Hi Everyone!
Today I wanted to talk about "story." I will try to answer the question, "What makes a good story?"
Why are stories so important? And why can’t most production companies get it right? Think about all the flops that Hollywood makes. If there is a magic formula, they haven’t found it yet.
Stories (movies) have helped us get through difficult times. I’ll link to an article talking about Hollywood films during the Great Depression and their effects on people. Stories will always be an integral part of society!
Let’s get into it!
Assuming that everything else is working in your story, my tips can help you improve your script.
Note: If your script is filled with grammatical errors, it’s destined for the garbage pile! I personally stop reading a script if I can’t get through a page without mistakes.
Ask yourself these questions!
- Do you know what makes a good story?
- is there such a thing as a universally loved story?
Disney and all the other major production companies are always trying to figure out what the audience wants! It’s a tough question because people like different things.
Why do you think they make so many sequels? It’s because people show interest in a particular movie that the production companies go all in. At least until people get sick of them and their films flop.
Here are my thoughts on what makes a story good:) Look, there’s no blueprint to make the perfect movie, but if you learn the craft and work hard, you can get close.
- Likable Characters:
Your characters should be likable and relatable; it’s easier to fall in love with characters that you can identify with and that you like.
In order for the audience to want to follow the protagonist on his "hero’s journey," they must first like him. How do we get the audience to like the protagonist? You can make him a hard-working, dorky, nice guy who takes care of his mother and saves the world from some evil monster (LOL). Just make sure that he stands out.
- Character Arc:
Your character should have a captivating character arc -
What do I mean by character arc?
Your protagonist must overcome challenges in his life and come out a different person.
Maybe your character was selfish in the beginning of the story and they become selfless by the end. There has to be a major change.
Let me give you an example from one of my favorite comics, Spider-Man. With the example below, Peter learns from his mistakes and he becomes the hero he’s supposed to be.
Peter Parker will forever remember his uncle’s words, "With great power comes great responsibility." At first, Peter was trying to make money and wasn’t thinking about being a hero, but that changed when his uncle Ben died. Peter experienced a major change in his life.
Here's a link to an article on how to write captivating character arcs.
Let's move onto plot.
Let’s use Peter Parker again. He was a normal, oddball high school student until he was bitten by a radioactive spider and transformed into Spider-Man. See, there’s irony there. Peter’s the last person you think would become a superhero.
Plot =
Plot - cause and effect - (Things happen, this causes an effect) - This is a simple one to explain. For example, Peter Parker gets bit by a radioactive spider, and because of that he develops powers. (Cause and Effect) Once he gets his powers, he must learn how to use them, which leads him to becoming a superhero, eventually. The audience sees the progression of our protagonist, Peter as he slowly becomes Spider-Man. Every scene pushes the story forward.
The second-to-last aspect I'll discuss is having high stakes in your story.
Forgetting about Peter Parker for a second;)
Your story will need high stakes! For example, our protagonist, John, is in love with Sally until he finds out that she’s a blood-sucking vampire trying to make his high school a buffet. Now John must get the courage to kill his former crush in order to save his high school.
Not the greatest example, but you get the idea: John has to do something big.
Below is a link to an article showing how to raise the stakes in your own stories.
https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/5-surefire-ways-raise-stakes-story/
Last but not least, don't bore the audience; this is a special rule. If your story is boring, why tell it? Thanks for reading!
Σχόλια