How do You create a new story

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  • How do You create a new story

    I've been wondering how others begin to create a new story for a spec script.

    Do you normally begin with a unique premise, an interesting character, a theme, or a news event? Something else? What most often sparks your imagination, leading to a story idea.

    Do you have one method or are you inspired in different ways by different things?

  • #2
    Re: How do You create a new story

    Originally posted by jonpiper View Post
    I've been wondering how others begin to create a new story for a spec script.

    Do you normally begin with a unique premise, an interesting character, a theme, or a news event? Something else? What most often sparks your imagination, leading to a story idea.

    Do you have one method or are you inspired in different ways by different things?
    I've gone through so many methods...
    The one that seems to work for me is coming up with a premise, making a very rough estimate of what the major turning points of the story will be. Then I pick my characters, make sure they all have a different variation of the theme (which is indicated by the premise) and then I write out profiles for them. Then I go back to my story points and rewrite them with the characters, I use their traits to plot it all out.

    It's confusing and probably nonsensical to anyone but me; but I've found I don't do well with writing out the plot then going to character, or writing out the character then going to plot. It has to be wibbly wobbly timey whimey.
    what the head makes cloudy the heart makes very clear

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    • #3
      Re: How do You create a new story

      interesting thread... I have a rather chaotic approach. I tried by-the-book ones and couldn't stay on that way very long.

      Usually, I get an idea while seeing something, reading something, talking to someone (this can be a news broadcasting or a piece of art, music - just anything is capable of "igniting the spark"). If I like the idea, I poke around the area a bit, means, making basic researches about the event(s), the technical stuff involved... in order to see if the idea is doable at all.
      (At the moment, I'm doing this terrorist-thing I talked about in another thread, and I made deep research concerning subcutaneous GPS tracking devices, for instance). I have some scenes and dialogue lines in head at this stage.

      When everything looks fine at the basics, I lay out the development of the plot and the characters simultaneously. I try to set up the major plotpoints (but they don't have to stay that way) and think about different possibilities of the ending.

      Normally during this process, I create some artwork in connection to the idea, mostly some fictional movie posters. This gives me the opportunity to give the characters a face, to "get the feeling" and to devise some cool lines illustrating what the story will be about.

      I start writing when I have the first sequences logically evolved in my head - what does not mean I do not change everything later, but I start writing very soon to get close to the story and the characters, to see them and hear them.

      Contrary to what a scriptwriter should do, I keep my options open concerning the end, because in writing I get new ideas, and the characters grow and I don't want to close them in a dungeon of pre-arranged cages. Of course, I have to look very carefully after the consistency and stay on the way I want to go.

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      • #4
        Re: How do You create a new story

        I try to start with a cinematic theme and then work on a logline.

        Then outline.

        Then get frustrated, start over.

        Then I say screw the theme and logline; just start writing.

        After I hit page 40, I realize that I should have started with a theme, logline and outline.

        So I start over. Rinse and repeat while reading stimulating material that's relevant to what I'm writing and BAM!

        Or something like that.
        The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost

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        • #5
          Re: How do You create a new story

          Originally posted by zenplato View Post
          I try to start with a cinematic theme and then work on a logline.

          Then outline.

          Then get frustrated, start over.

          Then I say screw the theme and logline; just start writing.

          After I hit page 40, I realize that I should have started with a theme, logline and outline.

          So I start over. Rinse and repeat while reading stimulating material that's relevant to what I'm writing and BAM!

          Or something like that.
          +++1

          I wrote in a different thread (forgot which one) about how we live near an old farmer/hoarder that'll talk your ear off. I can't get him out of my head, because I think there's a story to be told. But I can't break the theme barrier, can't figure out yet what it is I want the story to do - besides exploring an old eccentric's weird ways. Good news is that I pass his ramshackle house twice everyday on the way to and from work. I know during one of those passes something will click.

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          • #6
            Re: How do You create a new story

            If the definition of a story is "a character with a problem struggles to solve his or her problem," don't you need to identify a protag and his or her problem before you can come up with a preliminary logline and begin to develop the the story.

            How do you go from your inspiration--the premise, or the idea you get from reading or seeing something, or the interesting character you run into-- how do you go from there to identifying your protag, and the main problem he must overcome or solve and the goal he must acheive.

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            • #7
              Re: How do You create a new story

              Originally posted by jonpiper View Post
              If the definition of a story is "a character with a problem struggles to solve his or her problem," don't you need to identify a protag and his or her problem before you can come up with a preliminary logline and begin to develop the the story.

              How do you go from your inspiration--the premise, or the idea you get from reading or seeing something, or the interesting character you run into-- how do you go from there to identifying your protag, and the main problem he must overcome or solve and the goal he must acheive.
              Kinda like your definition in the first paragragph, but...

              I'm not going to limit myself.

              If I were a novelist, I would start off with a character first, but I'm not, I'm a screenwriter.

              So I start with concept first.

              e.g. justice

              How can I show that justice is subjective?

              I guess it's from that point I figure out what kind of archetype I'm looking for (character and symbol) and then I try to craft a logline.

              In order to redeem himself from prison, a man must become a lawyer and win his freedom.

              So, I'm then kinda thinking about the character, but it's high level.
              Last edited by zenplato; 02-17-2011, 02:54 PM.
              The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost

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              • #8
                Re: How do You create a new story

                I have absolutely no idea. It just happens. I guess the writers' room in my subconscious hands me a fully formed idea every now and again.
                TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

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                • #9
                  Re: How do You create a new story

                  In the script I’ve just been rewriting for the nth time, the story was inspired by a quick scene between two characters that just dropped into my head, and then quickly developed into an opening sequence that set up a question about the relationship between those characters. So then I knew what the final scene would have to be to resolve that question. The difficulty (and hence all the rewriting) has come from having to work out a satisfying way to get from that opening to that ending.

                  Several of my scripts have started out that way. In one case the opening sequence came to me so vividly one evening that I had to write it down, dialogue and all, to get it out of my brain - otherwise there was no way I was getting to sleep that night.

                  The story I’m currently developing into a first draft was triggered by an idea about an inciting incident (one character accidentally killing another). To maximise the stakes I decided to set it in a particular time period, and by doing some research into that period I’ve come up with a series of plot points that link into actual historical events.

                  One thing I’ve discovered over time is the benefit of working out the overall story, and making sure it can sustain 110 pages of script, before getting too wrapped up in the detail of individual scenes.
                  Last edited by Lincoln Lass; 02-17-2011, 02:33 PM. Reason: Spacing between paragraphs

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                  • #10
                    Re: How do You create a new story

                    Originally posted by zenplato View Post
                    I try to start with a cinematic theme and then work on a logline.

                    Then outline.

                    Then get frustrated, start over.

                    Then I say screw the theme and logline; just start writing.

                    After I hit page 40, I realize that I should have started with a theme, logline and outline.

                    So I start over. Rinse and repeat while reading stimulating material that's relevant to what I'm writing and BAM!

                    Or something like that.
                    Bingo. Spookily so.

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                    • #11
                      Re: How do You create a new story

                      I pay Derek Haas. I tried Jeff Lowell, but his price was too high.

                      HH (who's still waiting for his first "idea" to come in the mail)

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                      • #12
                        Re: How do You create a new story

                        I combine two ideas then try and find a protag and antag that will allow the story to flow from A to Z.

                        Example: a heist story currently sitting on the back burner started with the idea for the get away that rattled around my brain for six months until the rough edges were battered off, then I needed a heist that was profitable enough, created the protag who could commit the robbery and who would conceive the getaway, realised early that I actually needed two antags coming from slightly different directions, then both needed back stories linking them to the protag to give them cause to interact ... and as soon as complete a page one rewrite I'll have a great multimillion dollar heist movie...

                        Often I struggle to find the right characters to populate my ideas.
                        I heard the starting gun


                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          Re: How do You create a new story

                          I seem to always be inspired by something that has happened to me. If it sticks with me, and I seem to be having trouble "processing" it, then after the right amount of time has passed (and if I can give the story an overview, and I want to write about it), I'll start outlining to see if there is enough there to write an interesting script.

                          The original inspiration comes from my life, and then I add a lot to it. Otherwise, any script I wrote would be immensely boring.
                          sigpic http://blip.fm/Peasblossom

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                          • #14
                            Re: How do You create a new story

                            My head is bursting with story ideas. I was attracted to this craft because of that fact. Outlining a complete screenplay from the idea is the trick.
                            www.silvercop.com
                            If we don't get the information, and if we don't get the leads, we can't track down the killers.

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                            • #15
                              Re: How do You create a new story

                              Originally posted by Southern_land View Post
                              I combine two ideas then try and find a protag and antag that will allow the story to flow from A to Z.

                              Example: a heist story currently sitting on the back burner started with the idea for the get away that rattled around my brain for six months ...
                              I too have had an idea rattling around for some time, but can't seem to find just the right protag who can carry a story related to the premise.

                              The premise is: A spaceship lands on earth thousands of years ago and leaves behind a micro computer, the size of a silver dollar, far more advanced than anything we have yet developed. What would happen if someone found it and it still worked?

                              Perhaps I am attacking the story wrong. I should develop the story, beginning with a protag who needs to solve a problem rather than with the object itself.

                              Any thoughts from anyone?

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