last weekend, a script idea came to me with such clarity that i was certain it’s my next feature script. in this thread, i’ll walk through my process from idea to script completion in real time.

1. the day the idea struck me: in my notes app, i stopped what i was doing and wrote down everything as it came... location, time period, characters with remembering that stories are living things that develop, i don’t have to know *everything*

2. with the information i wrote down, a few days later i took time to develop my premise. asking myself: “how can you describe this script in one sentence?” the premise will be the thing that keeps me going for the next several months of writing.

3. when developing premise i consider: possible story challenges. (this script has a ~unique~ concept, so that’s a challenge in itself) and what i want to see on screen; ignoring budget + outside pressure of what a script should include.

4. during the ideation phase of script building, i don’t limit my imagination, there is no reason to. i make a list of everything that COULD go into my film; taking inspiration from films, conversations, people i love / dislike, etc. this process could take hours, days, or weeks.

5. it’s important to note that throughout script ideation, everything i’m doing is handwritten... because that works best for me. if i typed something digitally; i’ll transfer it to this notebook and i keep a separate notebook for each script i work on.

6. after i create my list of everything i could possibly want and am satisfied with it; i comb through it and highlight the things i think are viable. my aim in this process is to create STORY.

important: STORY = everything i know about the world, PLOT = what’s in the script

7. during this process of narrowing down my list, i’m highlighting things like character (identifying main, secondary, traits); conflict (external, internal); and character journey. it’s important to give yourself time to think this through. a ~good~ list will have this on it.

8. after i get a good sense of story from the things i’ve highlighted, i start a “a day in the life” exercise for my main characters. if i can’t complete this, i revisit my list exercise again until it works. character is essential to a romcom; this important for me to get right.

9. because this script, like my first, is starting with the inciting incident. understanding (and believing) the characters’ status quo + motivation helps me write them better.

this exercise also helps me soldify internal conflict for these characters.

10. taking good notes during ideation is really a saving grace for my future self. the hardest thing about largely self revising scripts is trying to remember exactly how you felt / exact inspiration for particular things. with good, organized notes i don’t have to wonder.

11. i often rework notes while i’m ideating to make it easier to outline. my mantra during the early phase of script building is: all of my thoughts on this world have a place somewhere, even if it’s not known to me at the moment. it’s important, it gives me freedom to think.

12. urgency (“why are the events of this script happening now?”) is a big question i start to think about early, before outlining. even if the characters’ goals / actions aren’t immediately clear, urgency implies they will be. it’s essential for believability of a romcom.

13. thinking about how urgent the crisis i’m trying to resolve in this story is, ensures my script is always working towards a resolution. because this story has significant subplots, urgency keeps my planning (and eventually scriptwriting) in focus and moving.

14. questions that help me think through the crisis in my script:
-what are my characters desires?
-drives?
-core beliefs?
-moral weaknesses? needs?
-wants?

with emphasis:
-can my character(s) survive the transformation this crisis brings? why (not)?

15. at this point in the process i have a detailed list of everything i COULD want in my script, a character study in the form of a day in the life of each main character, and have convinced myself the premise and crisis will lead to a resolution. next is OUTLINING.

16. i also should note that throughout script building i’m reading: scripts i like, scripts similar to my premise, scripts i don’t like, current scripts, classic scripts... etc.

writing requires reading.

17. OUTLINING: i’ve decided this time around that outlining will be freeing. allowing me to edit the flow of the story and plot without editing the script every time my mind changes about something significant (which can happen often!)

18. I’ve come to realize that the plot problems in the outlining phase won’t automatically be resolved when writing the script, thus I’m doing a long form outline for my non-linear script w/ scene headers included:

INT. [LOCATION] - DAY: detailed scene description

19. transforming my story notes to a script outline requires me to organize and question what i know. though i already have a good idea of how this story will go, my goal with outlining is to clearly establish my characters’ journey + the plot in a clear, fully realized way.

20. here are my key questions when outlining my script:
1. is my inciting incident clear? is it earned? does it have to be?
2. what is status quo for my characters? is that important?
3. is the conflict clear by act 1?
4. do i allow my character to suffer? internally?

21. key script outlining q’s (con’t):
5. do i allow my characters to fail without a clear solution? (essential!)
6. do they get what they want? ...is that necessary?
7. is the main character strong enough to handle the conflict the story brings?
8. is the resolution earned?

22. tho scriptwriting is a isolating process, one of my fave things to do while outlining is to discuss my script with those i trust. my vision is sharpened when i can discuss & defend it WITHOUT seeking validation for my ideas. permission to write what i want begins &ends w/ me.

23. outlining often presents forks in the road: ideas that seemed viable during ideation & world building become obstacles to overcome during outlining. i try to overcome this by remembering my premise. if my problem doesn’t speak to the promise of my premise, i remove it.

24. i recently changed my script’s time period from present day to the 50s. i realized while outlining that present day would make this specific story ~too easy~ on the characters (wealth of technology today = assumed constant access to others).

25. i feel an immense amount of pressure to do justice by this v good premise, this script, this world... that pressure often comes in the form of self doubt. self doubt can quickly become procrastination. to alleviate that i'm setting strict deadlines + boundaries on my writing.

26. as i move from outlining to actually writing the script: the best advice i can give (and practice) is to create conditions that allow me to produce my best work (clean house, prepped food, not a large to do list, etc). my mind shouldn't wander w/ lingering, unnecessary q's.

27. on monday, i start writing this script. i’ve set some guidelines on how i’m writing in a crisis:
1. giving myself grace to not always meet my pg goals.
2. trusting the vision i had for this script before the crisis.
3. thinking abt major changes for 24h before making them.

28. my current page goal is 15 pages a week over 8 weeks (~120 pages).

i don’t believe in *having* to produce the art ~you’ve always wanted to do~ in times of crisis but... breathing life into the characters in my scripts breathes life into me, so i will do so.

29. WRITING: as my characters have guiding principles, i have a guiding question when writing scripts: “why this scene? character?....script now?”

imo good scripts have good scene construction, good scene construction requires understanding your characters development + journey.

30. with that in mind, i started my opener today. the 1st scene generally tells the audience what the story is about. the foundation of every character’s action, conflict, + desire starts here.

my melodrama (no longer romcom) script is nonlinear so this foundation is essential.

31. my opener is solidified. my goal with writing any scene is to be able to read the scene on its own and think “there’s a movie here”.

there is a movie here and i’m excited to write this world.

32. word choice feels like my biggest concern lately as i’m writing a melodrama taking place in the 50s. how i think of language and how these characters should feels worlds apart.

reading a lot of scripts from the 50s like “rear window”: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/rearwindow.pdf

33. this week i'm thinking heavily about the passage of time in this script. like:

1. structured: title cards
2. color/visual effects: color changes denote different TLs
3. narration: frame story - story within a story
4. seasons
5. montages
6. fantasy sequence

34. ok, i’m back to actively working on this script. the past couple weeks i’ve been reading 50s scripts, watching / rewatching relevant films & sorting through my feelings about *motions* the world.

“sunset boulevard” (1950) is great read, of course. http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/sunset_bld_3_21_49.html

35. i’m finally back to update this thread here’s what i’ve done since my last tweet:
-lots and lots more research (archives, scripts set in the 50s, books, watching classic black films)
-reworked my outline completely and refolllwed most of my steps above.

36. i underestimated just how much of an impact changing my time period would change the character motives / intentions and how much i was unintentionally relying on technology to tell the story.

i had to rework character’s jobs and ambitions + patriarchal structures.

37. it’s so easy for me to get lost and become consumed with research for my script.... it’s where i thrive. but i have to constantly interrogate that thought. i ask myself: “do i only LOVE researching deeply for scripts bc i’m afraid to write the story?” the answer is often yes.

38. i would be lying if i said that this moment hasn’t impacted my scriptwriting.

i don’t have the answers on how to best be *productive* right now but i do know that honoring my own feelings allows me to honor my writing and my character’s feelings.

39. when i revisited my script, i knew i needed support if i wanted to comit to finishing it. i joined my friend’s weekly writer’s group over zoom where we talk about how our writing / how we’re feeling then just work on scripts together in silence for hours. changed the game.

40. that brings us to present day. everything i worked on in the previous iteration of the script lives on my beat board in @finaldraftinc along aside my current (& previous) inspiration, notes on time period / place / characters, & (unused) dialogue for the script.

41. WRITING: this week i’m largely focused on my inciting incedent (sets the story in motion) and act 1 break (character enters a new world). even though my story is non-linear, i’m working towards a fixed point; so my characters have to have a through line to make it clear.

42. if you think about hitchcock’s “vertigo” - it is a story that spirals inward to a fixed point, hitchcock returns to a memory to tell the story. this story feels possible bc he doesn’t underestimate his audience’s ability to understand. i’m trying not to either.

43. the story i’m writing is complex and feels like a herculean task but what we can learn from hitchcock or any writer worth admiring is that tension isn’t anything to stray away from. it is a powerful narrative tool. i’m considering this carefully as i get into my act 1 break.

44. lately, i’ve been rereading scripts i love and following a singular characters’ journey/pov. yesterday, i read “phantom thread” (2017) just for alma’s lines. i can’t stress how much of writing is reading. https://www.scriptslug.com/assets/uploads/scripts/phantom-thread-2017.pdf

45. when i’m writing, i remember that the scripts i love are worlds often built with ‘minor’ ideas.

ex: “when harry met sally” - two people who don’t know each other drive from chicago to NYC.

these seemingly minor details are important and breath life into the story.

46. other things i constantly remember when writing my script:

-dialogue exists to move the scenes (and overall story) forward
-each character in a scene has to have a purpose / desire for being in it.
-most scenes end before whatever crisis at hand is resolved

47. crisis in this context shouldn’t be confused with the overall crisis of the script that’s resolved at the end.

crisis in scenes can be anything from “jenny can’t find a dress to the prom” or “a date is running late”. characters need obstacles even in the day-to-day crises.

48. characters have to make active choices throughout the script before the ultimate choice that leads to the resolution. if __’s date is running late, they still have to actively choose to wait or not. these active choices should also push the character’s limits.

49. choices build character. when scriptwriting, we often think about who our characters are when they’re faced with impossible choices (so important!) but the seemingly mundane ones matter as well.

50. i’m nearly done with act one. it’s funny how all of our writing has a place, purpose. i scribbled something unrelated down to myself yesterday and it’s found a way in my script.

51. this is the week i (finally!) finish act one. things i’m asking myself before i move on to act two:
1. is the predicament (crisis) clear?
2. does the world of the story feel real?
3. are the protagonists weaknesses evident?
4. are the stakes high? clear? worthy?

https://twitter.com/mayascade/status/1283438718448275459?s=21 https://twitter.com/mayascade/status/1283438718448275459

52. the act 1 break is usually where the film starts to shift. (we lock-in to the character’s new world): https://thescriptlab.com/screenwriting/structure/three-acts/55-act-one-the-beginning/

act two is where the fun really begins: you’re showcasing what you can do with your concept & testing the absolute limits of your characters.

53. i fully expect to struggle through act 2 of this nonlinear script.

but i’m trying to remember that each act requires: a trigger, dilemma, choice, obstacle, escalation of hopelessness.

act 2 (usually) introduces a B plot as well.

54. i think of outlining scripts as the roadmap and the written script as a way to highlight the choices characters make to get from point a to point b.

this idea becomes magnified in act 2, if i don’t give my characters a good roadmap, they’re likely just meandering.

55. i always try to remember that every character reacts to situations differently. often the lack of oomph in scripts is characters agreeing too quickly when conflict arises. in @finaldraftinc, you can see a character report (# of times a character speaks, their dialogue).