Rewriting: Structure patterns
Screenwriting Tricks for Authors
Okay! Let’s talk about rewriting.
I have comprehensive posts on first steps to take after Nanowrimo, or after completing a draft in general, that suggest a specific process for reading your draft and rewriting. So if you haven’t explored those, start there!
Today I’d like to focus on using structure to help you revise.
We spend a lot of time here talking about story structure. The Three-Act, Eight Sequence structure of film is cinema’s expansion of the classic Three-Act Structure of drama, and this structure is always my primary roadmap of a book or script.
But every genre also has its own general structure. For example:
In Romance and Romantic Comedy, the structure of Act II, after the Set Up of Act I, is often:
Act II:1 — courtship (even if it’s antagonistic!)
Midpoint — the lovers getting together
Act II:2 —one or both of the lovers running away from the relationship as all of the lovers’ deepest fears of intimacy manifest.
You also very often see a structure in romance and romantic comedy that has usually two, but sometimes three or four romantic subplots intertwining, with one main romance and variations on the theme of the overall story reflected in each romantic pairing. This is classic Shakespearean structure. And during the 90’s romantic comedy boom, Richard Curtis shot to romantic comedy fame by juggling even more couples per story.
In most Mysteries, and a large number of Thrillers, Horror, Spy Stories, etc., you can count on the first half of Act II being an investigative sequence. And in many of these genres, Act II can often be divided like this:
Act II: 1 — the detective works on the case
Midpoint — a murder, the loss of a teammate, or some other big loss
Act II:2 — the case starts to work on the detective (ie, just as in romance, the deepest fears of the detective manifest in the case.)
So when you’re writing, and as you approach your rewrite, I suggest —
1. You look at your book or script’s Three-Act, Eight-Sequence structure.
…. to see if you’re hitting all the essential story elements and Sequence and Act Climaxes.
It’s always a good idea to do Index Cards for your story again — this will very quickly show you the scenes and story elements you have, and what you’re missing!
And by the way, even if you’re a die-hard pantser, now that you have your first draft, using the Three-Act, Eight-Sequence structure will help you with anything you’ve left out.
2. Also look at your Genre Structure.
I’m happy to break down more specific genre structures, but it’s such a huge topic that I’d prefer to get some guidance from subscribers about what genre and subgenres you all are working with instead of trying to be comprehensive. At least until my book is finished!
3. But also, now that you have your first draft, it’s important to look at your book or script’s internal structure – the STORY PATTERN.
I’ve already got quite a few Story Pattern posts here, with tons of examples:
Apocalyptic, Big Event, Dystopian Patterns
A Star is Born Pattern
The Big Lie Pattern
—The Big Lie: While You Were Sleeping
—Magical Day movies:
And for many, many more STORY PATTERNS:
Stealing Hollywood Chapter 4 and throughout, especially the Story Breakdowns
Writing Love Chapter 4 and throughout, especially the Story Breakdowns
As I said about Genre Structures, I’d be very happy to do more posts on Story Patterns that will specifically help you with your books or scripts, but you need to tell me what you need!
That’s a lot of material for you! And I know it’s the holidays. So if there’s a holiday movie you’d like to see me analyze, let me know…
—Alex
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Stealing Hollywood ebook, $4.99, also available as print workbook
Writing Love ebook, $2.99
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All material from Screenwriting Tricks for Authors, © Alexandra Sokoloff