More for Tree People (complication)


Refer to your paradigm chart or step outline as you write this scene in script format.

Your script is more cohesive and focused if there's some kind of logical connection from the hook, to the complication, to the hero's call to action. Sometimes, however, the hook stands apart from the spine of the story, being a more peripheral moment that we nonetheless use because of its strength as a gripping moment to hook the audience into the story.

But look for ways to keep this flow of early moments related. In Jurassic Park, for example, first a worker is killed by a prehistoric predator; then the insurance man shows up, putting the park in jeopardy for safety reasons; and then the hero is hired to inspect and presumably endorse the park so that it can open on schedule.

One thing leads naturally to the other.

Your script will be stronger if you can create this same cohesive flow in these early, important scenes.

[BACK TO TEXT]


MODULE 5: SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting

8/97