I love this: "the choice is between what they want, which is outside of themselves, and what they need, which is always within." Beautifully said, Alan!
He is absolutely right about the first mistake people make in an outline. I personally fell into this trap of plotting and ended up with dead characters, who were just serving the plot. With asking the right questions including making my characters have a dilemma instead of a problem, I was able to make my story very character driven and it's so much more interesting now. These interviews are so valuable in my writing process!
He's so right cause boy oh boy i been kinda stuck. This is really good advice and it reminds me of one of the older interviews where he spoke about just creating the world that the story takes place in. Visualization really is important
I have a warm/cold relationship with this channel. On one hand, the interviewees are all consultants and teachers that make their living off of other writers. I don’t trust their rules or guidelines. But on the other hand, the interviewees are people that read and work on a lot of scripts and they sometimes make a very good point about why certain things happen. My policy with these videos is to be skeptical of rules or guidelines or anything that sounds like a PowerPoint presentation, but to listen out for interesting tidbits. Like his point here about how “writers often write passive protagonists, because writers are themselves passive people IRL” hits the nail on the head in regards to so many writers. Stuff like that flags me on what to watch out for in my own writing; to not assume that my thought process is the same as the protagonist’s. This is one of those channels that I’m skeptical of but begrudgingly check in on because it’s sometimes informative.
SamWallace Art What do you mean by “ They make a living off of other writers?” Would you like a carpenter to come for an interview instead? Seems like your IQ is lower than your shoe number. Nobody needs your money or forcing you to buy something. They’re sharing information that they think will be helpful. Get over yourself.
@@bluerabbit1236 Your comment is awfully ironic. The OP expressed skepticism about a publically accessible video (oh no!) while acknowledging that they still found value in it. You, however, had nothing positive or constructive to say: you bothered to insult them because you do not believe they should be voicing even the mildest of criticisms about something they are not paying for. Why can't you stand their choice to post, but feel obligated to spill out all your negativity? No one asked for your opinion. And honestly it's a lot less useful than the OP. You really need to get over yourself and learn how to speak to people as a level-headed, respectful person.
Great advice but I’m often reminded what William Wyler said to Charlton Heston during filming of Ben-Hur, ‘I want you to be better in this scene, Chuck. I don’t know how you must be better but you must be better.’ Tough!
He's right that when I outline, I think I'm figuring out the plot. However, due to my life with a day job, I am forced to think about the world long before I touch a keyboard.
My experience also. I find it helpful to sit and think about characters so I can piece things together in my head and then jot down notes about the ideas that I have for a few weeks before I start writing proper.
get The 90-Day Screenplay. You might be shocked how much knowledge Alan Watt is . Outlining outright just does not work because you don't know your characters yet .
He’s spot on and his advice on character creating plot, not vice versa, is so strong. Really helpful. I do a lot of flat out prose writing and day dreaming before I outline. He’s totally right.
I agree with this approach for novel writing too. It’s how I approached my novel, and so much great stuff spilled out of how I envisioned my protagonist in his world.
John Updike said for a writer, the two happiest moments are when they get an idea, and drives around imagining the story, and when the finished book comes through his mail slot from the publisher.
Thanks for watching. Alan is a terrific interview. Glad we had this opportunity and we are happy to share his story and experiences. He makes us look good.
@@bluerabbit1236 Cool, yeah we love our interview with Alan Watt. We had a great time with him and we're happy to share his teachings. Hope the book helps your process.
I am SO grateful that he gave an example! Especially with a film that almost everyone knows. Examples are so helpful when trying to apply a theory. It just opens up understanding so much more. When I am in the process of learning something, anything, I look for examples. Great explanation and example of the dilemma! He also said, ''If you try to figure it out you're going to get stuck.'' and then gave an example of how to not figure it out but to imagine your protagonist at the end of the story. I just got unstuck! Thanks so much!
Whatever you call it, it IS the Hero's Journey, just with a looser, more character-centric approach. I absolutely agree with everything you're saying and it's absolutely eye-opening for me because I've battled with trying to pigeonhole my character into the map of the journey instead of the other way 'round. Bravo!
@@gentlegoat6663 That sounds right. I just wondered if I were missing something. Maybe there was some subtle thing that would've made it make sense. Ah well. Thanks for the reply!
@@Ahabite I believe he's trying to say that we should understand structural plot points from a character perspective. Something like "don't lose the character in the outline", make the plot points about the character not because they're part of a pre-made structure paradigm. Which makes sense, everything in a story should be intertwined, so if you try to force a character into a situation it won't work. But I think he misses the importance of structure. Plot, character and world, those are the elements of a story. If you miss any of those then the story will suffer. But the central idea that plot points should be also be about the character is a good one.
Alan’s explanation was very eye opening. I always thought of story development as a formula, and have been stuck ever since. His perspective and teaching structure makes so much sense. Thank you for this.
My simple relationship with this channel is to skim through the content based on video title - and the Producers do a great job of getting the title right. Every time a title has attracted me, I’ve found what I need within the video.
For character-based dramas, it goes without saying that you should start with the characters, but I can't imagine a film like _Inception_ or _E.T._ being written that way. These films are memorable because of the peculiar circumstances of the plot, which would probably work even if the characters had a different set of inner demons to overcome along the way.
To an extent I agree, but these two films also follow the guideline idea Alan Watt is presenting about character as plot in this interview video clip. In Inception the character of the son of the one Corporate Empire Owner/CEO father, whose dream is eventually invaded and manipulated for inception to take place, wants to externally follow his father’s footsteps and do well running his father’s company, but instead he has to internally find the confidence in himself to make the decision to forge a new path and create his own career and empire. This character’s desire and decision concerning change is the basis and crux of the plot of the film, in addition to the competitor CEO’s desire to manipulate his competition and his decision to trust others and partake in the dirty work. I believe that’s sort of what Alan Watt is getting at here, the struggle to satisfy outward desires and the inward change and transformation that must take place for whatever intended outcome of the story. How to apply that to the characters in E.T. though.. I’m not so sure..
@@nathanlawrence7319 Inception certainly has strong characters who have motivations that propel the plot forward nicely, but I strongly suspect Christopher Nolan started the writing process with ideas like having waking people enter a person's dreams and the whole dream within dream concept, and only then worked on finding a set of motives his characters could have to engage in those kinds of activities. It seems unlikely that it was the other way around and he had the characters first and only then went about looking for a set of circumstances in which those issues could play out.
cavalrycome that’s a great point. I could also see a distinction there, being that what he first had was a “premise” to a story, the environment and types of actions that will take place, and in this instance that people can travel into dreams within dreams to alter people’s subconscious, and that the “story” is the characters, their desires and journeys, and transformations. That’s my general understanding of how screenwriting works at least and what Alan Watt is sort of saying here. But then these things and terms can easily be conflated and interconnected, so in a way this become a semantical dance, that’s still helpful to consider when creating stories
@@nathanlawrence7319 I agree that a lot of this comes down to what exactly people mean by 'character' and 'plot'. Yet another distinction that I think helps to clarify thoughts on this is between how a writer goes about structuring a story versus how nature chains events together in real life. In real life, causes always precede their effects, and although a writer can work this way too, starting at the beginning and working towards the end, they are like the gods of their fictional world so can also start at the end and work backwards if they want to, starting with consequences and then inventing characters and motives that produce those consequences. Regardless of the order in which the ideas come, the result should always be that the story reads from start to finish like the character's motives propel them down the path they take, but if you impose a rule on yourself as a writer that says you should always develop the characters first and then just let them create conflict among themselves, there is a risk that they'll never get around to doing anything particularly interesting. Instead, I think it is perfectly reasonable to allow the creative process to work in both directions so that decisions about the motivations of characters are informed by where the writer wants to take them AND where the writer decides to take them are informed by the motivations they've built into the characters.
cavalrycome I totally agree and that’s a really great point. To keep passionate, creative interest alive in one’s writing process one must embrace the freedom of creativity and natural progression of thoughts and connections to occur. Rules and regulations are helpful for people who need to get started, or have gotten uncomfortably lost, or stuck, or uninspired somewhere along the way in their storytelling, at which point these guidelines and advices are imperative and extremely useful. Otherwise, you’re right, it’s important to allow the mind to wander where it may at times without pushing all one’s thoughts into a gridlocked system and process. It’s an interesting rule or suggestion I feel like I’m hearing from many of these screenwriters or consultants online in these types of interviews, to strictly follow a certain linear order of particular stages in the writing process or else suffer failure. I understand and appreciate descriptions and advice on these different stages and strategies, and I can see how significantly central the character themself is to the entire story and thusly should be extremely well developed for the entire film or story to work, that’s true and great, but in reality the brain doesn’t naturally work that way, as ideas often pop up out of nowhere and the writer’s interest and focus can easily switch between different elements and stages in the process and to force the brain to stop in its tracks and adhere to a strict consecutive schedule of story development seems to be restrictive and not creative. On that note, an artist and a book I just thought of that sort of addresses this notion, which I enjoy, is David Lynch’s “Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.” A pretty great little book that talks about creativity and the mind and being open to allowing it to wander and go where it needs to go, to enjoy writing and to catch those big ideas
I start with, where is my protagonist in his/her life emotionally when we first meet them? I hardly ever outline, only one when I wrote a crime/drama and was a necessity to keep an inventory of the clues of the murder. I never know what happens after the first scene and that is the fun part, the surprise element, its like seeing a film for the first time. Love this guy, amazing examples to back up his argument. Will order his back. Thank YOU, Film Courage and please send my gratitude to Mr. Watt for taking the time and gift us with his knowledge of screenwriting.
This is one of the most helpful videos I've watched on understanding what makes a story have depth and forward movement that naturally flows. Thank you.
To answer the question posed at the end of the video, yes, I do live in my characters' world, usually for months (and sometimes longer) before I start outlining or thinking about plot points. I need to know what their essential conflict is: what do they think they want and what do they really need? Is this a comedy or dramedy, in which they ultimately get what they need? Or is this a true tragedy, where they move away from their inner needs? How do I want it to end? I'm not talking about a plot point necessarily, but what is the protagonist's feeling at the end? What have they overcome? How have they changed? I create a Pinterest board to build a visual world for the characters, and I also create my own personal soundtracks. It helps me live inside their world to figure out the identity vs. essence issues.
Immersing myself in the world of my characters, both within my imagination, research, and real physical location scouting, is such a wonderful feeling. And sound is a huge part of the inspiration, motivation, and world building in the process. I spend a lot of time searching for sounds and music that fits the tones and moods of sequences and scenes in my films and stories, and it breathes life into the story for me, so I can feel it and I love that. @Patricia Salem, that’s so cool you create your own soundtracks. What programs do you use or could you recommend for recording or mixing? I’ve experimented with music for awhile now, but have only gotten more serious and interested in recording since I’ve been creating films, and I want to create and record / mix my own songs and soundtracks for my films too. But some of the recording/mixing software programs look wack. Is Adobe Audition good? Just curious to know if you might have any recording/mixing software recommendations you could share, would love to hear about them. Keep on creating and best wishes with your writing! Cheers!
He's right when he says that what alot of screenwriters are missing is the development of the characters. I even think he's right to say it should be your starting point in an outline, however I think it is incredibly disingenuous to dismiss the importance of your plot development in the script as well. One of them is not intrinsically more important than the other. Think of it like building a house. The first thing you do is build the foundation, It is the thing that holds everything up and without it everything falls apart, think of that as the characters to your story. Now think of the plot as the walls to the house. While it is true that you should lay the groundwork first and I would not want to live in a house with a weak foundation. I also would not want to live in a house with cardboard walls, because that house is equally undeveloped. If a house only has a foundation it be may further along than a house that doesn't but it's still not finished until it has those other elements. At the heart of a story is conflict. You should have conflict in your characters, and you should have conflict in your plot, and as a writer your outline should reflect that. It is your job to organize and overlap a series of ever evolving conflicts in a way that is satisfying for the audience. If your outline fails to do that then you haven't finished your blueprint yet.
I’ve watched a bunch of these and he’s right, no one’s teaching what he does. And it’s simple but profound. I love the principle that the character’s dilemma drives the plot; maybe it even generates good plot ideas for the writer ?
5:55 - you want a PROACTIVE protagonist, not a active one. You can be active, but not proactive = problem. And passive characters should be removed all together (unless they support the protagonist in specific way).
Great video. I tend to imagine my world and character long before I write, but then my mind goes to the plot when I outline. This is a really articulate way of explaining how character suggests plot, not the other way around. I'll definitely try this approach in my rewrite.
Yuss! Writing an outline could stifle your creativity. You need to write about characters that make choices, not a plot/world that gives the characters decisions.
He is so right. Outline is like mapping out the direction of the story. Like a journey by car, we sometimes meet up with obstacles on the way (like road closures/accidents/ etc. Then we have to think outside of the box to get back on track. No point starting the journey without a map though. A writer has to know the story from start to finish. What happens in between is where the writer's imagination and skill is put to the test. Generally speaking, the film script isn't useable until it has been through at least 20 drafts. And, in the case of my one and only screenplay "Crispin Wheeler" - lodged at the Library of Congress gathering dust for the last decade or more, it never will reach the silver screen. lol
Wonderful insights and encouragement, it sounds like a much more genuine and natural approach. Thank you so much! I also love how he basically summed up The Count of Monte Cristo 6:42-7:43
This makes me feel so much better about my weird process haha. I’ll have a rough idea for a story, but then I walk around on my lunch break for a week or two thinking about the characters and how they would interact, what they would say, how they would say it, if they would say it or not. I put them in situations leading up to the things I want to happen, and sometimes that develops the plot, sometimes not. I actually have most of it figured out in my head before I ever write anything down. If it sticks with me, I know I’m gonna be interested in writing it, if I forget about it, then I know it’s probably not what I wanna do.
Just did it while watching. Realized a gap. Somethings I thought were too hard to explain I have left out. But I truly believe my imagination is boundless. And then it came to me. Boo ya!
I think I see his point. I was stuck at the ending of my novel because the original planned ending no longer fit. I was in despair, trying to think of an alternative way to say what the original ending tried to say. I couldn't. I finally reversed my thinking by asking: What does the protagonist represent? What does he want to achieve? And what needs to happen to achieve it? It worked.
@@filmcourage "Congrats on completing the novel Erik! Interesting to see you share part of your process here. " Thanks for saying that. The points in the video can apply equally to novels as to screenplays, no?
Once I have a kernel of a story idea, I let it ruminate and brew in my head, forming the concept. The main character(s) and world appear out of that. Once I have the concept framed, I start the outline.
I bought the 90-day novel and found it to be one of the most useful how-to-write-a-book books I've ever read. There is a lot of good advice in there that really helps you get to the heart of your story and write something meaningful.
@@mrs.meadow1718 True, but this interview was done this past summer - apparently. So he's had ample time to reassess his opinion of his perspective. Instead, he doubled down.
I think this gentleman is talking about the importance of using the power of our imagination to lead our story rather than our - which Einstein talked about when he said that that you cannot use the same level of consciousness of where the problem came from to the same level consciousness for the solution; so that's why he is telling us we shouldn't outline our plot but outline the overall spiritual journey our protagonist experienced.
Don't agree with everything said but he just helped me TREMENDOUSLY with that part about the midpoint... damn, Daniel! Thank you! Also, the part about choosing between what i want and need.......
You can't solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that created the problem. So maybe we start with a great premise, unique set up at one level but to resolve it - you have to go much deeper (or perhaps higher). There are so many takeaways from this interview.
ABSOLUTELY!!! Okay, yes... I'm a GM (Game Master for the uninitiated)... AND that means I spend a HUGE amount of time doing mostly "worldbuilding"... That's the deal. It's something I'm pretty good at. BUT there's still a fair amount of story involved. From legends, lore, folk-tales, nursery rhymes (when that's a thing)... ALL of it comes from me. It is (after all) my job to build the world/setting... and then I get to integrate the Players' Characters, their backstories (however askewed those get...lolz) into that world and as the game unfolds I'm detailed with telling the Players' Stories for them. Dice take care of the "randomness" from having a skill or ability (I can do it) to the concrete tangible effort (I actually DO it this time)... They take away the burden of judgment from my shoulders and keep the "game" fair... because heroes have to struggle, or it's no longer a story about heroes, but a chore we did. (make sense?) SO I like this convo' about outlining, because I think I may have slipped into this same pitfall of concepts myself... probably why I don't fare so well in constructing a publishable work like a novel or screenplay... I can contribute plenty, easily... always have. BUT putting the thing together entirely on my own... not really so much. Games, are different... There's just so much that lies squarely on the Players to do... I can happily construct worlds, monsters, gangs and affiliations, politics, religions, cults, factions...etc...etc...etc...etc...etc... AND wait for them to find whatever is interesting at the moment and go after it. I tell THEIR stories... infusing the occasional tidbits of my own along the way as appropriate (or comically when completely inappropriate... because LOLZ damnit) BUT yes, I spend a LONG time considering the world I'm working on in a mental explorative sense before I've bothered to set the first pen to paper, pencil to diagram or grid, or typed even the first header for the first section of general concepts. ;o)
@@scarlet8078 It's an adequate description, though I do some "contributing writer" stuff, too... at least in the professional sense. If you look up Matt Mercer (He's fairly well known) over in Geek & Sundry, that's a fair visual of my function "in game"... Of course, it comes with a lot of "out of game" activity, which supports the "Designer" term, too... but we (GM's in general) all get into that. ;o)
At 1:36 when he talks about "imagining the world that your character lives in" I wonder how he wants to accomplish this. Is this all in your head? Do you start writing out scenes that the character is in? Do you write random interactions down that the character has in this world? When he says that outlining the idea of your story will lead you to get stuck, I just nodded my head. That is exactly where I am. I like my premise and the world but when I started to write out plot points it got unwieldy and then I hit a block. I like his delivery and the way he presents the concepts simply.
awesome advices !! now I'll start from the world of my story because honestly I'm not making any advice by overthingking the plot, you did it again Film Courage
Right? I've been following FilmCourage when they were at 24K subscribers, and figured this would be naturally phased out as they grew. Absolutely grateful for their content, but I figured this would've been a thing of the past, seeing how quickly they've grown in the last couple years. Again, absolutely appreciate the non-stop positivity this channel brings to screenwriting.
This reminds me of a Black Sabbath docu about their Paranoid album. Some songs started with just one simple riff then build the melody off that, then they still don't even know what the song is about until the lyrics are written. But it can just need that one tiny seed to germinate into an entire song, sometimes within a day or two.
At the risk of seeming argumentative, i gotta say-so much of this sounds like the type of theoretical stuff that just as often leads to formula as anything else. Like, surely you can identify two examples out of a hundred years of cinema where this approach works. But, if i'm looking at a list of my favorite films, i'm gonna guess that those writers, more often than not, had a premise, wrote themselves dry and got stuck, and then 'figured out' a series of solutions. Maybe my point is that this is just another strategy, not an empirically correct way of doing things. And it seems to drain the 'art' out of the process. But, maybe it's just the right type of approach for people who don't organically think schematically-in ways that efficiently derive complete script solutions? It's always a process. Sometimes you need to go into it with a firm idea of how to resolve things. Sometimes you can allow yourself to not know, and immerse yourself in the 'world' and then allow things to 'be revealed' to you. Depends on the person working the pen.
I had a heart attack the day this was posted. I was in the hospital. I wrote a screenplay "LANDLORD 911" after my stay and I just wrote it. Based on my experience as a landlord. It was easy. Took 1 month. It was like breathing.
@@filmcourage Hereditary. Emerg surgery and no heart damage. I entered 4 screenplay contests this week and then 4 more after March 1. I am a successful Engineer/Developer so I need no money. This is just fun. I am also a published author as well as an artist. Writing for me is easy. Just a hobby. I will see what the judges feedback will be. Then I will know if I have a good story.
The story world is always my main priority when preparing an outline because it gives you the foundation to which you can write your story in. The plot is a secondary concern, but if you don't have a world for the plot to live and exist in, you're left with very bland walls with no interior decorating.
@@filmcourage thank you for all the great content you present to viewers everywhere. It's greatly appreciated by all writers, and lets us know we're not in it alone.
I think this is gonna help me. Let the characters grow through their dilemma and "experience" it rather than "figure it out" feel like I've been trying to write out a pre conceived outline that doesn't work and I cant get it flowing. Always feel like I'm writing false crap to fit the outline. "Let your characters relate to each other " (and surprise you). I remember Jack Perez said similar stuff in an interview which sounded good. It's that , what was it? Architects vs Gardeners argument. Well, we'll see how we go (deep breath).
I don't want to plug a specific Film Courage interview, but one does talk about the intuitive vs plot writer. This video seems to be addressing the issues faced by the plotter. They have great structure, all the bases are covered, and their character's move through the acts robotically because they have to meet each plot point. The intuitive has wonderful characters saying and doing wonderful things, as they wander aimlessly from one act to the next. Am I on the right track with this?
I found his notes on the structure of Act II (Midpoint Temptation, Suffering, Surrender) useful. Will we hear more about Act structure in other videos?
"Do you imagine the story world for a week prior to outlining?" A couple of years, actually. Lots of time to simmer, but "prolific" is not my middle name. Not saying that's good, right or best. But it's true.
Plot takes work. People don't want to work. Life is problem solving so is writing a story, script or not. This is why you fundamentally work backwards but you need a PURPOSE for your piece, not just write something. How do you do that? It's pretty simple. Know how your story would be marketed, then you can figure out your purpose, once you have your purpose you can understand your plot. You won't do it though, because it requires thought, and meditation, thought, work and discipline.
Great video. But I can't figure out why it's assumed that vengeance is wrong. The precise moment when society starts falling apart is when the guys in charge of justice stop providing vengeance.
![Why 99% Of Stories Are Meaningless - Alan Watt [Founder of L.A. Writers' Lab]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/v4wkx8LBH_s/mqdefault.jpg)
Watch Alan Watt's full interview: th-cam.com/video/tBR5BCLkHDE/w-d-xo.html
I love this: "the choice is between what they want, which is outside of themselves, and what they need, which is always within." Beautifully said, Alan!
He is absolutely right about the first mistake people make in an outline. I personally fell into this trap of plotting and ended up with dead characters, who were just serving the plot. With asking the right questions including making my characters have a dilemma instead of a problem, I was able to make my story very character driven and it's so much more interesting now. These interviews are so valuable in my writing process!
I wonder if it's possible to outline the story but then allow your characters to run wild and screw everything like spoiled little brats
Wonderful articulation of the relationship between character and plot.
He's so right cause boy oh boy i been kinda stuck. This is really good advice and it reminds me of one of the older interviews where he spoke about just creating the world that the story takes place in. Visualization really is important
I have a warm/cold relationship with this channel. On one hand, the interviewees are all consultants and teachers that make their living off of other writers. I don’t trust their rules or guidelines. But on the other hand, the interviewees are people that read and work on a lot of scripts and they sometimes make a very good point about why certain things happen. My policy with these videos is to be skeptical of rules or guidelines or anything that sounds like a PowerPoint presentation, but to listen out for interesting tidbits. Like his point here about how “writers often write passive protagonists, because writers are themselves passive people IRL” hits the nail on the head in regards to so many writers. Stuff like that flags me on what to watch out for in my own writing; to not assume that my thought process is the same as the protagonist’s. This is one of those channels that I’m skeptical of but begrudgingly check in on because it’s sometimes informative.
word
I have the same opinion on this channel as you.
SamWallace Art Too many videos by the guy who wrote _Battlefield: Earth_ for the Scientologists. LOL.
SamWallace Art What do you mean by “ They make a living off of other writers?” Would you like a carpenter to come for an interview instead? Seems like your IQ is lower than your shoe number. Nobody needs your money or forcing you to buy something. They’re sharing information that they think will be helpful. Get over yourself.
@@bluerabbit1236 Your comment is awfully ironic. The OP expressed skepticism about a publically accessible video (oh no!) while acknowledging that they still found value in it. You, however, had nothing positive or constructive to say: you bothered to insult them because you do not believe they should be voicing even the mildest of criticisms about something they are not paying for. Why can't you stand their choice to post, but feel obligated to spill out all your negativity? No one asked for your opinion. And honestly it's a lot less useful than the OP. You really need to get over yourself and learn how to speak to people as a level-headed, respectful person.
I like the approach that this guy is advocating. It sounds like it's very organic and character based
Great advice but I’m often reminded what William Wyler said to Charlton Heston during filming of Ben-Hur, ‘I want you to be better in this scene, Chuck. I don’t know how you must be better but you must be better.’ Tough!
He's right that when I outline, I think I'm figuring out the plot. However, due to my life with a day job, I am forced to think about the world long before I touch a keyboard.
My experience also. I find it helpful to sit and think about characters so I can piece things together in my head and then jot down notes about the ideas that I have for a few weeks before I start writing proper.
@@Bewareofthewolves Absolutely. I do the same thing as well.
get The 90-Day Screenplay. You might be shocked how much knowledge Alan Watt is . Outlining outright just does not work because you don't know your characters yet .
He’s spot on and his advice on character creating plot, not vice versa, is so strong. Really helpful. I do a lot of flat out prose writing and day dreaming before I outline. He’s totally right.
I agree with this approach for novel writing too. It’s how I approached my novel, and so much great stuff spilled out of how I envisioned my protagonist in his world.
This man's explanation of story as a spiritual journey, has literally resolved the hump that has left me in Writer's Purgatory for weeks!!!
John Updike said for a writer, the two happiest moments are when they get an idea, and drives around imagining the story, and when the finished book comes through his mail slot from the publisher.
Your questions are so smart and adds so much value to your videos. Kudos to you.
Thanks for watching. Alan is a terrific interview. Glad we had this opportunity and we are happy to share his story and experiences. He makes us look good.
Film Courage I just purchased his book. This guy’s awesome. I’ll rewrite my script following his methods. Thank you for letting us discover this guy.
@@bluerabbit1236 Cool, yeah we love our interview with Alan Watt. We had a great time with him and we're happy to share his teachings. Hope the book helps your process.
I am SO grateful that he gave an example! Especially with a film that almost everyone knows. Examples are so helpful when trying to apply a theory. It just opens up understanding so much more. When I am in the process of learning something, anything, I look for examples. Great explanation and example of the dilemma! He also said, ''If you try to figure it out you're going to get stuck.'' and then gave an example of how to not figure it out but to imagine your protagonist at the end of the story. I just got unstuck! Thanks so much!
Whatever you call it, it IS the Hero's Journey, just with a looser, more character-centric approach. I absolutely agree with everything you're saying and it's absolutely eye-opening for me because I've battled with trying to pigeonhole my character into the map of the journey instead of the other way 'round. Bravo!
“I’m not teaching The Hero’s Journey”.
Then describes The Hero’s Journey main plot points. In order.
🙄
Yeah. He made me laugh.
Why do you think he said it?
@@Ahabite Probably because he believes himself to be unique, but failed to realize that he is still part of the same game?
@@gentlegoat6663 That sounds right. I just wondered if I were missing something. Maybe there was some subtle thing that would've made it make sense. Ah well. Thanks for the reply!
@@Ahabite I believe he's trying to say that we should understand structural plot points from a character perspective. Something like "don't lose the character in the outline", make the plot points about the character not because they're part of a pre-made structure paradigm.
Which makes sense, everything in a story should be intertwined, so if you try to force a character into a situation it won't work. But I think he misses the importance of structure. Plot, character and world, those are the elements of a story. If you miss any of those then the story will suffer.
But the central idea that plot points should be also be about the character is a good one.
Alan’s explanation was very eye opening. I always thought of story development as a formula, and have been stuck ever since. His perspective and teaching structure makes so much sense. Thank you for this.
My simple relationship with this channel is to skim through the content based on video title - and the Producers do a great job of getting the title right. Every time a title has attracted me, I’ve found what I need within the video.
We appreciate the positive comment about our titles Rishi. Glad to hear you are finding valuable content here. Cheers!
For character-based dramas, it goes without saying that you should start with the characters, but I can't imagine a film like _Inception_ or _E.T._ being written that way. These films are memorable because of the peculiar circumstances of the plot, which would probably work even if the characters had a different set of inner demons to overcome along the way.
To an extent I agree, but these two films also follow the guideline idea Alan Watt is presenting about character as plot in this interview video clip.
In Inception the character of the son of the one Corporate Empire Owner/CEO father, whose dream is eventually invaded and manipulated for inception to take place, wants to externally follow his father’s footsteps and do well running his father’s company, but instead he has to internally find the confidence in himself to make the decision to forge a new path and create his own career and empire. This character’s desire and decision concerning change is the basis and crux of the plot of the film, in addition to the competitor CEO’s desire to manipulate his competition and his decision to trust others and partake in the dirty work. I believe that’s sort of what Alan Watt is getting at here, the struggle to satisfy outward desires and the inward change and transformation that must take place for whatever intended outcome of the story.
How to apply that to the characters in E.T. though.. I’m not so sure..
@@nathanlawrence7319 Inception certainly has strong characters who have motivations that propel the plot forward nicely, but I strongly suspect Christopher Nolan started the writing process with ideas like having waking people enter a person's dreams and the whole dream within dream concept, and only then worked on finding a set of motives his characters could have to engage in those kinds of activities. It seems unlikely that it was the other way around and he had the characters first and only then went about looking for a set of circumstances in which those issues could play out.
cavalrycome that’s a great point. I could also see a distinction there, being that what he first had was a “premise” to a story, the environment and types of actions that will take place, and in this instance that people can travel into dreams within dreams to alter people’s subconscious, and that the “story” is the characters, their desires and journeys, and transformations. That’s my general understanding of how screenwriting works at least and what Alan Watt is sort of saying here. But then these things and terms can easily be conflated and interconnected, so in a way this become a semantical dance, that’s still helpful to consider when creating stories
@@nathanlawrence7319 I agree that a lot of this comes down to what exactly people mean by 'character' and 'plot'. Yet another distinction that I think helps to clarify thoughts on this is between how a writer goes about structuring a story versus how nature chains events together in real life. In real life, causes always precede their effects, and although a writer can work this way too, starting at the beginning and working towards the end, they are like the gods of their fictional world so can also start at the end and work backwards if they want to, starting with consequences and then inventing characters and motives that produce those consequences. Regardless of the order in which the ideas come, the result should always be that the story reads from start to finish like the character's motives propel them down the path they take, but if you impose a rule on yourself as a writer that says you should always develop the characters first and then just let them create conflict among themselves, there is a risk that they'll never get around to doing anything particularly interesting. Instead, I think it is perfectly reasonable to allow the creative process to work in both directions so that decisions about the motivations of characters are informed by where the writer wants to take them AND where the writer decides to take them are informed by the motivations they've built into the characters.
cavalrycome I totally agree and that’s a really great point. To keep passionate, creative interest alive in one’s writing process one must embrace the freedom of creativity and natural progression of thoughts and connections to occur. Rules and regulations are helpful for people who need to get started, or have gotten uncomfortably lost, or stuck, or uninspired somewhere along the way in their storytelling, at which point these guidelines and advices are imperative and extremely useful. Otherwise, you’re right, it’s important to allow the mind to wander where it may at times without pushing all one’s thoughts into a gridlocked system and process.
It’s an interesting rule or suggestion I feel like I’m hearing from many of these screenwriters or consultants online in these types of interviews, to strictly follow a certain linear order of particular stages in the writing process or else suffer failure. I understand and appreciate descriptions and advice on these different stages and strategies, and I can see how significantly central the character themself is to the entire story and thusly should be extremely well developed for the entire film or story to work, that’s true and great, but in reality the brain doesn’t naturally work that way, as ideas often pop up out of nowhere and the writer’s interest and focus can easily switch between different elements and stages in the process and to force the brain to stop in its tracks and adhere to a strict consecutive schedule of story development seems to be restrictive and not creative. On that note, an artist and a book I just thought of that sort of addresses this notion, which I enjoy, is David Lynch’s “Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.” A pretty great little book that talks about creativity and the mind and being open to allowing it to wander and go where it needs to go, to enjoy writing and to catch those big ideas
I start with, where is my protagonist in his/her life emotionally when we first meet them? I hardly ever outline, only one when I wrote a crime/drama and was a necessity to keep an inventory of the clues of the murder. I never know what happens after the first scene and that is the fun part, the surprise element, its like seeing a film for the first time. Love this guy, amazing examples to back up his argument. Will order his back. Thank YOU, Film Courage and please send my gratitude to Mr. Watt for taking the time and gift us with his knowledge of screenwriting.
Amazing. I've been looking for writing advice but didn't know how to formulate it into a question. This is everything. Thank you. 🙏🙏🙏
This is one of the most helpful videos I've watched on understanding what makes a story have depth and forward movement that naturally flows. Thank you.
Best nine minutes of advice on writing a screenplay I've heard.
4:36 I thought my connection was bad and the video had frozen! 😂 Hot damn he would make a good living statue
Came across this video at the perfect time. Really needed this advice. So great
To answer the question posed at the end of the video, yes, I do live in my characters' world, usually for months (and sometimes longer) before I start outlining or thinking about plot points. I need to know what their essential conflict is: what do they think they want and what do they really need? Is this a comedy or dramedy, in which they ultimately get what they need? Or is this a true tragedy, where they move away from their inner needs? How do I want it to end? I'm not talking about a plot point necessarily, but what is the protagonist's feeling at the end? What have they overcome? How have they changed? I create a Pinterest board to build a visual world for the characters, and I also create my own personal soundtracks. It helps me live inside their world to figure out the identity vs. essence issues.
Immersing myself in the world of my characters, both within my imagination, research, and real physical location scouting, is such a wonderful feeling.
And sound is a huge part of the inspiration, motivation, and world building in the process. I spend a lot of time searching for sounds and music that fits the tones and moods of sequences and scenes in my films and stories, and it breathes life into the story for me, so I can feel it and I love that. @Patricia Salem, that’s so cool you create your own soundtracks. What programs do you use or could you recommend for recording or mixing? I’ve experimented with music for awhile now, but have only gotten more serious and interested in recording since I’ve been creating films, and I want to create and record / mix my own songs and soundtracks for my films too. But some of the recording/mixing software programs look wack. Is Adobe Audition good? Just curious to know if you might have any recording/mixing software recommendations you could share, would love to hear about them. Keep on creating and best wishes with your writing! Cheers!
The ending is gold.
He's right when he says that what alot of screenwriters are missing is the development of the characters. I even think he's right to say it should be your starting point in an outline, however I think it is incredibly disingenuous to dismiss the importance of your plot development in the script as well. One of them is not intrinsically more important than the other. Think of it like building a house. The first thing you do is build the foundation, It is the thing that holds everything up and without it everything falls apart, think of that as the characters to your story. Now think of the plot as the walls to the house. While it is true that you should lay the groundwork first and I would not want to live in a house with a weak foundation. I also would not want to live in a house with cardboard walls, because that house is equally undeveloped. If a house only has a foundation it be may further along than a house that doesn't but it's still not finished until it has those other elements. At the heart of a story is conflict. You should have conflict in your characters, and you should have conflict in your plot, and as a writer your outline should reflect that. It is your job to organize and overlap a series of ever evolving conflicts in a way that is satisfying for the audience. If your outline fails to do that then you haven't finished your blueprint yet.
I’ve watched a bunch of these and he’s right, no one’s teaching what he does. And it’s simple but profound. I love the principle that the character’s dilemma drives the plot; maybe it even generates good plot ideas for the writer ?
Changed my way of thinking for a plot...for my whole life....wow...thanks a lot...
5:55 - you want a PROACTIVE protagonist, not a active one. You can be active, but not proactive = problem. And passive characters should be removed all together (unless they support the protagonist in specific way).
Imagining the story is half the fun. Letting it circulate in your mind.
'Why do we care?' story stems from the answer to that question. Plot drives the story.
Fantastic! I rarely take notes during a video, but I did this time. Now, my "difficult choice" is whether to completely rewrite my novel.
Do it!! Start the rewrite!!
This is one of the best Film Courage videos I've seen.
Thanks William. We're hoping to finish Alan's full interview this week. Not sure when we will publish it yet.
Great video. I tend to imagine my world and character long before I write, but then my mind goes to the plot when I outline. This is a really articulate way of explaining how character suggests plot, not the other way around. I'll definitely try this approach in my rewrite.
Yuss! Writing an outline could stifle your creativity. You need to write about characters that make choices, not a plot/world that gives the characters decisions.
This appeared at the perfect moment. Either youtube got amazingly right or the universe is conspiring against my stupid.Thank you Mr. Watt.
the left background, beautiful.
He is so right. Outline is like mapping out the direction of the story. Like a journey by car, we sometimes meet up with obstacles on the way (like road closures/accidents/ etc. Then we have to think outside of the box to get back on track. No point starting the journey without a map though. A writer has to know the story from start to finish. What happens in between is where the writer's imagination and skill is put to the test. Generally speaking, the film script isn't useable until it has been through at least 20 drafts. And, in the case of my one and only screenplay "Crispin Wheeler" - lodged at the Library of Congress gathering dust for the last decade or more, it never will reach the silver screen. lol
Wonderful insights and encouragement, it sounds like a much more genuine and natural approach. Thank you so much!
I also love how he basically summed up The Count of Monte Cristo 6:42-7:43
This makes me feel so much better about my weird process haha. I’ll have a rough idea for a story, but then I walk around on my lunch break for a week or two thinking about the characters and how they would interact, what they would say, how they would say it, if they would say it or not. I put them in situations leading up to the things I want to happen, and sometimes that develops the plot, sometimes not. I actually have most of it figured out in my head before I ever write anything down. If it sticks with me, I know I’m gonna be interested in writing it, if I forget about it, then I know it’s probably not what I wanna do.
Doesn't sound weird to us! : )
That's exactly what I do! Feels much more authentic that way.
This adds a whole new level to your story, thank u
We really enjoyed learning Alan's teachings. Believe it compliments our work really well. Happy to share.
very good insight. creating character-driven plots is the key, but hard to achieve!
Straight forward thinking, enjoyed his take on character development and outlining.
Brilliant
Thank you for this. I've always had a conflict with making an outline for characters. This makes sense. Following.
Just did it while watching. Realized a gap. Somethings I thought were too hard to explain I have left out. But I truly believe my imagination is boundless. And then it came to me. Boo ya!
Plot isn’t the structure, it’s called story structure. Build your plot around your characters and themes so that the plot and the story go together
Plot IS Story, dumbass. Can't believe she gave you a heart.
I think I see his point. I was stuck at the ending of my novel because the original planned ending no longer fit. I was in despair, trying to think of an alternative way to say what the original ending tried to say. I couldn't. I finally reversed my thinking by asking: What does the protagonist represent? What does he want to achieve? And what needs to happen to achieve it? It worked.
Congrats on completing the novel Erik! Interesting to see you share part of your process here.
@@filmcourage "Congrats on completing the novel Erik! Interesting to see you share part of your process here.
"
Thanks for saying that. The points in the video can apply equally to novels as to screenplays, no?
Great advice. Great questions.
Thank you for all your work guys.. this videos are gold :)
Thanks Melodi, we appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment.
Wonderful tips! Thank you!
Once I have a kernel of a story idea, I let it ruminate and brew in my head, forming the concept. The main character(s) and world appear out of that. Once I have the concept framed, I start the outline.
I bought the 90-day novel and found it to be one of the most useful how-to-write-a-book books I've ever read. There is a lot of good advice in there that really helps you get to the heart of your story and write something meaningful.
Liar
Great advice, Alan. Thanks.
I think i just felt in love
One of the best videos on the channel
Great to see you and others responding to this one. Thanks Fares.
I love how he thinks he has such a unique perspective on screenwriting when he really has the same perspective as what was written in "Save the Cat".
Snyder released Save the Cat! fifteen years after Watt started the L.A. Screenwriters lab, so.....
@@mrs.meadow1718 True, but this interview was done this past summer - apparently. So he's had ample time to reassess his opinion of his perspective. Instead, he doubled down.
Super helpful! Nice work!
Very insightful. Thank you
Very informative! Thank you!
I think this gentleman is talking about the importance of using the power of our imagination to lead our story rather than our - which Einstein talked about when he said that that you cannot use the same level of consciousness of where the problem came from to the same level consciousness for the solution; so that's why he is telling us we shouldn't outline our plot but outline the overall spiritual journey our protagonist experienced.
Brilliant video! This interview creates one great "big aha" after another. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Doug, glad you found this one. Happy writing!
Very refreshing. Im mostly right brained, so letting people do their thing is best.
Don't agree with everything said but he just helped me TREMENDOUSLY with that part about the midpoint... damn, Daniel! Thank you!
Also, the part about choosing between what i want and need.......
@4:35, i thought my computer froze and glitched.
Congrats. Fantastic. Did I say I love it?
You can't solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that created the problem. So maybe we start with a great premise, unique set up at one level but to resolve it - you have to go much deeper (or perhaps higher). There are so many takeaways from this interview.
ABSOLUTELY!!!
Okay, yes... I'm a GM (Game Master for the uninitiated)... AND that means I spend a HUGE amount of time doing mostly "worldbuilding"... That's the deal. It's something I'm pretty good at.
BUT there's still a fair amount of story involved. From legends, lore, folk-tales, nursery rhymes (when that's a thing)... ALL of it comes from me. It is (after all) my job to build the world/setting... and then I get to integrate the Players' Characters, their backstories (however askewed those get...lolz) into that world and as the game unfolds I'm detailed with telling the Players' Stories for them.
Dice take care of the "randomness" from having a skill or ability (I can do it) to the concrete tangible effort (I actually DO it this time)... They take away the burden of judgment from my shoulders and keep the "game" fair... because heroes have to struggle, or it's no longer a story about heroes, but a chore we did. (make sense?)
SO I like this convo' about outlining, because I think I may have slipped into this same pitfall of concepts myself... probably why I don't fare so well in constructing a publishable work like a novel or screenplay... I can contribute plenty, easily... always have. BUT putting the thing together entirely on my own... not really so much.
Games, are different... There's just so much that lies squarely on the Players to do... I can happily construct worlds, monsters, gangs and affiliations, politics, religions, cults, factions...etc...etc...etc...etc...etc... AND wait for them to find whatever is interesting at the moment and go after it. I tell THEIR stories... infusing the occasional tidbits of my own along the way as appropriate (or comically when completely inappropriate... because LOLZ damnit)
BUT yes, I spend a LONG time considering the world I'm working on in a mental explorative sense before I've bothered to set the first pen to paper, pencil to diagram or grid, or typed even the first header for the first section of general concepts. ;o)
You sound like your role is a designer more than a writer. That is good, it's another avenue of creative development
@@scarlet8078 It's an adequate description, though I do some "contributing writer" stuff, too... at least in the professional sense.
If you look up Matt Mercer (He's fairly well known) over in Geek & Sundry, that's a fair visual of my function "in game"... Of course, it comes with a lot of "out of game" activity, which supports the "Designer" term, too... but we (GM's in general) all get into that. ;o)
At 1:36 when he talks about "imagining the world that your character lives in" I wonder how he wants to accomplish this. Is this all in your head? Do you start writing out scenes that the character is in? Do you write random interactions down that the character has in this world?
When he says that outlining the idea of your story will lead you to get stuck, I just nodded my head. That is exactly where I am. I like my premise and the world but when I started to write out plot points it got unwieldy and then I hit a block.
I like his delivery and the way he presents the concepts simply.
Love the comment JJ. Here are some thoughts on building a story world - th-cam.com/video/z9LXfNUDK9Q/w-d-xo.html
Film Courage thanks! I’m really enjoying the content on this channel.
awesome advices !! now I'll start from the world of my story because honestly I'm not making any advice by overthingking the plot, you did it again Film Courage
Thanks Jose. Hope it helps your process.
Can we fast forward in time to get the whole interview released?
Please?
Doing our best. Still a good amount of work to put into this one. But we agree with you, can't wait to finish and get this one up for you.
Right? I've been following FilmCourage when they were at 24K subscribers, and figured this would be naturally phased out as they grew. Absolutely grateful for their content, but I figured this would've been a thing of the past, seeing how quickly they've grown in the last couple years. Again, absolutely appreciate the non-stop positivity this channel brings to screenwriting.
Hey, they have limited resources!
@@scottslotterbeck3796 I intended it more as a joking request to change the nature of time itself... I guess I whiffed on this one.
You guys doing awesome job.. These kind of videos are very precious to intial screenwriters.. Thanks a lot 😇
Thank you!
Y'know this actually helped
This guy's really cool. Thank you.
Thanks Jimmy, great to see your connection with Alan.
I dunno.... plot informs character, character informs plot. Start from either side, just as long as you do the other side with vigor.
This reminds me of a Black Sabbath docu about their Paranoid album. Some songs started with just one simple riff then build the melody off that, then they still don't even know what the song is about until the lyrics are written. But it can just need that one tiny seed to germinate into an entire song, sometimes within a day or two.
What a great album. Thank you.
At the risk of seeming argumentative, i gotta say-so much of this sounds like the type of theoretical stuff that just as often leads to formula as anything else. Like, surely you can identify two examples out of a hundred years of cinema where this approach works. But, if i'm looking at a list of my favorite films, i'm gonna guess that those writers, more often than not, had a premise, wrote themselves dry and got stuck, and then 'figured out' a series of solutions. Maybe my point is that this is just another strategy, not an empirically correct way of doing things. And it seems to drain the 'art' out of the process. But, maybe it's just the right type of approach for people who don't organically think schematically-in ways that efficiently derive complete script solutions? It's always a process. Sometimes you need to go into it with a firm idea of how to resolve things. Sometimes you can allow yourself to not know, and immerse yourself in the 'world' and then allow things to 'be revealed' to you. Depends on the person working the pen.
Great stuff!
I had a heart attack the day this was posted. I was in the hospital. I wrote a screenplay "LANDLORD 911" after my stay and I just wrote it. Based on my experience as a landlord. It was easy. Took 1 month. It was like breathing.
We hope you're better now. Congratulations on bouncing back and getting your script completed.
@@filmcourage Hereditary. Emerg surgery and no heart damage. I entered 4 screenplay contests this week and then 4 more after March 1. I am a successful Engineer/Developer so I need no money. This is just fun. I am also a published author as well as an artist. Writing for me is easy. Just a hobby. I will see what the judges feedback will be. Then I will know if I have a good story.
The story world is always my main priority when preparing an outline because it gives you the foundation to which you can write your story in. The plot is a secondary concern, but if you don't have a world for the plot to live and exist in, you're left with very bland walls with no interior decorating.
Great comment AJ. Thanks for posting. Very interesting to hear writers starting with story world first.
@@filmcourage thank you for all the great content you present to viewers everywhere. It's greatly appreciated by all writers, and lets us know we're not in it alone.
AmaIng video
I can't see myself enjoying any movie without a strong, smart plot..I wouldn't care who the star was.
actually helpful
Writing an outline for class and this was helpful
Glad it was helpful!
I think this is gonna help me. Let the characters grow through their dilemma and "experience" it rather than "figure it out" feel like I've been trying to write out a pre conceived outline that doesn't work and I cant get it flowing. Always feel like I'm writing false crap to fit the outline. "Let your characters relate to each other " (and surprise you). I remember Jack Perez said similar stuff in an interview which sounded good. It's that , what was it? Architects vs Gardeners argument. Well, we'll see how we go (deep breath).
I don't want to plug a specific Film Courage interview, but one does talk about the intuitive vs plot writer. This video seems to be addressing the issues faced by the plotter. They have great structure, all the bases are covered, and their character's move through the acts robotically because they have to meet each plot point. The intuitive has wonderful characters saying and doing wonderful things, as they wander aimlessly from one act to the next. Am I on the right track with this?
I prefer stories where the protagonist has no dilemma, no arc and stays a constant. It's the people around the protagonist that have an arc.
Interesting idea. Can you give an example or two of this?
Umoh Luna Paddington 2
Static arc
I found his notes on the structure of Act II (Midpoint Temptation, Suffering, Surrender) useful. Will we hear more about Act structure in other videos?
Alan talks a little about structure in this segment - th-cam.com/video/2olOpMw2mJ4/w-d-xo.html
I sence Truby and McKee inspiration here ^_^. Nothing bad tho, I love their works.
definitely noticed a McKee vibe. This video was on point.
I like this guy.
Very good Thankyou
Happy to share, thank you.
This is such a great help
"Do you imagine the story world for a week prior to outlining?" A couple of years, actually. Lots of time to simmer, but "prolific" is not my middle name. Not saying that's good, right or best. But it's true.
Plot takes work. People don't want to work. Life is problem solving so is writing a story, script or not. This is why you fundamentally work backwards but you need a PURPOSE for your piece, not just write something. How do you do that? It's pretty simple. Know how your story would be marketed, then you can figure out your purpose, once you have your purpose you can understand your plot. You won't do it though, because it requires thought, and meditation, thought, work and discipline.
The 90-Day Screenplay is even better than Syd Field's workbook.
Is anyone else watching these and going "this is really going against what the last person said not to do."
Great video. But I can't figure out why it's assumed that vengeance is wrong. The precise moment when society starts falling apart is when the guys in charge of justice stop providing vengeance.