SimplyScripts Discussion Board
Blog Home - Produced Movie Script Library - TV Scripts - Unproduced Scripts - Contact - Site Map
ScriptSearch
Welcome, Guest.
It is March 28th, 2024, 2:04pm
Please login or register.
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login
Please do read the guidelines that govern behavior on the discussion board. It will make for a much more pleasant experience for everyone. A word about SimplyScripts and Censorship


Produced Script Database (Updated!)
One Week Challenge - Who Wrote What and Writers' Choice.


Scripts studios are posting for award consideration

Short Script of the Day | Featured Script of the Month | Featured Short Scripts Available for Production
Submit Your Script

How do I get my film's link and banner here?
All screenplays on the simplyscripts.com and simplyscripts.net domain are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. This screenplaymay not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
Forum Login
Username: Create a new Account
Password:     Forgot Password

SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    Screenwriting Discussion    Screenwriting Class  ›  Characters vs. Plots Moderators: George Willson
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 3 Guests

 Pages: 1
Recommend Print
  Author    Characters vs. Plots  (currently 1458 views)
Chilli
Posted: August 2nd, 2004, 12:53pm Report to Moderator
New


Kirk to... Spock, please... warp factor... five!

Location
Aylesbury, England (Nr. London)
Posts
43
Posts Per Day
0.01
Personally, I'm a great believer in taking stock characters & worn plots and fizzing them up a little. I like examining the psyche of a character, and pushing the plot into the background. To me, plots are almost inconsequential. Most of my stuff is character driven.

An example is Girl On TV

I feel too many times in rom-coms character's do things inexplicably. In Girl On TV, my intent is for Jack and Rachel's blossoming relationship to follow a more logical path, and be led by their particular feelings & beliefts on love.
Logged Offline
Site Private Message
Old Time Wesley
Posted: August 2nd, 2004, 1:16pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Location
Ontario, Canada
Posts
2908
Posts Per Day
0.38
I try to do both, might not always work and I could probably do 2 versions of a script one story/plot driven the other character and they may be completely different screenplays

Although for me i'm not to great on dialogue so I try to mask that with a good story, it seemed to work for my screenplays but people still do notice

I think both ways are great and work but lawrence's idea of general plot and not too much is a perfect idea if you can pull it off without being no story and boring


Practice safe lunch: Use a condiment.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 1 - 11
sheepdogg_plankton
Posted: August 2nd, 2004, 3:08pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



I like a conbination of the two, you know, make it character driven while hitting the points of a very loose structure, as in the tension just rises until it hits a high point towards the end which gives way to the finale.  You know, Journey to Death is character driven (yep, R.E Freaks Zombie Masterpeice) but if you look closely it still follows the structure that i mentioned earlier, although this likely was not R.E. Freak's intention.
Logged
e-mail Reply: 2 - 11
EsKayEye
Posted: August 3rd, 2004, 9:07am Report to Moderator
New


Posts
52
Posts Per Day
0.01
The Big Lebowski, in my opinion blends characters and plot together perfectly.  The Dude, Walter, Lebowski, Bunny, Jackie Treehorn, Maude, The Germans, are all extremely entertaining characters.  The main plot of the movie is the "kidnapping" but the story is really about "buddies."  The relationship between Walter and the Dude is very interesting.  You can be entertained by this movie even if the kidnapping plot looses you a bit.  You also have the bowling sub plot.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 3 - 11
vkonstant
Posted: August 3rd, 2004, 4:46pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



It seems to me pretty obvious. A good screenplay is one where the characters and plot are so intertwined that the story cannot possibly have emerged any other way - that with these people, this was bound to happen.

Character studies, as such, are excuses for people who can't think of anything to say, and Plot Pieces, as such, are excuses for people who can't think of anyone to say it to.

Just me
Logged
e-mail Reply: 4 - 11
R.E._Freak
Posted: August 3rd, 2004, 6:26pm Report to Moderator
Guest User




Quoted from sheepdogg_plankton, posted August 2nd, 2004, 3:08pm at here
I like a conbination of the two, you know, make it character driven while hitting the points of a very loose structure, as in the tension just rises until it hits a high point towards the end which gives way to the finale.  You know, Journey to Death is character driven (yep, R.E Freaks Zombie Masterpeice) but if you look closely it still follows the structure that i mentioned earlier, although this likely was not R.E. Freak's intention.


Well. . . somewhat.

I generally set out the plot points I want to have happen, then fill in the spaces between them with character related stuff. That way it's the characters that move the story forward, but it always moves in a direction that is guided by the points.
Logged
e-mail Reply: 5 - 11
thefotonut
Posted: August 3rd, 2004, 6:56pm Report to Moderator
New


Posts
18
Posts Per Day
0.00
I prefer plot first. I want to know what's going to happen before anything about the characters. I write the plot down with all its turning points and ending then decide who and what sort of character would make that "idea" work.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 6 - 11
Rob S.
Posted: August 4th, 2004, 10:49pm Report to Moderator
New



Posts
217
Posts Per Day
0.03
My old technique was to draft out the characters first, write a bio on each of them.  I write down their goals and needs on index cards and use those to formulate a plot.  Then in the writing process, I let the characters set the plot's course.


Your best feature is your heart and soul.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 7 - 11
dangeroussamurai
Posted: August 5th, 2004, 3:57pm Report to Moderator
New


KOF rules!!

Location
Atlanta
Posts
62
Posts Per Day
0.01
Ah------Traditionone knows the true way to formulate a story----let the characters do it, not you. Its them in the situation and they are the ones that deal with it, so how would they?


The End of the World: Two Starbucks, right across from each other. You get your coffee, go out of one, look across the street and say "HOLY SH*T! There another one!!!" Its like your stuck in some alternate dimesion......
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 8 - 11
sheepdogg_plankton
Posted: August 9th, 2004, 10:32am Report to Moderator
Guest User



Yeah... i'd have to agree with you, Samurai... but build the plot points around what those intentions are so you have some grasp on the twists and turns and what happens and when it happens.  
Logged
e-mail Reply: 9 - 11
Arcadio
Posted: September 13th, 2004, 7:11pm Report to Moderator
New



Posts
16
Posts Per Day
0.00
When plotting a film, the characters always come into my mind first. Of course, I already know what the film's going to be about, but the most important thing for me is giving the character's depth and getting their relations with each other just right. Then I develop the film's plot more in depth.

However, working on my virtual drama series (plug time: http://betweenthewalls.4t.com), I find that the characters pretty much are the plots.
Logged Offline
Site Private Message Reply: 10 - 11
mikehill1215
Posted: September 13th, 2004, 8:34pm Report to Moderator
New


Posts
29
Posts Per Day
0.00

Quoted Text
Ah------Traditionone knows the true way to formulate a story----let the characters do it, not you. Its them in the situation and they are the ones that deal with it, so how would they?



No flame intended but...This is typical 'how to write a screenplay' nonsense.  Pick up one of those silly books that promise to teach you how to write a successful screenplay or attended a screenwriting 'seminar' and you're guaranteed to hear some version of that useless jargon.

You are the writer-  you make the rules, period.  They are YOUR characters you created them.  You need to create and steer your characters into situations that are entertaining.  IMO, distancing yourself from your own story leads to weak plots and disjointed, meandering screenplays.
   
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 11 - 11
 Pages: 1
Recommend Print

Locked Board Board Index    Screenwriting Class  [ previous | next ] Switch to:
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login

Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post polls
You may not post attachments
HTML is on
Blah Code is on
Smilies are on


Powered by E-Blah Platinum 9.71B © 2001-2006