Story Structure

Showing 201 - 210 of 1516 results

Make Sure Every Scene Changes a Character’s Life

January 16, 2023

Here’s the number one mistake novices make in writing a screenplay. They write scenes that do nothing but explain the story. Watch a mediocre movie...

Writing the False Victory Scene in the Midpoint

January 12, 2023

Pick any movie and divide its running time in half. In a two hour movie, the midpoint scene occurs at the 60 minute mark. This...

Using Multiple Subplots in a Story

January 8, 2023

Every story has a structure. By identifying the main scenes in every story, you can create an outline for any story quickly and easily. One...

How to Drive the Hero to Defeat

December 31, 2022

In the first half of any story, the hero gradually starts getting a better life. Then at the midpoint of the story, everything shifts. Suddenly...

How the Hero Wins a Minor Victory After the Midpoint

December 27, 2022

Every story consists of two halves. In the first half, the hero’s life starts out in a dead end and gradually gets better. The peak...

Make the Setting in a Scene Work Against the Hero

December 23, 2022

The place where a scene occurs should always be special. Generic settings simply fade into the background. Unique places make the characters’ actions even more...

Grab Attention Right Away by Starting With a Problem

December 19, 2022

The best way to grab attention is to start with a problem. As soon as you start with a problem, then audiences will want to...

The Two Halves of a Story

December 15, 2022

When plotting the hero’s story, you can outline the entire story in two halves that show how the hero gradually changes. In a two hour...

Creating a Story with a Changing vs. Unchanging Hero

December 11, 2022

In most stories, the hero changes over time. In tragedies, the hero gets worse such as in “The Godfather” where the hero initially stays out...

The Most Dramatic Moment Shifts the Story in the Midpoint

December 7, 2022

One of the most dramatic moments in any story is the midpoint. The midpoint is where the hero seems to get the greatest moment of...

About Wallace Wang

First place winner in Scriptapalooza’s 2023 screenwriting competition for the supernatural horror screenplay titled “Nightmares From a Past Life”. Author of “The 15 Minute Movie Method”, “Story Starter”, and “Writing Scenes for Screenplays” in addition to over 50 computer books. Writer of “Three of a Kind”, a situation comedy produced by San Diego State University’s film class that won a student Emmy award. Designer of the board game “Orbit War”, published by Steve Jackson Games, that simulates satellite warfare in the near future.