Write a Script With No Plan?

Jun 13, 2006

Though I often tout the effectiveness of having a solid plan when creating a script, many writers tell me they want to write freely, without being rigidly controlled.

I think that's terrific, as long as they stay consistent and productive, know where their scripts are headed, keep them on track, and end up with artistic and marketable products. After all, scripts are meant to come alive. That's the end goal: to create a work that not only satisfies the scriptwriter, but is also attractive to a director or producer who will turn it into a movie or stage production.

Most Writers Plan

When I begin a script, or as I'm working on it, some of the items I need to keep track of include story outlines, drawings, drafts, snippets of dialogue, bits of characterization, rough scene descriptions, and several additional components.

I think all writers consider these components and try to organize them, at least in their heads. My problem with a strictly mental system is that I tend to forget things. For example, I'll hear someone say something and think, "That would be a great line." If I don't write it down immediately, at least on a scrap of paper, I simply don't remember it later. The components of a script are much more complex than a single line.

It's really not a whole lot of work to collect and organize all these things into a plan. And the results can be extraordinary.

Plans Should be Flexible

Any experienced project manager in the business world knows that change is inevitable as soon as the project begins. It happens with architects and their blueprints, too. Scriptwriting is no different.

I have started scripts with a particular theme or story or ending already conceived, only to discover along the way that another one was really the correct way to go. So, as a project manager or architect would do, I changed my plans, adapting them for the new situation or path.

A plan doesn't dictate HOW you write, it organizes your materials and presents a path to follow so that the writing achieves its goal.

The copyright of the article Write a Script With No Plan? in Writing for Stage/Screen is owned by Dave Brandl. Permission to republish Write a Script With No Plan? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.