveit. Butfearnot. TheScriptDoctorisin!

chapter all laid out and nowhere to go - save the cat!® · 2019. 10. 16. · in legally blonde,...

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