A story is a way of telling about events, characters, and experiences. It is meant to entertain, inform, or inspire. Telling stories has been a long practice.
How to write a screenplay and how to master the craft has been one of those nagging questions in the filmmaking discipline. So let’s approach it from the very beginning.
A story is a way of telling about events, characters, and experiences. It is meant to entertain, inform, or inspire. Telling stories has been a long practice. In the past, they shared tales by speaking around fires, drawing on cave walls, or writing on stone tablets. Over time, storytelling expanded into books, poetry, theatre, and films. In films, the tales are told using moving images, dialogue, music, and visual effects, creating an immersive experience.
Screenwriters usually craft stories for movies, whether solo or in a team. They often start with a basic plan to develop a narrative and ensure a clear structure. Screenwriters use creativity, personal experiences, and research to craft interesting stories that connect with audiences.
It’s Not Just About the Craft
So screenwriting is not just about storytelling techniquesor the craft but the artistry and imagination that go into it!
The writing process for screenwriters involves creating multiple drafts of their screenplays. They make improvements based on feedback from directors, producers, and other professionals involved in the project. This improves the script’s pace and helps to make the narrative stronger and engage the audience better. Screenwriters also consider how the film will look and sound and ensure their words translate well to the screen. They use special software to format their screenplays according to industry standards, which makes it easier for actors, directors, and production teams to bring the story to life during filming.
To learn how to tell a story, these days there is no need to go for a traditional script writing course and opt for an online script writing course or online screenplay writing course,which can facilitate learning from the comfort of one’s home and with the convenience of time.
Plotline: Major Elements
It’s all about the structure and creatively binding the elements together. And all the writers need to consider this. The elements of a narrative are as follows:
Premise: The event that sets up, starts and drives your plot.
Story World: The fictional universe in which the story takes place.
Character: The individuals who inhabit the story, each with distinct personalities, goals and arcs.
Plot: The sequence of events and actions that drives the plot forward.
Theme: The underlying message or central topic the plot explores and conveys to the audience.
Structure: The organised framework or arrangement in which the narrative develops.
Genre: The category or type of story, defined by specific conventions and stylistic elements, such as comedy, drama, or sci-fi.
Dynamics of a Macro Structure
Character Arc: The transformation or inner journey a character undergoes throughout the narrative.
Plot Design: The deliberate arrangement of events and actions to create a cohesive and engaging narrative.
Scenes and Sequences: The individual building blocks of a plot, with scenes being single events and sequences being groups of related scenes.
Dialogues: The spoken exchanges between characters that reveal personality, advance the plot and convey information.
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So for an in-depth study of screenwriting, sign up on https://www.ramojiacademy.com/ and join our ‘Story & Screenplay’ course. The link to register is https://www.ramojiacademy.com/register-ram-courses.
