Screenplay Structure Is Simpler Than You Think
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
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Hi Tyler... I popped in to say you rocked this story structure explanation like it was a baby!!! A now happy and content baby 😉💪💯
i had written a novella cause it was not a short story nor a real novel . It looks awful and nonsense , but thanks to you I'm going to rewrite it properly this time . Thanks
Tyler, can you make a video on persuasion or self persuasion, because this is what I think we're doing with storytelling. But also, this can be useful in terms of self development, like how can I craft a story in my mind to compel me to change my identity, how can I structure my very own "STORY CIRCLE" in real life. How can I see the "truth".
No I cannot. Sorry.
Go see a therapist
Have been thinking about this, too 😄
I think one difficulty is that our real stories tend to be much more complex than stories told in fiction. There are multiple character and development arches we are going thorough at all times.
And that brings about a different level problem. It’s a meta problem of sorts.
The way I think about it, the arches evolve around all the problems we face in daily life.
There is an ‘angry boss’ arch, a ‘romantic partner’ arch. A ‘how to get your ass off the couch and be a healthy person’ arch. That last one ties in with the ‘don’t eat like a teenager and get your diet in order’ arch.
It’s tough to bring a simple structure into our lives, without neglecting important parts of it. At least that’s my experience. 😅
That makes moments of complete cathartic resolution, like the ones we’re chasing for in good stories, extremely rare.
That big pay-off, it tends to show up in a single story line, while dozens others are still as unresolved as before.
Let’s say the key story for my current situation is “how do I pay this month’s rent?” Then the big payoff might be the next pay check.
Our story character would focus all his energy at getting to this next place, overcoming hurdle after hurdle, pushing distractions aside and becoming better in the process.
But in our very real story, if our partner breaks up with us, the original story line gets derailed. Suddenly we eat like a pig and the ‘health’ arch becomes a main quest. Social life suffers and new problems open up.
It’s this lack of simplicity in real life that makes story telling a tough tool for self-development in my experience - even though I’m still exploring how to use it productively and haven’t given up on the idea.
And I think it’s the very same reason for why we are so drawn to stories. They simplify. They make the right choices obvious. And even if there is a difficult, conflicting choice - it tends to be binary. Do A or B.
The struggle of real life is that there is a virtually infinite amount of choices we could make. Yes, there might be social, genetic, or personality constraints. But still. Life is f*ing complex.
Which to me, also explains why cults continue to attract people. Every cult has a vastly simplified story line.
They tend to say ‘sacrifice everything in the name of X’. In business cults it’s financial wealth. In environmental cults it’s protecting the planet. In pick-up cults it’s getting laid. But these, of course, are all efforts in vain if the exclude key parts of our story that are of interest to us.
So our problem is one of complexity. Our problem is that we have many problems.
The most success I’ve had with using storytelling for self-development, is by fleshing out my character needs, creating a character arch around each individual need and then trying to tie the multiple needs into a vision.
But there is big downside of this that I think is helpful to be aware of.
Drafting our own hero’s journey, an epic in which we play the main character, can be extremely fun. That is the downside. It can be so fun, that taking the actions that lead to change is actually less fun.
Unless. Unless you want to be a professional story teller. And choose that to be your main story line. In that case, telling your own story about persuasion and self-persuasion could be the KEY action that leads to the desired change.
But if your life doesn’t evolve around storytelling in its entirety, this is where the storytelling technique for personal development folds in on itself. Telling our story is different from actually living it out.
It can be a tool for a moment.
Drafting a story arch can help put present suffering into perspective and serve as a silver lining that fuels us. But we shouldn’t get hung up on a side quest if the main story line demands different actions.
There is a much more stable venue for growth than story telling, I believe.
It’s our interests.
Following our interests is the grand success recipe for the long run. We stay enchanted with the world that calls out to us. Whether it’s spoon bending, film analysis or duck feeding. Or learning to communicate, write and persuade others. Or becoming great at using spreadsheets, doing finance stuffs and saving money.
I believe the story arches in which we follow our interests towards learning - those are the ones that most likely lead to the change we wish to accomplish.
As we follow our interests we become more knowledgeable in ways that are relevant to us.
Knowledge is going to be the big lever that will tilt our life towards wealth in the form that we deem most important.
If I could recommend just a single book that tells the grand story of everything and our place in it, it would be “The Beginning of Infinity” by David Deutsch.
Hope the above is of any relevance to you! I wish you the best on your journey, my friend 🤝
@@AaronMartinProfessional thank you and appreciate you going the extra mile, wish you best of luck in life and your development
@@sota331 cheers my friend, same to you!
One more thought that came to mind that I’m trying to put into words for myself:
Karl Poppers critical rationalism (the best theory we seem to have for how knowledge is created) and how Tyler is laying out the framework of storytelling have one key detail in common.
This detail, it seems to be an essential piece in making progress, a foundational pillar for improvement:
Wherever we are
however we’re trying to improve
it all starts with believing a lie.
We’re subject to a falsehood.
The task lies in discovering HOW we’re subject to the lie. And that’s currently the most mythical point in storytelling for me that I don’t have a good answer for; HOW does that character shift from lie to truth?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this if you want to share.
In story it seems to have something to with being pushed past a certain boundary, the point where the old belief can’t be held anymore.
I wonder what good catalysts are for this - both in story and in my personal life 🤯
Appreciate any insights! 🙏
Could you talk about Attack on Titan? I feel it is a masteriece at screenwriting/manga which for some reason didn't seem to get your attention yet
"How humans change their beliefs" is a great and concise explanation of a character's journey.
Please write a screenwriting book. Thanks.
OMG THANKS SO MUCH! That’s exactly what I was missing all this time!
I love your teachings. Do most stories have the first half about the lie and the 2nd half about the truth?
This is great but it concentrates on the inner- character develoment only? A follow up- outer , would complete the circle nicely.
I really appreciate you're content.
🤯🤯🤯
Thanks Tyler!
Tysm! It was amazing video
So, why not call them act 1, act 2, Act 3, and act 4?
Anyone have anytips?
My character belives that is not his job to help everyone, but hes supose to be a hero. How can I make him bepive this lie
Depends on where his belief comes from and why it’s important that he learns the truth. Why can’t he be a hero? Why is it bad if he gives in and works in an office instead? Your midpoint will probably tie into that
You could have them start off not a hero. Have it kinda be like Spiderman, that they learn that with great power comes great responsibility 😉
You could have him realise that he’s the only one that is capable of helping people, have him witness crimes or whatever while everyone else around him are powerless to do anything about it. I’d advise looking at Spider-Man 2 from 2004 for inspiration, this tackles that issue perfectly.
Some ideas can be showing the character that his actions may cause more problems, so it's beneficial for the people that he wasn't trying to help everyone. Or show how his life is much better some way, without trying to help people. It really depends on how your character is, but another idea can be to go deep within their cynical side and make them believe that some people aren't worth helping.
Thanks!