How To Write a Story - Tips from a Professional Masterclass

Author's note: These notes are from a professional screenwriting masterclass I took last year. Please do not share with others off Wattpad. This is a special upload just for the Block Party. Hope you find the information here helpful. Happy writing!

Story and Storytelling

What is a story?

It is the telling of a fictional (born out of the imagination) or factual (born out of reality) series of events, in a sequential or non-sequential order, that make up a conflict-ridden journey and/or quest by an active character (protagonist) or characters, who want to restore order to what was their 'ordinary world' that is now changing, and by doing so, he/she/they are changed internally and reborn into a new, external world for better or for worse.

What is the function, the purpose, of storytelling?

Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, sound and/or images, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, edification and instilling moral values.

What are myth and legends?

A Myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.

A Legend is presumed to have some basis in historical fact and tends to mention real people or events. Historical fact morphs into a legend when the truth has been exaggerated to the point that real people or events have taken on a romanticized, "larger than life" quality. In contrast, a myth is a type of symbolic storytelling that was never based on fact. Throughout time, myths have sought to explain difficult concepts (e.g., the origin of the universe) with the help of common story devices, such as personification and allegories.

Examples of myths: Norse, Arthurian, Irish, Greek, Roman, Nordic.

A fairy tale?

A fairy tale is a short story that typically features human and/or inhuman-fantasy characters such elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually involves the elements of magic or enchantments. Unlike legends (which suggest that they are historical fact set in an actual time in human history) fairy tales have few references to religion and actual places, people, and events and take place in a fictitious time. Many of today's fairy tales have evolved from centuries-old stories that have appeared, with variations, in multiple cultures around the world.

The older fairy tales were intended as didactic moral lessons of a serious nature for young adults as rites of passage into adulthood. They were associated with children as early as the stories by the Brothers Grimm who wrote about children for children. Today, they are considered to be merely fanciful and entertaining children's stories.

A fable?

A fable is a fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized (given human qualities, such as verbal communication) and that illustrates or leads to an interpretation of a moral lesson.

A parable?

A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a type of analogy, that being a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

How are fables and parables different and similar?

Both are didactic, allegorical (meaning a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one) stories with a moral lesson at the core.

A fable differs from a parable in that parables do not exclude animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature and/or magic. Parables rely on human characters.

Why are fairy tales, fables and parables important in our development?

From World-renowned child psychologist and author Bruno Bettelheim's book 'The Uses of Enchantment - The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales':

'For a story to truly hold a child's attention, it must entertain and arouse curiosity. But to enrich life for the children, it must stimulate the imagination; be attuned to their anxieties and aspirations; give full recognition to their difficulties, while at the same time suggesting solutions to the problems that perturb them. It must relate to all aspects of their personality – and this without belittling but, on the contrary, giving full credence to the seriousness of a child's predicaments, while simultaneously promoting confidence in themselves and the future.

What needs do the various types of story serve?

Again, as we have stated: Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, sound and/or images, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, and edification.

1. Entertainment – to amuse and intrigue for the purpose of pleasurable escapism from the conscious, tangible world.

2. Education – to teach morals, ethics, in general; the rules of living within a society, the dangers of living, the rewards, etc.

3. Cultural preservation - the history of a people was conveyed to be retained by the retelling of factual stories. (Aural history)

4. Edification – to instill moral values and spiritual development and improvement. In religious terms: the building of one's soul.

Drama in Greek means 'action'. We put a story into action by enacting it, either with live actors in a theatrical context or with live actors and/or with animated characters via media such as film and TV.

From acclaimed BBC producer Martin Aislin's book 'Anatomy of Drama':

'Drama serves as a window to watch human behavior within the context of a story for the purpose of mirroring back to us a view of certain aspects of ourselves to entertain, to enlighten, and to edify.'

The basic components of a story

1. Theme

2. Character

3. Conflict

4. Plot

5. Structure and Structural Form(s)

6. Logic

7. Tone

8. Pacing

9. Genre

1. Theme

It is the central, underlying meaning and/or moral of the story. It is the reader/audience's conclusions about the story based upon the emotions displayed by the story's characters, dialogue, setting, and plot that create the story line.

It is 'the golden thread' that weaves all these various story elements together into a cohesive unity.

Examples of common themes: love, greed, jealously, revenge, friendship, lust, the horrors of war, fear of the unknown, justice

2. Character

(a) Protagonist(s )- the hero(s) and/or anti-hero(s) who is/are the lead character(s) of the story. We have empathy for them and therefore follow them on their journey. We are concerned and involved principally with their wants, needs, conflicts and most of all how they are changed internally by the external journey. They are whom we associate most because they embody our most aspirational values and put higher duty and the welfare of others before their own, even to extreme forms of self-sacrifice.

(b) Antagonist - is a character, group of characters, institution, or concept, a force, which stands in or represents opposition against which the protagonist(s) must contend. In other words, an antagonist is a person or a group of people who opposes a protagonist.

The antagonist creates the eternal conflict(s) that drive the protagonist to deal with their own internal conflict(s).

Characters in terms of Archetypes found throughout mythology

The history of human mythology and the hero's journey were studied and recorded in vast detail by Joseph Campbell in his in-depth 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces'.

Years later, that was synthesized and synopsized by script editor/studio reader and consultant Christopher Vogler in his book "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure and Storytellers & Screenwriters'. This has been the road map for the hero journey in Hollywood for over 20 years.

(c) Archetypes

Hero - The hero or heroine is the classic protagonist of the story with whom we associate most. They embody our most aspirational values and put higher duty and the welfare of others before their own, even to extreme forms of self-sacrifice. Achieving the goal of the story may thus be achieved only at terrible personal cost, although the hero may gain much personal learning and growth in the transition.

Heroes can be willing or unwilling, deliberate or accidental, solitary or leaders, already recognized as a hero or start out as an ordinary person.

Mentor - The mentor helps the hero in some way, furnishing them with important skills and advice. They may appear at important moments to help the hero get over an obstacle, then disappear (perhaps to mentor another unknown hero).

Typical mentors are old and wise. Although they may also be younger, they are still likely to be older than the hero as they offer their superior knowledge and experience in support. Perhaps once they were a young hero themselves.

The act of giving reminds us of the generosity to which we must aspire. The receiving of the gift may well be seen as reward for courage and self-sacrifice.

Threshold Guardian- The Threshold Guardian provides the obstacles to the hero at transitional points in the story. To get past the guardian the hero must fight them, answer riddles, solve problems, give a gift, and so on. The Threshold Guardian is often neutral, neither supporting nor opposing the hero, although they also may be allied to the antagonist or even a potential ally. Thresholds appear before the hero sets out on their journey, before they enter the final 'lion's den' and at critical scene changes. Crossing thresholds symbolize change and points of growth in the hero's character.

Herald- The Herald announces important events verbally, telling us what we do not realize or emphasizing the importance of an event. In particular, the herald provides the information that triggers the hero into original action.

The herald need not be a professional announcer or even a person - a message on a scrap of paper or a radio broadcast can serve equally to trigger change.

Shapeshifter- The Shapeshifter represents uncertainty and change, reminding us that not all is as it seems. They may be a character who keeps changing sides or whose allegiance is uncertain. They act to keep the hero (and us) on his or her toes and may thus catalyze critical action. A typical Shapeshifter is a person of the opposite sex who provides the love interest and whose affections vary across the story. Other characters may also be shapeshifters, including Mentors,

Guardians and Tricksters.

Shadow - The Shadow is the opposite of light and provides the tension of anxiety and fear in the story. The Shadow often opposes the hero and is typically the main antagonist.

They may also be people who provide obstacles along the way, although not as a guardian. The hero must struggle with the Shadow, somehow overcoming the opposition they provide. The shadow also represents the darker side of our own nature, as in Jung's Archetypes, and it is disquieting to recognize them as somehow related to ourselves.

Trickster- The Trickster provides entertainment in the story through wit, foolishness or other means. They may be wise, as in the Shakespearian fool, or may be criminal in their deception. They provide further uncertainty and keep us (and the hero) on our toes.

The Trickster may remind us to lighten up and see the funny side of things. They also remind us not be naive and to expect the unexpected.

3. Conflict: The essential ingredient – three types

Ideally, these three conflicts are woven together like strands that make up a rope.

(a) inner/personal conflict(s) – the internal conflict(s) that any character has within themselves, most importantly our hero(s)/protagonist(s). These can be the cause of their 'character flaw'. Most are rooted in fears and the darker emotions i.e. selfloathing, jealously, guilt, fears and phobias, etc.

(b) inter-personal conflict(s) – the conflicts that characters have with each other

(c) external conflict(s) – conflicting characters or forces that effect all characters, most of all the hero(s)/protagonist(s), forcing them on their journey that creates the change to this ordinary world. Examples: the shark in JAWS, Sid, the sadistic toy abusing kid next door in TOY STORY.

4. Plot

Plot is a literary term used to describe the events or points that make up a story's progressive line of action. These events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence.

The specific structure of any story depends on the organization of these events. It is the foundation of a story which the characters and settings are built around. It is meant to organize information and events in a logical manner...though the presentation can, at times, seem illogical. Plotting is 'causal' - it is cause and effect, the effect being what has changed thus, creating progression. A plot point is also called a 'beat' or 'story beat'.

5. Structure: Three Act

It is the corner stone of drama not just because it embodies the simplest units of

Aristotelian structure, but also because it follows the laws of physics. Everything has a beginning (an origin), a middle and an end.

In essence it is the set-up, the confrontation and the resolution.

We humans order our world using reason, patterned thinking, and logic in the pursuit of what we consider a universal truth because we are incapable of perceiving randomness, we must insist on imposing order on observed phenomena and any new information that comes our way. It is how our brains work.

Simply, we exist. Then we observe new stimuli, and both it and us are altered in the process.

This 3-part process is called:

1. Thesis (a situation with subjects, components or elements where something new is put forward as a premise)

2. Antithesis (two or more subjects, situations components or elements with contrasting meanings are now in close proximity, opposing each other, thus creating a conflicting struggle to come together)

3. Synthesis (the result of that struggle which is a new, uniform and connected whole)

We learn, our brains develop, when:

1. We are unaware and then are made aware of something new (thesis –- set-up)

2. We struggle to explore and assimilate it and, in the process, merge it with it our pre-existing knowledge (antithesis -- confrontation)

3. We have learned, thus growing mentally, emotionally and spiritually (synthesis -- resolution)

The 'Plot Points'

A plot point is a sudden turn in events or an unexpected reversal (in Greek: 'peripeteia').

These points of action thrust the plot in a new direction and, in the case of the major plotpoints, they end an Act and progress the story line into the next Act.

In Three act Structure, there are two major plot points: the one at the end of ACT 1 and the other at the end of ACT 2.

ACT 1

This comprises the first quarter of the screenplay. (For an approximately two-hour movie,

Act I would last approximately 25 to 30 minutes.)

What happens in Act I (Set-up)?

Exposition--The part of a story that introduces the characters, shows some of their interrelationships, and places them within a time and place.

This part of the story introduces the main character, the dramatic premise, and the dramatic situation.

Main character--the person in the story who has a need/objective to fulfill and whose actions drive the story

Dramatic premise--what the story's about and the Dramatic situation--the circumstances surrounding the action Inciting Incident--an event that sets the plot of the story in motion. It occurs approximately halfway through the first act.

Point #1, which leads into Act II, is the moment when the hero takes on the problem.

ACT 2

This comprises the next two quarters of the story. (For an approximately two-hour movie, Act II would last approximately 55-65 minutes.)

What happens in Act 2 (Confrontation)?

Obstacles-- In the second act, the main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that prevent him from achieving his dramatic need.

First Culmination-- a point just before the halfway point of the story where the main character seems close to achieving his or her goal/objective. Then, everything falls apart, leading to the midpoint.

Midpoint-- a point approximately halfway through the story where the main character reaches his/her lowest point and seems farthest from fulfilling the dramatic need or objective.

ACT 3

This comprises the final quarter of the story.

What happens in Act 3 (Resolution)?

Climax (Second Culmination)--The point at which the plot reaches its maximum tension and the forces in opposition confront each other at a peak of physical or emotional action, which peaks and then descends.

Denouement--The brief period of calm at the end of a story where it 'wraps up' and a state of equilibrium returns.

Forms of structures

Linear – a straight-forward, continuous plot that progresses along one time line from beginning to middle to end for a resolution.

Non-linear – a plot that moves back and forth temporally, from past to present and future.

It could contain multiple story lines, based on similar themes or a central idea or concept and they might converge in the end for a resolution

Circular - a plot that comes around full circle yet there has been a progression of some sort. Example: starting with a situation in a setting in the 'present', then telling the entire story in 'flash-back', progressively, to the end for a resolution, which was the original starting point.

There are more types of structures of course...these are three of the most common and popular.

6. Logic

Narrative logic is, in essence, the 'rules of the game'. It is the world that the story lives in.

These rules must be established solidly and quickly to ensure that the reader/audience may engage fully and suspend their disbelief to accept the story's internal logic. Once the internal logic is constructed it must be adhered to. A break in the logic causes an emotional and intellectual disengagement within the reader/audience.

Dramatic Irony –

Dramatic irony is a literary device by which the reader's/audience's understanding of events or individuals in a story surpasses that of its characters. The actions and words of characters will therefore mean different things to reader/audience from what they mean to story's characters.

By allowing the reader/audience to know more things ahead of the characters, the irony puts the reader and audience superiorly above the characters and encourages them to hope, to fear, and anticipate the moment when the character would find out the truth behind the situations and events of the story. It's a potent tool for exciting and sustaining interest in readers/audiences.

Dramatic irony is a common device used to create suspense (as opposed to shock and surprise) in the action, horror, and thriller genres. It was perfectly described by a master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, in his 'bomb under the table ' analogy.

7. Tone: Tragic vs. Comedic

A story's tone can determine its genre. Both tones have vastly different end goals: to evoke the opposite reactions and last feelings in the reader/audience.

Tragic/Dramatic Story – evokes feelings of empathy, sympathy, the pain of loss and remorse and creates the ultimately pleasurable catharsis effect in the empathetic reader/audience.

Comedic Story - evokes the humorous effects that which are laughter, amusement, surprise, bemusement and the pleasurable effects in the empathetic reader/audience.

Dark Comedy story – uses Irony to evoke the same humorous effects by making light of very serious and dramatic topics and themes, this creating, within the reader/audience, a collision of reactions.

Modern film & TV stories are mixing these opposing tones more now, creating ironic and at times cynical to the point of bleak statements about the world we live in.

Examples: American Beauty (film) Breaking Bad (TV series)

8. Pace: the peaks and valleys, rhythm and pace of 'the ride'

Pace is a tool that controls the speed and rhythm at which a story is told and the reader/audience are pulled through the events. It refers to how fast or slow events in a piece unfold and how much time elapses in a scene or story. Pacing can also be used to show characters aging and the effects of time on story events.

Pacing differs with the specific needs of a story. A far-reaching epic will often be told at a leisurely pace, though it will speed up from time to time during the most intense events. A short story or adventure novel might quickly jump into action and deliver drama.

Pacing is part structural choices and part word choices, and uses a variety of devices to control how fast the story unfolds. When driving a manual transmission car, you choose the most effective gear needed for driving uphill, maneuvering city streets, or cruising down a freeway. Similarly, when pacing your story, you need to choose the devices that move each scene along at the right speed.

The Three Act structure, the pace has an effect on the reader/audience similar to that of a 'rollercoaster' ride - ever increasing peaks and valleys and an increasing speed that builds tension to its peak at the climax in Act 3. This is especially true of the thriller, horror, action and fantasy genres.

9. Genre

Derived from the French word genre meaning 'kind, sort, style'. In the mediums of film & TV, genre refers to the method based on similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed.

Examples of genres: Western, Romance, Period/Historical Dramas, Comedy (also a tone that can be used with any genre), Family Drama, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy,

Musical, Psychological Thriller, Action Thriller, Crime Thriller

Film genres can be categorized in several ways: The setting where the story and action takes place.

The theme or topic refers to the issues or concepts that the story revolves around (e.g. science fiction or crime film).

The mood or the emotional tone of the story (e.g., comedy film, horror film or tearjerker romance and/or tragedy film).

Additional ways of categorizing film genres is by the target audience (e.g., children's film, teen film or women's film) or by type of production (e.g., B movie, big-budget blockbuster or low-budget film).

Film genres often branch out into subgenres, as in the case of the courtroom and trial focused subgenre of drama known as the legal drama.

Genres that at first may seem unrelated can be combined to form hybrid genres, such as the melding of horror and comedy. Other popular genre combinations are the romantic comedy and the action comedy film.

This is especially true of the latter part of the 20th Century and into this century where the trend of Post-Modernism and its inherent irony and self-referentialism had a profound effect on all the arts; including literature, theatre, the mediums of Film & TV as well as music and architecture.

BONUS: Loglines: How to write them

What are loglines and what's their purpose?

1. These are one or two sentences - 25 words maximum - that synopsize the story

2. They reduce the story to a 'hook' that creates interest in the reader in hearing more and then reading the treatment and/or the screenplay

3. They suggest the narrative arc (the story's beginning, middle, and end) if possible.

4. They reveal character, goal, conflict, and theme

A formula for loglines (open-ended and close-ended)

1. Unless iconic, do not mention characters by name

2. Have an obvious 'hook'... something catchy and unique that makes us want to see more

3. Be concise, but thorough

4. Two sentences are okay... but no more than that if possible.

Example of a logline

An aimless American woman, abandoned by her boyfriend in Tokyo, decides to train as a ramen chef under a master who is impossible to please.

Structure

[Who, with an adjective]

[Faces what conflict]

[Learns/does what]

[To pursue/achieve goal]

[But the conflict is intensified]

[Who, with an adjective] An aimless American woman, [Faces what conflict] abandoned by her boyfriend in Tokyo, [Learns/does what] [To pursue/achieve goal] decides to train as a ramen chef under a master who is impossible to please

Can you apply this to your own story and come up with a catchy log line? Feel free to post them in the comments here too.

Fun Fact: The famous logline for the film Alien was simply, 'Jaws in space!'  

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