This week’s topic is a bit advanced! You regulars, and anyone who’s used the Screenwriting Tricks for Authors workbooks, are now familiar with the Three-Act, Eight-Sequence structure I teach here. You know about Sequence Climaxes and Act Climaxes, and how to mold them into Setpiece Scenes that will enchant your reader or audience (and before that, will do a whole lot to sell your book or script to a publisher or producer!).
But here’s another huge secret to story structure:
There are essential STORY ELEMENTS, universal scenes, that we tend to see over and over as Sequence and Act Climaxes because they are so big and impactful.
And when you start watching movies looking for where these elements fall, you will notice that—
They very, very often come at the exact same places in a book or movie!!
Well, when you’re laying out your own story, like with Index Cards, or rewriting, that would be pretty freaking useful to know, wouldn’t it?
These incredibly common patterns became clear to me only after I’d analyzed hundreds of movies and books, as a film story analyst and for my own writing and teaching. I cannot tell you what a major breakthrough and shortcut this was for me in my writing and professional career. When I say this video and post are total game-changers, I couldn’t be more serious.
But before I get to it, I need to say that if you’re new or fairly new to these concepts, today’s video and post may be confusing, so I strongly suggest that you start with the posts and videos I’ve linked below (find the large heading called REVIEW. ) Get those basics under your belt first, and save this post for after you’ve gone through the breakdowns of several movies so that you understand the Three-Act, Eight-Sequence Structure.
Once again, this post is too long for an email, so please click through the links!
Video overview:
REVIEW:
Here are some links to posts, videos and workbook chapters on the Three-Act, Eight-Sequence Structure:
What is the Three-Act Eight Sequence Structure - and why should you care?
Chapters 5-6 in Stealing Hollywood & Writing Love, and throughout the books
Act Climaxes, Sequence Climaxes, and Setpiece Scenes
Chapters 5-19 in Stealing Hollywood, Chapters 5-21 in Writing Love
Step by step movie breakdowns
The Hunger Games videos - Sequence 1, Act I
Chapters 42-51 in Stealing Hollywood & Writing Love (ten full story breakdowns in each book)
Silence of the Lambs full breakdown post
The Holiday story structure breakdown
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Get the workbooks:
Stealing Hollywood ebook, $3.99, also available as print workbook
Writing Love ebook, $2.99
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All material © Alexandra Sokoloff, Screenwriting Tricks for Authors