Go Into The Story Resource: 140 Scene-Writing Prompts
At a fundamental level, screenwriting is scene-writing. Use these prompts to improve your scene-writing chops.
On May 16, 2021, Go Into The Story turns 13 years old — you can read the very first blog post here. I led with this paragraph:
Welcome to Go Into The Story! Right now, it’s nothing but a humble, threadbare blog, but I hope it will evolve into an active resource for aspiring screenwriters, as well as a community for anyone interested in storytelling and the creative life.
And evolve it did! To the point where it was recently named “Best of the Best” Scriptwriting Website in the 20th Annual Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers list.
To celebrate 13 years of blogging about screenwriting, writing, Hollywood, movies, TV, and the creative life, each day in May, I’m going to feature a piece of Go Into The Story trivia, plus a writing resource you can find in the site’s archives. This is not an exercise in self-congratulations so much as I figured readers could use some tips about how to best use the site. With — to date — over 100 archive topics, there is a LOT of content here. Hopefully, these posts for the next 31 days will clue in more recent followers and remind long-time readers about resources you can use to facilitate deepening your understanding of the writing craft.
Today’s trivia: I have interviewed 44 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners, 54 Black List Writers, and nearly 200 screenwriters, filmmakers, and industry insiders.
Today’s Go Into The Story resource: 140 Scene-Writing Prompts.
Add an original scene to a favorite film
A chase scene without cars
A murder scene
A scene featuring two characters sitting on the edge of a bridge
A scene in which someone says goodbye in an airport
A scene in which you introduce a character in a memorable way
A scene involving a medicine cabinet
A scene that begins with this line of scene description: “Smoke stings his/her eyes”
A scene that ends with a cliffhanger
A scene with a reversal in it
A scene with a one-sided telephone conversation
A scene with a two-sided telephone conversation
A visual-to-visual transition between two scenes
A wedding proposal scene
An action scene with no dialogue
An establishing scene
An exposition scene… that is entertaining
An interrogation scene
An opening scene
An ordinary scene in an extraordinary location
A character disobeys an order
A character has to say goodbye to a good friend without actually saying s/he is
leaving and won’t be back
A character says “I love you”… without using the words “I love you”
A fight scene involving actual physical violence
A lovers quarrel where something gets broken
A scene between a senior citizen and a child
A scene inspired by this photograph
A scene in which a character uses a computer
A scene in which a gesture plays a key part
A scene in which an animal plays a key role
A scene using voice-over narration
A scene that features a monologue
A scene where no words are spoken… but something important gets
communicated
A scene where something gets stolen
A scene with a cliffhanger
A scene with a flashback
An apology
An interrogation scene
Someone talking to a gravestone
The first line of dialogue: “That’s the guy, right there”
A conversation between a white-collar and blue-collar worker
A post-sex scene
A scene at a sporting event
A scene in a confessional where the priest makes a confession
A scene inspired by this photograph
A scene in which characters whisper
A scene starting or ending with a hand holding a knife
A scene that involves texting
A scene using flashback and voice-over narration
A scene using something you hear in conversation today
A scene with just one word of dialogue
Adult answering a child’s questions
An accusation
An adulterer out for a meal with his/her spouse sees his/her lover enter therestaurant
En route to the hospital to have a baby
Someone has had too much to drink at a wedding reception when THIS
happens
Someone is brought to tears
A character has a ‘conversation’ with him/herself in the mirror
A character reviews a series of voice mails, each with worse news
A man holding a gun
A pet uses voice-over narration to comment on a family fight
A scene inspired by this photograph
A scene involving a dead body
A scene involving a secret
A scene set in an inhospitable environment, e.g., outer space, underwater, desert
A scene where the entire conversation takes place off-screen
An intervention
Interruption
Introduce a character with a memorable impression
Leaving a voice mail
Miscommunication
One character has to break bad news to the other
Settling an argument by playing Rock, Paper, Scissors
Smack talk at a sporting event
Strangers biding time in a hospital emergency waiting room
The audience knows something the characters don’t
Two people talk while dancing
Under a deadline
A 9–1–1 emergency call
A bar. A bartender. A patron… getting drunk
A coach gives a motivational speech to their team
A good, entertaining montage or series of shots
A parent-teacher conference
A ride-sharing driver and their customer
A scene in which a hammer plays a key role
A scene that ends with a cliffhanger
A scene with a twist
A scene with no dialogue
An adult just happens to run into their middle school bully
Asking someone to dance
Confessing to a priest
I want a divorce”
Rehearsing an apology
Sales pitch
Saying grace at a big family event
Someone discovers their mate is having an affair
Someone gives a driving lesson to an amateur driver
Strangers stuck together in an elevator
Trying to appear knowledgeable about wine
Trying to talk one’s way out of a traffic ticket
A character suddenly begins to cry
A character talking to their reflection in a mirror
A dream
A poem
A secret revealed
An argument in a library
An obnoxious Uber driver
Baby talk
Conversation while dancing
Deathbed
Getting fired
Handling two phone calls at once
Jump cut
Making an excuse
SCREAMING!
Start in the middle of the scene
Taking a shower
Talking heads
Two parents at a youth sporting event
Use voice-over narration to convey reading or writing a letter
Barber shop conversation
B.O.B. (Bit Of Business)
Dramatic Irony
Drive-thru order gone awry
Elevator ride
Forced subtext
Interruptions
Nightmare
Pickup line
Pitch meeting
Radio Dialogue
Stoned
Stutter
Talking Heads
Talking out loud to oneself
Texts between several people
‘They stare at the pills in their hand”|
Trash talking
Walk and Talk
Whisper
Each day this month, I want to take the opportunity to thank you for supporting Go Into The Story. I’d love to hear from you in RESPONSES. When did you start following the blog? What are your favorite features? And as always, if you have any suggestions, feel free to suggest away.
