Screenwriting : Early development by Matthew Hogan

Hey, Matthew. I do this all of the time with ideas. I test out an idea by outlining the logline, theme, characters, locations, the script beats, miscellaneous information, etc.

^^^ this.

Thats why ideas have no value; employers pay for execution..

Hi Matthew, on index cards or MS Word, I note the scenes that popped into my head that first caused me to want to write the story then separately write up the characters and their back stories and use those to fill in the scene gaps.

Assuming you don't have a completed script, and you're talking just about the story, I find outlining invaluable as far as I can go. Then, wherever there's a block, I ask 'why does x happen?'. Then, I get to know the characters a bit and develop them. Then I go back to the outline and fit more stuff in. Delete stuff. Then I let it sit and crystallise a bit, then I'll come back and usually end up cringing at threads that don't match up. Depending on how much of the story I know before the characters and vice versa, this can take from a week to a month. Then, I give it to a trusted other person who picks it apart and then I can go make it watertight!

Whatever process works for you is the right one, though! If you're having trouble starting an outline, I find imagining you're telling a friend as though the story happened to you. Then just start writing. You can always edit later!! :D Good luck!!

Stay as organized as possible from the starting line. I've done this in a variety of ways until I found something that worked best -- the best thing I've found is to write everything on note cards. Start with your big beats, whatever comes to your head first. Then break those down. What happens after This Thing? How is my character going to react to Something Else?

Usually, when an idea comes to mind, depending on where I am I'll write out bullet points of just words (emotions, descriptive words) in a notebook or notepad app. Most of the time it's full-on conversation/dialogue. Once home, I'll take a look at what I have and think as the character as to what was going on in their mind, why that sudden urge of thought.

Matthew Hogan one useful element is John Truby's "designing principle" which can be any number of approaches and tends to move towards your particular way of seeing and feeling story emerge. (See also his book "The Anatomy of Story" which is a superlative workbook).

I'm a visual designer, so I start as if I were designing a ship for launch. The container is a drydock that needs to be large enough for the vessel I have in mind.

If it's a short film or contained script concept, I might sketch it out on a sheet of posterboard; if it's a three or five-act epic I might need an entire wall of sketchbook pages taped up there.

Maybe you have other experience such as your comic book or graphic novel view of pages spanning a story, or if you are an outdoors person you might think of a tree growing branches, if you're an IT person you might envision it as designing a computer application, there's a personal design environment somewhere in your mind that might suit your particular story design strategy, visual, technical, naturalistic, whatever it might be.

Collage and visual art can lead to good places since cinema is quite a visual medium.

Or maybe it's good just to free-write thirty or forty pages of ideas loosely and see what types of themes and characters you think might revolve around your story concept.

Generate momentum for yourself in some way and let it come into focus, and best of great energy for your new project!

"Then, wherever there's a block, I ask 'why does x happen?'" I like that, Amy Jayne Conley. And I think doing that can help solve plot holes.

the first thing I do is write the main character's storyline. then I write the antagonist's storyline as he sees this situation. then the storylines of the characters that are important to the story.

Hi Matthew, check out this webinar about outlining - that's usually helpful for me: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Outlining-Your-Feature-Screenplay

That's great advice, Robert ("My opinion is that you must discover and develop an approach that is unique to you and aligns with what you’re most comfortable with").

Thank you everybody who took the time to help me out. I appreciate your thoughtful responses. I think Im going to start out with a basic pitch for myself and see where I can go from there.

You're welcome, Matthew.

HI Matthew! Great question. I always get started with my characters. I know everything about them, how they relate to the world, their motivations, their quirks, and then the plot points sort of start to flow. Then I know who needs to be involved in each scene. Hope that helps!

Really great comments in this thread. I echo what Molly shared, Brian Herskowitz's outlining webinar is a fantastic resource