Not-So-Secret Formula

I recently received a query from a reader I thought might be worthwhile excerpting here. (In addition to writing me here via comments, you can ask scriptwriting questions of me at AllExperts. There's a link in the sidebar.)

Roger:

Do you consciously follow formula, or do you see this “formula” as something that is inherently and naturally present in any good story? Ie; if the story is strong, it’s because the formula is there, not vice versa...

...When I speak of “formula”, I’m referring to what appears to be several thousand “how to” plot points, published by every expert out there.

“By the end of page two, pace and setting must be established.
"In the third minute, an inciting incident must occur.
"Between pages three and nine, the hero must be established, along with his conflict and plan to overcome it.
"Act 1 needs to end by page 19,” and so on.

There seem to be no less than 40 different (although identical in content) “schedules” that every script writer needs to follow religiously. My guess (and hope) is that this formula is to appease potential investors, showing that it follows a model that proves to be appealling/profitable. What I’m really hoping is that once a screenwriter is produced, that more liberty is given, and more faith is extended that a good writer can tell a great story without simply filling in blanks from a template. So my question for you is, do you actually write according to a specific plot schedule, or do you just write, knowing that the right things happen at the right times, simply because you’re a good storyteller?

I’m neither a strict constructionist nor the “artiste” type. This is commercial art we’re doing. "Commercial," as in commerce, which means we’re producing a product for a customer who hopes to realize a profit with it. And "art," as in art, which means our product must be unique, emotionally move the audience, be unable to be duplicated. Obviously, there’s a constant tug of war here, unless you’re a genius businessperson or a genius artist. I’m neither.

I do definitely believe in structure. Not only do I think the customer expects it (by the customer I mean the studio, not the audience), but I actually think it helps the creativity. It’s like a haiku: you’re so constrained, any attempt to be distinctive will result in something unique (and, hopefully, good).

The length of the screenplay is important. It’s 120 pages. A couple of pages less is okay.

The length of scenes is important. A page to three pages is good. Less is better. More — you’d better have a good reason.

Balance of dialog to action is important. You can actually tell by looking at the total proportion of whitespace to ink throughout the entire script.

Almost all of the rules I’ve read really point to one thing:

Get there as soon as you can!

If it’s a comedy, get a laugh as close as possible to the top of page one. (I said page one.) If it’s a drama, establish tension and conflict just as early. Introduce your protagonist as soon as possible. Get him in trouble as soon as possible. And so on.

I don’t think it was always this way. I think there was a time when filmmakers were more confident that they had the audience trapped for ninety minutes or more, and could take their time to build slowly. These were the days of slower-paced films. Faster-paced films, in fact, seemed sensational and were accorded “B” status.

But now, they know movies are more of a ride than a stroll through a wonderful museum. (I’m talking about Hollywood movies, as I assume you are.) Grab ‘em. Keep ‘em in their seats. And if the movie’s entertaining enough, maybe they’ll come back to see it two or three more times. Or even better, buy the DVD and watch it until the laser pokes a hole through the disc. In fact, you can almost consider today’s movie to be a feature-length ad for the DVD.

Then there’s the whole category of formulae that aren’t about length and pace. How many essential characters? How many twists of plot? What about theme? Here I think you’re in more dubious territory. I would go with your gut, keeping in mind that efficiency is always a virtue. If a character isn’t providing an essential element of the dramatic arc, he or she doesn’t belong in the movie. Conversely, if it feels like one character is pulling an awful lot of strings, you may need to divide her work between two characters.

There’s more, of course, but that’s where screenwriting courses and scriptwriting blogs are born.

I would also add a cherished axiom given me by my former journalism professor, the gifted Timothy Ferris:

"After you're done with your rough draft, go through it as if you had to pay five dollars for every word."

It was a great way to make sure every word was pulling some kind of weight. And don't forget -- if your screenplay ever does get produced, someone will be paying a hell of a lot more than five dollars per word to put it on the screen.


Questions? Comments? Tell me your take by clicking on "comments" below.