“What is the point of the scene?”

I begin the scene-writing process asking this fundamental question:

What is the point of the scene?

Every single scene in a screenplay should have a purpose, a reason for its existence, a point to it.

In the External World, the realm of action and dialogue, there is a structural goal, something that ties the scene to the Plotline, intersecting with and advancing the narrative in the physical universe.

In the Internal World, the realm of intention and subtext, there is an emotional goal, something that ties the scene to the Themeline, intersecting with and advancing the narrative in the psychological universe.

This speaks to the fact that in a scene, something happens. And something else happens. There is the something we see and hear. And the something we feel and intuit.

If you want to know the point of a scene, these are the questions you need to be asking, the layers you need to be exploring.

So with every scene you write, try starting with this question:

What is the point of the scene?

The Quest” has entered Week 19! And so did Go On Your Own Quest, an opportunity for anyone to follow the structure of “The Quest” to dig into screenwriting theory [Core — 8 weeks], figure out your story [Prep — 6 weeks], and write a first draft [Pages — 10 weeks]. It’s a 24-week immersion in the screenwriting process and you can do it here — for free!

Today and every Monday through Friday for 10 weeks, I’ll use this slot to post something inspirational as GOYOQ participants pound out their first drafts.

Why not use the structure of this 24-week workshop to Go On Your Own Quest? That was an idea that gathered energy among many members of the GITS community which I described here.

For more information on Go On Your Own Quest, go here.

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