When writing coverage for scripts, I quite often find myself writing that all of the ingredients are there for a great script, but they weren’t mixed properly. The script might have strong characters, a solid premise and a an entertaining story, but something about it is missing. Usually it’s due to poor story structure, and that means one thing:
The writer didn’t follow the recipe.
Ask any chef, and he or she will tell you that you can have all of the best and freshest food available. If you don’t follow the recipe, you’re going to end up with an unappetizing mess. That is what story structure is there for. Things like three-act structure and the Hero’s Journey are the cookbooks that will help you mix in the proper amounts of ingredients at the correct spots in the script.
Now, that same chef is also likely to tell you that following the recipe too closely will leave you with a dish that is uninspired and boring. Using three act structure as a crutch can do the same thing for your script. The thing to remember about the three act structure is that it allows for much more flexibility than most people believe. The other thing it does is that it allows you to mix your storytelling ingredients in ways that make sense and allows you to get the most out of the individual elements of the story.
One of the things that can make structure difficult to build is a main character without clear motivation. It’s the main character’s motivation that drives the story, and it can be almost impossible to build the story structure without knowing what the main character wants or needs. That may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many scripts I’ve read that have main characters that lack motivation, and that always shows itself in the lack of story structure. Having a character without strong motivation is like missing the duck in Duck a l’Orange.
Ultimately, the chef wants to create a meal that is delicious and satisfying. In order to do that, the chef needs to have the right recipe. Similarly, the writer wants to draft a story that is entertaining and engaging. In order to do that, the writer needs interesting characters and a solid story.
It sounds like s simple formula, but you have to follow the recipe.
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