I did a search and turned up nothing outlining. I was wondering, how does one go about outlining there script? I know the ending to my script and I got a good idea for the beginning, but i don't know how to go from point a to b. anyone have any helpful hints?

Start at the end and work forward.

try storymind. you can use the demo, but u cant save

thanks for the help guys. I am still open to others suggestions as well.

This is from my blog (www.TheWorkingScreenwriter.blogspot.com).  I hope it helps...


http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/05/outlining-process-part-1.html

http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/06/outlining-process-part-2.html

Just checked out Storymind, it looks OK. I mean it's only $30 for the full version.

I would be very interested in anyones feedback who has used this software.

Cheers Murphy

If you follow the standard three-act structure, then your best bet is probably to start off (once you've worked out the general plotline) by coming up with the beginning, 1st plot point (at roughly 25 minutes in), your mid-point and the 2nd plot point (just before the third act). Then it's really just a case of figuring out how your character(s) get from one to the other.

A trick my old screenwriting teacher spoke of was to break your script into eight sequence blocks: two for the first act, four for the second act and two for the third act.

The first sequence is your inciting incident, the second ends with the plot point James mentions above, which is usually your protagonist really entering the story (Indiana Jones begins his quest for the Ark, Luke Skywalker decides to learn the ways of the Force, etc).

The next two blocks are your protagonist moving through the story and leading to the mid-movie plot point.  The third set of blocks brings your character closer to their goal, and leads to their crisis, the big decision they will have to make that will either allow them to reach their goal or fail.  In comedies, this is where the protagonist is at their lowest point.  In tragedies, they've pretty much achieved their goal, and this is where they make the decision to over extend themselves.

The last two blocks are the false resolution, where the character makes a plan, but if it was that easy, we wouldn't have had this movie in the first place, followed by the denoument, where everything is wrapped up.

Hope this helps.

Thanks again for the replies. I gonna put them all to the test, one is bound to work best for me.

I know this is a few weeks late but I'm a fan of old fashioned index cards. If you have a few key scenes in your head, write them down on their own cards. Use major events as points such as A,B, etc. and keep adding cards with new scenes to help connect point A to point B. This also helps make sure your scenes have some sort of purpose. I also find this method is helpful with rewrites if you're doing major work to your screenplay so you can keep your old story organized with the new additions.

It all depends upon the style that you're wanting to work with.  Generally speaking, I think that outlines are done for ourselves (the writer) unless you're a big-time person who is selling their idea based upon a treatment-- and that too is different.  It's more of a synopsis-- I'd say kind of a short story.

You can have really detailed outlines which incorporate much more than the simple plot and character.  You can have "reaction style" outlines which get into the internal more and you can have more general "event" outlines.  Of course, you can have combinations of the two.  And there are so many other ways you can break it down.

I don't know.  Personally, I think the outline is meant for the writer.  It's meant to be a road map.  However, it also serves as a blueprint once you've written it.  Something you can dissect into its components and work with later.

Probably the best thing to do is break down previously done films and integrate the process into one's own work.  "Learn by doing."

Sandra