Subplots Screenwriting Structure Part 16

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Don’t really know what a subplot is? No problem… Some writers don’t. LOL. A subplot is basically everything else going on with your Protagonist that you’re not including in the main storyline. All your other main characters are not unlike your Protagonist. Each has their very own main storyline, goal, motivation, action, events, obstacles, crisis, and resolution.

Subplots.

You’ve got a couple, right? If you do not, now might be the time to consider them… A lot of stories very naturally spin off a or two and that’s a good thing but there’s nothing wrong with a planned subplot either. In fact, it’s okay to manipulate your spun off subplot into a planned subplot that helps serve the story better.

Consider using to do some of your dirty work when it comes to the following…

Many writers call the subplots the “B,” “C,” and “D” stories… They are similar to your main or “A” story but usually lack some of the same story or structural elements. While there is certainly no definitive rule, subplots do not require the same story or structural elements as the main story and often rely on exposition to fill in said story or structural elements.

Often, by simply exploring and analyzing your main plot from as many different perspectives as possible can spin off a new subplot. This is perhaps, best accomplished by using those amazing secondary characters that you’ve developed.

Tell us your secondary character’s story…

Just as your Protagonist is a character in conflict, so should your secondary characters be in conflict of some kind and hence, we follow this secondary character’s struggles via the subplot and this subplot helps pull the main story into full focus by the end of of the screenplay.

Consider the importance of all your subplots…

Many times I will read a screenplay that puts a weaker subplot in front of a more important subplot. Meaning that there is so much emphasis on a weaker subplot that either it needs to be fleshed out so that it becomes more important or maybe it needs to be the main story. You do not want your subplots to be more interesting than the main story.

An outstanding movie to watch if you want to see a movie that caters to the importance of subplots is . I’ve learned so much from this movie that every time I watch it, I am amazed. The same goes for .

Intersect your subplot with the main story plot and allow this subplot to create new complications for your Protagonist. Subplots can run parallel to the main storyline or they can run in complete contrast to it but ALL SUBPLOTS SHOULD SUPPORT, INFORM, AND EVENTUALLY WRAP UP OR PAY OFF INTO YOUR MAIN STORY PLOT. Do not leave your subplots UNATTENDED. Don’t get us all spun up in a B, C, or D story and then forget to tie it up.

Either tie it up or get rid of it.

Unk

June 26, 2008 | Filed Under Structure

15 Comments 

I Bow to Greatness…

carlin

Saw him live quite a few times. Always funny. Always right on as far as I’m concerned.

Unk

June 23, 2008 | Filed Under Greatness

5 Comments 

Character blockage…

character-blockageThis is an email I recently received and I get quite a few like it and although I’ve mentioned this on the site before, let me go ahead and share it with you again because it deserves attention because it happens to everyone.

My question(s)are related to Character. Yes, I’ve read most of the sections you’ve written on character.

What I’m curious about is:

Once you’ve created that quin·tes·sen·tial character… I mean, you’ve got this fucker painted on the poster art in your head. How do you expand on his philosophy? How do you add more of those little layers, that slowly peel away revealing character? Does it come out of the dialogue? Via ‘dragging the charactor through the mud method’?Or do you have a preconcieved plan before you start a scene, THEN drag him through the mud?

I’ve written his biography,and I’ve dragged him through the mud on a few occations.

I’ve also run the entire story in my head EVERY single day for the past two months. And everyone I’ve told it to, knows its something special. Even people whom I’ve told its not mine. (which is the only way you get honest feedback - or harsh feedback if you will)

My goal is to get my characters and dialogue to be on par with my story. I dont want my imagination (my only strength) to get buried under poor writing. (its funny everytime i tell someone the story - its not a derivative one. LOL - they say they want to see this film already)

Any additional help, would be appreciated. Heres what I do on a daily basis.

  • Read a screenplay
  • Write up an entire act of one of my favorites.
  • Delve into scenes in my minds eye with the music that has the right rhythm.
  • Then I start to think about who these characters are, and try to give them a voice (this part usually fails to satisfy me).
  • I watch a film or two, get inspired.
  • Force myself to write some dialogue for these characters I’ve created.

I sometimes get a little gold nugget. But lets face it, no one wants to dig a golden nugget out of turd. And do one of the above things. Most of the process is fun to me. I dont feel like its work, but I work hard at it. I’ve just started hitting a brick wall with the dialogue.

All my favorite writers seem to be able to slow themselves down and explore their charactors in an efficient and detailed manner.

What kind of exercise should I use to hone this skill?

I realize, i’ve probably over-done it, but I’m pretty excited about this whole screenwriting thing. And I know I’ve got some of the tougher parts down.

I read a lot. I’ve read every book on screen writing I can get my hands on. I’m also willing to work hard. I’m not afraid of a mountain climb. I’ve been telling stories in my head since I was six. So the time it takes to master something is nothing new to me.

Any help would be appreciated. And Thanks for listening.

> How do you expand on his philosophy? How do you add more of those little layers, that slowly peel away revealing character?

You must get into this character’s HEAD… Very much like an actor would get into this character’s head. That means you’ve got to figure out what KIND of a character he his first and foremost. Figure that out and THAT information will lead you the correct backstory.

Backstory is the stuff that characters are born from… You MAKE IT UP. And you KEEP MAKING IT UP UNTIL any event, obstacle, or story element that pops up in front of that character doesn’t STIFLE you.

If it stifles you — i.e., WRITER’S BLOCK — then you PROBABLY don’t know your character well enough yet. You have to know your character. I can’t tell you THE WAY to get to know your character better — I can only tell you the way I get to know my characters better.

I become them. I dream that I am them. I pluck simple events out of the news, magazines, my imagination — whatever and WHEREVER and I make that part of my character’s PAST. Your character is so many years old, CORRECT?

Well you and I are simply evolving beings of our past. We are constantly changing because of the things that happen to us on a daily basis and UNLESS you know your character’s past as well as you know your own — those layers you’re asking about won’t be there.

For instance, right now I am at a coffee shop that I work at on a daily basis. Sitting on my table from a previous customer is a bicycling handout. It’s called a Bicycling Suitability Map. It may have nothing to do with my character and it probably doesn’t but WHAT IF I go ahead and make it part of my character’s background? What if he was an avid bicyclist before he was hit by a truck 3 years ago? How would that affect him TODAY? Would he limp? Would he still ride a bicycle? Maybe he fixes them for a living now. Maybe he can’t stand to look at them. Maybe every time he sees someone on a bicycle, HE FREAKS! Get the idea?

In other words, there are no RIGHT ANSWERS because this is YOUR CHARACTER!

In two tables ahead of me, this guy is trying to pick up a little summer school college girl… LOL. He’s telling her all about the 3 years he spent in some juvenile detention center for attempted murder on his father. Maybe true — maybe not. Who cares? I could easily make that part of my character’s background. How would spending 3 years as a juvenile in what basically amounts to prison, affect your character? Is he now really street smart? Is he now just a little crooked? Does he now combine those 3 years with his bicycle knowledge to run a huge bicycle theft ring? LOL.

Maybe you don’t have to go that deep…

Maybe your character is simply the product of a broken marriage and for the last 24 years of his life, his Mom and Dad fucking hate each other and attempt to win him over at the drop of a hat every time they see or talk to him and that experience has led him to become a loner… He doesn’t trust the family mindset… He’s hard to approach. He never lets his guard down.

Now here’s the IRONY of this…

Unless you come up with some backstory that you really love — most if not all of this made up backstory never EVER makes it into the screenplay. It’s true purpose is to KEEP YOU from having writer’s block and to enable you to WRITE THROUGH any event, obstacle, or story element that pops up yet, because this character now has what amounts to a real history, he seems more real to you and thereby — even more real to US.

> Does it come out of the dialogue? Via ‘dragging the charactor through the mud method’?

Some of these layers are CERTAINLY going to come out via the character’s dialogue but also through the character’s ACTIONS.

> Or do you have a preconcieved plan before you start a scene, THEN drag him through the mud?

I always try to have a preconceived plan but remember… IT’S JUST A PLAN and plans fucking change all the time. Sometimes, you just watch the news, read an article, a book, watch a movie — whatever — and an idea for a NON preconceived plan pops up in your head and it’s so good that your GUT tells you to use it. The plan changes and that one little idea is the one domino piece that expands your story into a totally different direction and an entire series of non-related events ensue. When this happens, many screenwriters don’t want any part of it because they pretty much have to start over from the beginning. LOL.

While other screenwriters who are in this for the story, chase this new information down like a cat after a mouse. They welcome the changes because their gut tells them that the story will be greatly improved.

And of course — dragging your protagonist through the mud is what it’s all about. LOL. So yeah, you are constantly doing that no matter what you come up with and when.

> I’ve written his biography,and I’ve dragged him through the mud on a few occations.

Okay… If you’ve done this but are still having problems then my GUESS is that you haven’t done this ENOUGH. Everybody always asks me when enough is ENOUGH? It’s enough when you’re no longer BLOCKED and you can just keep on writing through everything that happens to your Protagonist.

> Any additional help, would be appreciated. Heres what I do on a daily basis.
> Read a screenplay
>Write up an entire act of one of my favorites.
>Delve into scenes in my minds eye with the music that has the right rhythm.
>Then I start to think about who these characters are, and try to give them a voice.
> (this part usually fails to satisfy me)
> I watch a film or two, get inspired.
> Force myself to write some dialogue for these characters I’ve created.
> I sometimes get a little gold nugget. But lets face it, no one wants to dig a golden nugget out of turd. And do one of the above things.
> Most of the process is fun to me. I dont feel like its work, but I work hard at it. I’ve just started hitting a brick wall with the dialogue.
> All my favorite writers seem to be able to slow themselves down and explore their charactors in an efficient and detailed manner.
> What kind of exercise should I use to hone this skill?
> I realize, i’ve probably over-done it, but I’m pretty excited about this whole screenwriting thing. And I know I’ve got some of the tougher parts down.

Outstanding! That’s MORE than most do on a daily basis but I still feel like you’re not reaching DEEP ENOUGH with your character(s). You may have a biography but does it go deep enough?

How deep is deep enough? Again, you go deep ENOUGH so that you are no longer blocked and can continue to WRITE THROUGH everything that comes up. So I wouldn’t say you’ve overdone it at all. But maybe pay a little MORE attention to your Protagonist’s history. Keep thinking WE ARE WHAT WE’VE DONE — WE ARE WHAT WE’VE BEEN THROUGH. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that you reach for the cliché version of how your Protagonist’s past affects him. Don’t be predictable.

People react differently to things they go through… I am constantly amazed at all the passive aggressive people I see on a daily basis… LOL. Nothing affects them. Their wife or husband could walk up to them and say, “I’m leaving you,” and they would just sit there and agree that it’s the best thing for everyone… And, it probably IS the best thing but why do we always seem to act like we’re on Prozac? LOL. Sure… It’s okay… Sure… Take the house. Take the kids. Take the bank account.

What I’m getting at here is be sure to analyze your Protagonist’s and characters’ reaction to whatever you throw at them. If they need to be passive aggressive — fine but don’t just arbitrarily give them that kind of reaction because society deems it politically fucking correct.

Not that you are doing this — it just seems to POP up a lot in screenplays I read.

Hope that helps…

If anyone else has some golden nuggets to SHARE — please DO! Many heads are better than one.

Unk

June 18, 2008 | Filed Under Tips

26 Comments 

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