ScriptWriting

How to Structure Premise

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE CORE STRUCTURE OF YOUR STORY.

For our purposes, a story is defined as a metaphor for a journey that leads to change, as played out by the dynamic interdependence of character and plot. A story is further defined because it possesses a careful structure. At this basic level, story structure is a natural force like the wind.

This first step helps you identify the seven structural components present in any story - regardless of genre.

Character Who is your protagonist?

Constriction The person at the focus of the story is constricted in some way. Some personal problem haunts, drives or motivates him or her. Try to get a sense of what your protagonist's problem is and sense how it triggers action. The constriction is usually activated by some initiating event that forces the protagonist to move from where the story starts toward a new path of action (the adventure).

Desire The protagonist wants something tangible: the money, the romantic interest or to find the radioactive dirty bomb by the end of the story.

Focal Relationship Who is the protagonist talking with throughout the story? What relationship is the focus of the protagonist's attention? This relationship will be the engine that drives most of the drama in your story, even in multiple point-of-view stories.

Resistance More than an internal constriction, there is also the sense of serious, external pushback. Something opposes the goal seeking of the protagonist, and this force creates dramatic friction. This is the central opposition and he or she is bent on stopping the protagonist from fulfillment. Who is this opposing force?

Adventure/Chaos Entropy is the tendency of all things to move toward disorder and chaos. This is the adventure and often comes in the middle of a story.

Change You may not see the exact end point of your story, but you can assume your protagonist will not end up where he or she began. Does your protagonist evolve or devolve?

These are the components of a story's core structure. If they are present, then you have a story. If they are missing, vague or muddled, then you don't have a story.

STEP 2: DO YOU HAVE A STORY?

What's the difference between a situation and a story? The main difference is that the seven core structure elements are missing from a situation. But there is a quick way to identify a situation without worrying about a structure analysis.

Any situation has these four conditions.

A situation is a problem or predicament with an obvious and direct solution.

A situation does not reveal character; it tests problem-solving skills.

A situation has no (or few) subplots, twists or complications.

A situation begins and ends in the same emotional space that it started in.

Situations are parts of stories; they are not stories themselves. These four conditions are not present in a story, so if you see them, then you know what you've got.

STEP 3: MAP THE CORE STRUCTURE TO THE ANATOMY OF A PREMISE LINE.

Are you still unsure if you have a story or a situation? Then use the Anatomy of a Premise Line template to unlock this mystery. This template takes a very specific form.

[When] some event sparks a character to action, that [character acts] with deliberate purpose [until]that action is opposed by an external force, [leading to] some conclusion.

Mapping the core structure elements in step one to this template will quickly tell you if you have a workable story. Let's break down each clause into its constituent parts to see the true power it offers your writing process.