How to Find a Story Idea
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
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The Practical Screenwriting eBook doesn’t focus on all the writing theory you already know. It gives you a simple, practical process to show you how to beat procrastination and write each day.
Today I am looking at a way to find new story ideas. This technique is called "Flipping the Premise." When you flip the premise, you create a completely new story.
Try this out in the comments below!
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/ mowery
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I realize I am kinda off topic but do anyone know of a good website to stream newly released series online?
@Bridger Zeke Flixportal :D
@Omar Mason Thank you, I signed up and it seems like a nice service :D Appreciate it!
@Bridger Zeke Glad I could help :)
@@bridgerzeke3694 the way
An idea for you all:
Losing Nemo
A fish travels across the ocean to try and lose his son because he hates him so much.
Fresh idea btw. Some studio production have to make this idea to a film, maybe... Nickelodeon
Why would he want to lose Nobody?
:)
Sobari Bari there you go, you have a great storyline 😂😂
I laughed, but tbh that hurt deep down. Idk why, lol.
You inspired me. I'll put it in my upcoming series :v
We live in a society. Also, the example premise is Batman: White Knight.
Or perhaps the White Day?
The Bright* Knight
@@XxNocturnxX It's a comic called White Knight where Joker is the good guy and Batman is the villain.
I know there is actually a comic like this. It’s strange there are two Harley Quinn’s and jokers just a guy
I love the idea of a TH-cam film channel teaching people the fundamentals of storytelling and not just "The ending of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood explained" or X popular movie. Those videos have there place, but storytelling is King and it is so refreshing to see Tyler explain this in a concise and engaging way.
Thanks Nicolas!
This is exactly why "A most violent year" is one of my favourite movies ever. Instead of a premise, it flips a genre on its head. In a city run by several mafias, the protagonist is a big industrialist who doesn't want to become a mobster, and this brings him a great deal of trouble. Classy.
How does it flip the genre here? Can you please explain? Thanks
@@nikhilkhamkar4589 well usually protagonist of the crime genre want to do crime but the protagonist of a most violent year doesn't want to do crime.
A socially awkward teenager of the 50s gets randomly forced to ask his crush out by a vanishing boy named Marty and a masked alien named Darth Vader
Back to the future 😂
5:30 I cant have been the only one who was sure this was Paddington 2
Yes oh my goodness it fits perfectly😂😂
How did I not think about that?! It makes total sense.
Good point
Lol it fits at first
You are and that makes you a damn genius!
I love "Flip The Premise". It has helped me so much as a writer. Almost every book I wrote is thanks to the technique.
I've begun to do this with my own story ideas as well. It has helped me figure out what the actual point of the story was in any given story. I don't always stick with the flipped version, but it allows me to understand what the characters actually want and what I want to say with these characters and their story.
I once found a story idea in my dream. I saw a scene and got up thinking what happened to these people? How did they feel? And why did they do this? I ended up with a feature film idea.
Lucky you. I've never been able to recover those kinds of ideas.
Yeah, getting story ideas from your dreams are much more motivating to keep on writing than watching a movie.
Have you made it?
@@maruwapofilms815 I was making it before I decided to stop and replan it all again. I am more familiar to short than feature that's why. Do you want to make it?
@@ArabicSora What do you mean by do I want to make it?
Perfect timing. I've been struggling finding ideas. Ideas that challenge me.
god’s timing is always right. i was just thinking how to get an idea wow
parsa sadeghizadeh Same!
Is TH-cam’s algorithm god in this situation?
Wow! Where did god come from?! Confirmation bias much?
haha¡¡ same¡
@@blakebackes there always one of you everywhere, always just shanking it
I sometimes watch porn and develop a story from there
Rukysees sᴀᴍᴇ
Lol 😂
watcha doing *stepbro*
Does your story end with a splash?
Wait... Don't answer that.
@@MookieMc Checkout my channel and you will find out
You know, I wrote my first screenplay with this method. It wasn't entierly like this, I did it with more vague plot ideas and characters, but close. About legit flipping an already existant concept I never thought it would be effective, but you've given me reasons to think otherwise.
Ideas aren't a problem for me right now. Fleshing them out and actually writing them are the problem. Thanks though! This idea rocks!
ME TOO!!
EXT. PRIDE ROCK - DAY
A young lion cub, MUFASA, walks to his father, Ahadi, who gazes off into the distance.
A: Mufasa, my son, sit with me.
Mufasa sits with his father.
A: Everything the light touches is our kingdom.
M: Whoa...
A: A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Mufasa, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king.
In a dark cave behind them, a small lion cub with a large (and fresh) scratch across his left eye stares at his abusive father and neglectful brother with sadness and contempt. His faint, restrained gentle sobbing echoes in the cave.
Sam Souyave-Murphy whoa. Plot twist.
iS iT tHe LiOn KiNG?!!?
Wow. This is honestly a great idea. I was expecting more meme comments, but I'm lowkey interested in seeing this fully developed. Lol
Orangeguy587 Thanks, mate.
This is what Disney should have made instead of a live-action remake
Disney, please hire this man
Your facebook group has motivated me to write so much more!
And me to actually take my idea seriously and start my research and plotting.
Same here
By the way, thanks for this tip. It makes it easier to give myself permission to find struggles for protagonists and respectable goals for antagonists.
The moment I start searching for videos on tips for brainstorming screenplay ideas this is uploaded, the screenwriting gods smile down upon me today
it's like all your uploads read my mind, I really needed this. thank you for existing
You’re amazing, your videos have helped me get motivated to write more screenplays. I still don’t know how to start a script in script format and all that kind of stuff but I’m only 14 so i’ll make it one day, and that’s of course with your help.
Have you written screenplays? At age 14? I'm 15 and I've only written one first draft which I barely finished 3 days ago. Tell me your secret to write more.
Alejandro Cabrera What is the most difficult part for you
@@officialfadi No part in particular. I sometimes don't find the motivation. Other times I don't know what to write. That sort of thing
Alejandro Cabrera You just have to wait for the story to hit you, then write. Never start writing because you have to, be patient and when the story hits you, you’ll write it without seeking motivation
@@darryl0745 Dunno if it can be helpfull to you. I always works on two projects at the same time. So when i lose the motivation for one of my scripts, i shift between them. The back side to this, you can end up having 10 unfinished project. Maybe a writing group could also be helpfull. You can learn alot from giving feedback to others. Sometimes can feedback from other aspiring writers help moving you to find the motivation again because one point something out in your script, that creates a new idea to the specific story.
Dude I literally searched for this type of video yesterday, reads my mind
I agree 100%. It's been killing me down all the years. Thanks.
I really want to thank you for putting so much efforts in order to pass on knowledge of Screenwriting👍👍
Very interesting insight, Tyler! I have since started a script based on two rival companies trying to get the upper hand on the next, essentially. It's a short and I'm not sure if this is where the story will end up being about, as I've shifted from many different concepts prior to starting. Though, I like your idea of using a concept and flipping it around to get a different perspective. I also loved your insight on the grey characters. Not many super hero films do that, but the ones that do, I tend to appreciate a lot more of.
Great content, Tyler. My idea was a reverse apocalypse. In apocalypses, the infrastructure collapses ridiculously fast. I wondered, what if the infrastructure was self-healing and so robust, you couldn't get it to collapse if you wanted? The heroes are hippies and DIY types who just want to blow up the grid and be left alone, but it always returns and finds them. I wrote it and after 16 rejections it got published in Analog Magazine. True story.
Cool what's this called if I may ask? So I can read it ofc.
@@adrithmanvik1853 Thanks for asking It's called "Fingers" and it's in Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Analog.
This video opens for me a whole new way of thinking about how to view stories and how I can create new ones. Thanks dude! Appreciate it.
Holy crap, I was just trying to come up with story ideas and was struggling with it, thank you!
When an evil witch in a magical land tries to control the weather a tornado gets out of hand and carries her house to the far away land of Kansas where it lands on a young girl thus killing her. While her family is devastated by this the witch is quickly befriended by the dead girl's forgiving sister who helps the witch find her way back to the magical land.
You're using already existing stories. Is this method also a good idea in a way like: I should think of an idea for a story; outline/write that story, and then flip *that* story around?
You can just think of any chiche movie idea, then flip it around.
IMO, yes. Also, Pixar said it helps to imagine what wouldn't happen next, and I've gotten some good ideas that way. Albeit with a bit of remixing.
This has nothing to do with the story but I have an idea that I’ve wanted to share for a good bit. It’s a short film where we suddenly open to our main character frozen in place. The thing is, we have frozen in time at the very moment s/he decided to commit suicide via gunshot. We then go on a journey where the character desperately tries to hold onto the world around them as long as they can before it fades into a white expanse. The film would be told through a free flowing one take and an ongoing monologue (I know this is impossible without a long sum of money). We then go on the journey as the character learns that he must let go and accept the mistake they made in committing suicide. The film would end once the white expanse takes over where we suddenly cut to the moment before the character shoots themself. However, this sudden jump back the character pulls the trigger again, starting the incident all over again. My interpretation is that they would eventually escape this cycle but it could also be interpreted this character is stuck in an infinite purgatory.
Do you believe this story has potential and how could I work on it? If I do write it it would be more of a personal project than one I would realistically make.
This is the first time I writing a synopsis of it so even the idea is probably not fully formed.
5:09 That’s interesting. However, I somewhat disagree with this statement...keyword: somewhat. You’re still right, but it can still be very compelling to see a character endure great tests. A character without flaw is not necessarily a character that makes decisions with no consequence. For example, a character that stands for the truth in a world where doing so is dangerous, and the world comes after him, gradually resorting to more drastic measures as the character endures.
A flawless character also doesn’t mean a story is devoid of tension either. Conflict reveals character. If your flawless character is uninteresting, then put them through something that will show the audience how interesting they really are.
I love your videos man!
I think the concept behind 'dont breathe' is flipped version of 'home alone'
പൊളി
@@ChihiroOgino 😁
You are a gem bro, your videos helping me to reach my goals
It's worth adding that Max Landis had an entire video about this around 4 years ago.
This was one of the best episode. Damn good bro
Finally a good answer to that question I had for a few months. It is like you hear my question and made a video with my answer. Thank you a lot!!!!!
I found you because TH-cam's algorithm, in your video of screenwriting's structure and immediately you found me awesome! Your explanations are really clear although my english isn't the best (i'm from Argentina) but i do all i can and even then i really love your content. I hope you get 100'k subscribers 'cause you deserve it and i hope you can continue making these videos... Congratulations!
I believe I understand. For example, I am currently in a thinking progress of a young teenager that has a big destiny keeping multiple demons, crime lords, and earth destroying gods at bay alongside with his sensei and best friend. I call it, “The Ninja.”
Recently, I’ve had another idea that focuses on the main characters sensei growing up as a killing machine and assassin. He is twisted most of the time, but along the way, his heart opens up to others.
Thank you! I was just thinking of a story set In the wild west. It would've been about a former outlaw, who betrayed his gang's sadistic leader years ago. Now he hears that the leader Is still alive and tries to get revenge on everyone who betrayed him.
Now the story will be from the leader's perspective thus making it much more interesting.
I thought the shawshank redemption one was about Paddington 2
Great technique! It forces you to be creative!
Flip the premise and you've got a new idea ! Great suggestion.
A noble warrior sees his world decay due to overpopulation. Tries to prevent the same thing happening to the universe by seeking a way to halve the population of the universe (starting with bad guys, murderers). - Toxic renegade vigilantes all over the universe try to stop him.
Hey bro.. your videos are helping me a lot in screenwriting... keep going
i was doubting this at first but then i thought about the shining, imagine you're a demon just chilling in a hotel over winter with the whole thing to yourself because the guests have finally left and a recovering alcoholic with daddy issues moves in with his wife that doesn't trust him and his son that keeps running around having visions and fainting everywhere
as queen of the fairyies my magic is always on the surface, ready to pop. when i found out i didnt get an invitation, i couldnt contain my magic anymore... one thing lead to another and the girl was sleeping for several years
Maybe a good example to use is The Chronicles of Narnia. C. S. Lewis was a devout Christian and took inspiration from the Bible when writing the books. He described the series as a “supposal”. Basically, he told the reader to imagine if there was a world like Narnia and how Jesus would come to that world.
Thank God I know this channel! Thank you bro, every time I need inspiration to make a film this is where I go! Keep doing this videos pls. I hope you become big!
Hi, I’m 12 years old and when I’m older I want to be a director. I would really love to start writing a short film screenplay. It would be a phycological thriller about some one turning insane. Any ideas? Thx!!!!!
You should research mental illnesses and see which one is interesting to explore.
I recommend Polanski's Repulsion (It's on TH-cam) and one of my favorite movies ever A Woman Under the Condition (The one on YT has the ending cut, but you can easily find a site to look it up). These movies don't focus on a diagnosis, but on the feeling. I think that is very important for a movie about that, you can see the example with the big success of Joker, which dealt with 'insanity' in a smooth and natural, human way. Focus on the sensation of insanity, and maybe you can blend different symptons from different conditions, because, no one person is the same, and no mental disorder works the same, each person shows 'em differently. I also really wanted to write stories about that in your age, and that's maybe part of why I'm in college decided to focus my studies on psychiatric and forensics sciences, my creative and artistic outlook on it turned into a real "dayjob" interest for that. I think I'm still as intrigued with making stories about "insanity" as I had before. Some recommendations that I give you, which are things that I been doing for some years to get some inspiration for it but also because I like doing those things is watching youtube channels from psychologists, mental health pros, one I found here in my subs list that focuses on narcissists and the consequences on their victims is Stephanie Lynn Coaching, I like that one, and you can find some terribly hurt people in the comment section, and learn from the sensibility of their words. There was a big one I forgot the name, he covers pop culture people and characters some times, It's a guy with glasses. But there are other channels like his that will explain mental illnesses, so you can learn something about that and gather the ideas that you like from them. Some true crime videos also help, with the reaction of families, the trauma and stress in them. One thing that also helps a real damn lot is the channel special book by special children, it has people with every rare conditions, and the honest style of the videos, covering their feelings of being "different" and accepting it, gives me ideas for stories about people who feel like they are "wrong" (there was an interview with a sociopath boy there, definetly check it out for inspiration on apathy like that). But I'll tell you one thing, writing specifically about one illness is more difficult and more limiting, so I'd say especially if you want to experiment with that for now, you'd have a better time writing with a more broad sense of "losing one's mind", so you can mix up inspiration from different sources and make a more psychological thriller kind of story. Have fun and good luck. Sorry for the long post.
If you want it to be a short film maybe create movie around a vlog or fake journal. A few entries in the journal and we see the main character descend into madness. Maybe someone who thinks they are the victim of gang stalking. Look it up if you don’t know what it is. Some people think that groups of strangers follow them around all day
I'll do it for my favourite film.
It's about a hippy with violent tendencies, that gets a job and becomes civilised.
Fight Club. 🤣
I subbed to this channel you’re great help, I get most of my ideas from dreams stuff I could never think of during the day, some I get ideas from other shows and “flip the premise.”
It's twisted , but really clever idea. Loved it!!
You’re so helpful I really need to work on a new story on webtoon
Btw I never been this early and love your content keep up the good tips!
big thanks for everything brother! alway enjoy hearing what you have to say
Thank you!
Yes Thank you but not quite the exact thing I was looking for but it did help quite a bit with a story that I was writing
I dont want to post this because I have had a story taken from me and they posted it as their own but my story is about something that seems so unoriginal because its too common. Main Plot: A detective from Los Angeles returns to his hometown to take on a case of a missing teen. As he investigates further and further, dark secrets of the towns past spill out, but he notices all 9 missing and murder investigations all have connections to his hometown, lurking deep in the shadows
This is how great ideas are generated-
1.A metal object or a Ring..What If the ring is not used to propose (Good) but to be beared by an Evil entity.(Evil) a object which is represented as Love is changed into a Object which is represented as evil.
2 . I am watching lord of the rings and I quite liked Gandalf the 'Wizard' I thought I wish I can become a Wizard like him with powers..What if everyone can be a Wizard or learn to be a Wizard..Hmm 'learning' ya schools is where we learn new things,let's combine it and say Wizardry school.
See Life has it all even you can take a small petal of a flower and give a world behind it.
Those shelves are cool
I like how you act and also how to delivered the speech very clear thank you I'm gonna learn about this hope more videos 🙏🇵🇭
Tyler I have been looking for something like this for a while now. I recently wrote and complete my first actually screenplay and would love for you to read it.
Jesus I actually remember doing this once. About five years ago, I rewrote the forest scene at the end of Deathly Hallows from Narcissa Malfoy's POV.
I can assure you his first example of the Dark Knight flipped works because they did that in the comic story line "Batman: White Knight" and it's exactly as how he described it. - premise wise.
I’ll have to look into it! Thanks!
You're really tallented! This is my 2nd favorite video of yours.
Hey Tyler, how does one know if screenwriting is for them, and how did you know.
I liked writing. I liked telling stories. The more I did it, the more my desire to do it grew. Sometimes I hate it. Sometimes it’s frustrating. But ultimately I like the challenge. And I like expressing my ideas in a story.
@@TylerMowery let's say if you can come up with a idea for a story, sometimes good or sometimes basic but with no effort you can get the idea, does that mean that you have a talent in it?
Thank you, today I had a little existential crisis.. And now I think that I will take the jump and start my screenwriting journey. Don't know for sure if it's for me but I have been thinking about it way to much and learning a lot about film and I feel like I have something to say. So I am going to try.
Putting that out into the universe
@@joshuadaniel8456 It's been a year, are you still writing?
This is a really good idea
u should be adding test with point on screen for precise understanding
Isn’t this exactly what Max Landis said a couple of years ago in a video?
Yes, he did.
I don’t know when you posted this video. But the producers of the Joker movie owe you money
Tyler, great video again! I'd love to hear your perspective on "I Am David," i feel it's a very gripping story with interesting cuts. I'd love to hear any feedback you have on how you'd recreate that emotion!
When you mentioned The Martian was my first thought "Hmmm it could be funny to have a story from the perspective of a planet." One in my writing group works on a short story about living island. I really love how you can reach a level of so far out, that it becomes weired in a good way. xD :D :P
But yaer. The whole flipping around is a good advice. Short stories are what i write for the most time and sometimes to shake thing up i take a trope and flip it around. For instance. A story about two who have been in a relationship and becomes not close friends but can be in the same room. It actually force you as a writer to be creative to what could a conflict between those to characters be or how would that after relationsship relationship influence the characters.
Yes i know. Kinda weired way to say it in the ending. Was not entirily sure how to write it in proper english. xD
Its been almost a century since the overthrow of the theocratic mages who ruled the kingdoms of the known world. The King of the Red Islands watched the Divine Avatar of these mages die before him, and taking this moment, moved to attack the Mountain Tribes that this leader of the mages would be reincarnated into. After a long and bloody war the mountain people were almost wiped out.
The Emperor is expanding his rule over more of the land, replacing theocracy and mage-rule with a meritocratic civil service, rolling out education for all, and trying to create a more civic sense of nationalism that will unite the known world, making it harder for the mages to ever divide and rule them again. So committed he was to this project that he required of his children (natural born mages, as he is) that they publicly make a virtue of their discipline and control, because if rule it be lie outwith the hands of mages, mages must show that they will not use their magic to exert control. His daughter is beloved by the people, as she is disciplined and controlled and has never wielded her magic in punishment or anger, only in defence of the liberated lands. The Emperor was forced to exile his son, however, as he was furious and uncontrolled, and too eager to join soldiers in conquest, rather than liberation.
News has reached the Emperor's ears, however, that some of the mountain folk have survived... the leader of the Old Order of Mages is among them...
Avatar, the Last Airbender.
talk about writing for tv!!!
When you said to flip the premise I was already thinking of TDK.
Not every character can be grey. Some people are pure evil or good or are at least remembered as such. Puting a face to a destructive force helps people recontextualize complex ideas.
Hello Brother
Your videos are helpful
I have a story in my head that is basically SheRa but the character in Catra's position is the protag. The idea is basically that 2 very close friends realize the org/nation they were raised by is not good and one leaves. The other investigates and learns that the person at the top truly believes in the ideals they say they do and stays as a commanding officer to build their version of a perfect world. I would want it to be sympathetic to most people who act according to ideals while still having people in the "Evil Empire" that are pure evil. I would also not want to ultimately justify the MC's actions and let the audience decide if what they did was wrong or not. I however do not know how this story would go or who would win as it is just a fragment of a story idea.
(I had this idea long before I watched this video as in... 3 days ago)
I have been watching of few of your videos now after just discovering you (must be the government at work because I was looking into this stuff literally yesterday). I feel the helpfulness in the videos and it's all useful but everything still feels like uncharted territory? tips?
Can you please make a video on the format of screenplay writing? I have am idea in place, I just don't know how to format it in the form of a script which I can distribute to the crew. I'm trying to make a short film.
Great idea!! This helps
Interesting the way you described your antagonist twist on the protagonist of shawshank redemption is similar to the protagonist Piper from orange is the new black. Great video.
You deserve more subs man!
Too be honest it's pretty easy to make batman the villian
His a billionair who beats up the poor and mentally ill while wearing a bat costume ...... ..
It's such a good idea. Thank you Tyler for sharing it
A powerless kid with amazing technology is brutally rejected by their Super idol and realizes the corruption of Superheroes. They develop technology for the common people so they can rise up and take matters into their own hands.
This is syndrome, right?
This is a great idea!
This is fucking genius. I'm gonna sub thank you so much.
I see Tyler video I click like
You should make a video about parasite and how it uses themes to tell a story
Joker, but that Bruce Wayne kid is the good guy or something.
I'd kind of want to see Aliens from Burke's perspective. "It was a bad call, Ripley. A BAD call..."
I'm going to use your Batman premise, but I'll make it an original "reversed" superhero story.
The story you’re came up with is pretty much the plot of Darkwing Duck’s one episode where he almost kills his daughter Goslyn. Does anyone remember that dark episode.
Hi tyler , i want to ask you something.. before that, i want to thanks for such wonderful videos that you have made for a long time.. i want to ask you, how if we got so many ideas and we think all of them are interesting, how can we pick one of them to focus on and developing it to be a screen play? In my case, i want to make a short screenplay
Great content!👌
By the way the TV show Sherlock (which is for me the best written TV in my opinion) flipped the premise many times in a couple episodes and that made the story really interesting and revamped it, in a way.
Great video! This was very helpful and inspired me! Thank you.
And I was just thinking about that, reading minds, are you now, my friend?
This is my response for Tyler's exercise.
A group of eco warriors fight to save the planet, but discover that the planet actually is a sentient entity that wants to kill people for food, and sadistic pleasure. Click "Read more" to see what I came up with by developing it just a tiny bit more.
I realized that this basically the Matrix, if we use the Matrix instead of the planet; the idea being that the world isn't something to be protected.
A powerful Jedi, betrayed by his order and almost killed, finds himself switching teams when he wakes up with four robotic limbs and a cool new mask. Together, he and his new master bring peace and order to the galaxy, battling against the infamous rebel alliance. When he discovers the identity of the hero who rose to lead the rebellion, he is faced with a horrible choice.
This is a fun exercise, makes me think of Grendel.
NICE VIDEO!!!