Read Online Romantic Screenplays 101 by Sally J. Walker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sally J. Walker
Tags: Romance, nonfiction, Reference, Writing, Writing; Research & Publishing Guides, Writing Skills
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sense of jeopardy for the character who must act!
Common difficult choices in romance are between the beloved / the relationship and family dictates, job demands, life-changing opportunities, religious or political dogma, and personal pride / comfort / security. When any one of those is the golden idol in one person’s life and must be set aside or ignored for the sake of the relationship, you have created a dramatic dilemma.
In romance you will have every opportunity to use both sex and violence because you have a basic story of conflict in these two elements from the beginning. They want what they can not have . . . without earning it. So you put them in jeopardy and make them earn it.
REVISING OUT MELODRAMA
Many, many even experienced romance novelists (let alone screenwriters) fall victim to melodrama. They are not aware of it because they sincerely think that’s the way the story should go. They are affronted when the melodrama is pointed out. If there is one thing editing and screenwriting should teach you it is “Get over yourself!” Nothing is carved in stone. And if anyone tells you something even hints of melodrama, you better examine that scene or story line from every angle possible.
Any storyteller knows that a motivated character encountering forceful opposition will act out dramatic conflict. Drama is defined as any series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting or striking interest or results. Melodrama goes one step further as a form that does not observe cause and effect and that intensifies sentiment and exaggerates emotion. The difference between the two is illogical intensity and exaggerated emotion . A dramatic scene delivers credible insight to the audience; melodrama delivers laughs, groans, and even squirming discomfort. Drama builds illusion, whereas melodrama destroys it. Yes, you want bigger-than-life characters, empowered people who create change. What you do not want is a story, an event, a character that is unbelievable for even one moment.
You must examine each scene and each line of dialogue for excess, not just to save the cost of production that any good film editor will leave on the cutting room floor, but to hone your story to the barest essence of its own power, its own reality.
Even solid comedies avoid melodrama by being reality-based. They propose the reality, set up the audience expectation then depict the reversal. Think of CLUELESS, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, THE FULL MONTY. Each had moments of silliness and immaturity that were balanced with logical moments of pathos and potential. Melodrama does not provide balance because it goes that one step too far. The audience cannot believe the inappropriate illusion.
The essence of powerful storytelling vs. melodrama is covered by the Three R’s: Real, Relevant, Riveting.
Is it Real?
The story events must be logically aligned. Even the convoluted MEMENTO was meticulously set up in retrospect. It was a journey constructed of piece-by-piece memory fragments. It was credible because it delivered the tension of mounting discovery. No one’s memory is perfect. Ask any police officer taking statements from multiple witnesses or the author of anecdotal history whose view is skewed from lack of knowledge of all contributing factors. The audience bought into the illusion in MEMENTO and lived it with the story characters.
Credible stories are logical stories. Logical, not predictable. Logical means the events are presented in cause-and-effect order. The effect, the result of a cause or motivation can be bizarre. What it cannot be is illogical.
You are responsible for establishing reality through blatant imagery or exposition. Of course, in the film industry imagery is preferable. The subtle or inner workings of a character are the exposition. For this exposition to be real and not melodramatic, the timing must be perfect to the story line, the words and delivery succinct and pointed. If a character belabors a point, that is
Common difficult choices in romance are between the beloved / the relationship and family dictates, job demands, life-changing opportunities, religious or political dogma, and personal pride / comfort / security. When any one of those is the golden idol in one person’s life and must be set aside or ignored for the sake of the relationship, you have created a dramatic dilemma.
In romance you will have every opportunity to use both sex and violence because you have a basic story of conflict in these two elements from the beginning. They want what they can not have . . . without earning it. So you put them in jeopardy and make them earn it.
REVISING OUT MELODRAMA
Many, many even experienced romance novelists (let alone screenwriters) fall victim to melodrama. They are not aware of it because they sincerely think that’s the way the story should go. They are affronted when the melodrama is pointed out. If there is one thing editing and screenwriting should teach you it is “Get over yourself!” Nothing is carved in stone. And if anyone tells you something even hints of melodrama, you better examine that scene or story line from every angle possible.
Any storyteller knows that a motivated character encountering forceful opposition will act out dramatic conflict. Drama is defined as any series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting or striking interest or results. Melodrama goes one step further as a form that does not observe cause and effect and that intensifies sentiment and exaggerates emotion. The difference between the two is illogical intensity and exaggerated emotion . A dramatic scene delivers credible insight to the audience; melodrama delivers laughs, groans, and even squirming discomfort. Drama builds illusion, whereas melodrama destroys it. Yes, you want bigger-than-life characters, empowered people who create change. What you do not want is a story, an event, a character that is unbelievable for even one moment.
You must examine each scene and each line of dialogue for excess, not just to save the cost of production that any good film editor will leave on the cutting room floor, but to hone your story to the barest essence of its own power, its own reality.
Even solid comedies avoid melodrama by being reality-based. They propose the reality, set up the audience expectation then depict the reversal. Think of CLUELESS, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, THE FULL MONTY. Each had moments of silliness and immaturity that were balanced with logical moments of pathos and potential. Melodrama does not provide balance because it goes that one step too far. The audience cannot believe the inappropriate illusion.
The essence of powerful storytelling vs. melodrama is covered by the Three R’s: Real, Relevant, Riveting.
Is it Real?
The story events must be logically aligned. Even the convoluted MEMENTO was meticulously set up in retrospect. It was a journey constructed of piece-by-piece memory fragments. It was credible because it delivered the tension of mounting discovery. No one’s memory is perfect. Ask any police officer taking statements from multiple witnesses or the author of anecdotal history whose view is skewed from lack of knowledge of all contributing factors. The audience bought into the illusion in MEMENTO and lived it with the story characters.
Credible stories are logical stories. Logical, not predictable. Logical means the events are presented in cause-and-effect order. The effect, the result of a cause or motivation can be bizarre. What it cannot be is illogical.
You are responsible for establishing reality through blatant imagery or exposition. Of course, in the film industry imagery is preferable. The subtle or inner workings of a character are the exposition. For this exposition to be real and not melodramatic, the timing must be perfect to the story line, the words and delivery succinct and pointed. If a character belabors a point, that is
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