12 - Structure and Story Introduction        Thu, 07/02/09 - Scott

Most stories break down naturally into parts. In the three act structure you have an introduction (~30 pages), Middle (~70 pages), and resolution (~20 pages). Audiences like this structure - it's part of a good architecture.

The introduction introduces the main characters, the main conflict, and brings the story to a crisis, which is a turning point. You should know the turning points in your story. There are usually turning points in every scene - the character enters the scene in one mood or situation and leaves in another.

The major turning points are where characters make major changes in the story. There is the intro, usually 3 obstacles in the middle, and the climax and resolution in the final pages.

In my introduction, the major problem, "Harry," is introduced in the first scene. (The story then goes into 3 obstacles in the middle (I didn't try to make 3 in my long synopsis - it just happened naturally), and then the story goes to the climax.) By p. 25 the main characters are introduced and by p. 26 the last main character is introduced.

If this screenplay was a "star vehicle," intended for a big star, the protagonist would be on the first page and nearly every page throughout. It turned out to be a star vehicle, but I would rather write star makers than star vehicles, although the movie industry mostly runs on star vehicle hits with the potential to be blockbusters.

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