You sit down at your writing desk, glass of ice tea (or favorite beverage), soft music in the background, and a KILLER movie idea that you know will smash the box office. You crack your fingers and go to type out the opening scene and then you see it….the blank page.

This can be one of the most daunting tasks of embarking on that unforgiving journey that is script writing.



This objective of this article is to break your story down into smaller bite sized, easy to digest modules that will help take away some of the frustration of mapping out your film. First and foremost we would like to thank the efforts of Jeffery Alan Schechter, who designed this process and designed the screenwriting software, “Totally Write”, which has now become “Contour” and can be found in our recommended software section.


Anyone who has studied traditional screenwriting methods will understand the 3 act structure. Act I as setup, Act II as confrontation, and Act III as resolution. The reason films are built in the 3 act structure is that it is the natural way stories are told with a beginning, middle, and end. Also, Act II is typically as long as Acts I and III combined. For example, to make things neat imagine a script that is 120 pages. Typically Act I will span roughly 30 pages, Act II 60 pages, and Act III another 30 pages. If you are familiar with Syd Field’s teachings then you are aware that Act II is usually broken up into two halves. This gives 4 even length modular pieces for your story (Act I, Act II part 1, Act II part 2, and Act III). Mr. Schechter took this concept further and defined the changes your character goes through and fit them to this structure.


We are going to briefly explore these 4 phases of character because after all, it is your character that will make or break your story. You can have the greatest idea known to man, but if your characters are not properly constructed you will not have a good movie period.

Phase 1 – Orphan (Act I)


At the beginning of your story, your protagonist is an orphan of some sort. They could be literally an orphan like Luke Skywalker or Bruce Wayne, or they could be an orphan in a figurative way. In any case, your character is somehow isolated from the world around him. He/she is out of place, doesn’t fit or doesn’t feel normal. Shrek is an orphan in the way that he has shut himself out from the world around him. He likes to be alone in his ogre pad in the middle of the swamp. When the protagonist is in the Orphan stage, he/she is resistant to the call of adventure and it usually takes something that shakes their world to get them to begin their journey.

Phase 2 – Wanderer (Act II part 1)


An event happens that pulls your character from their normal world and into an uncomfortable situation. It could be something physically drastic as the threat of an asteroid, arrival of aliens, or the release of man eating dinosaurs. It could also be a lifestyle change such as the loss of a family member, moving to a new city, or getting a new job. Whatever it is, your main character has been pulled from the status quo and is now forced to deal with a new situation. They are the wanderer for the first half of Act II, just trying to understand their situation and meeting supporting characters, finding clues, and overcoming obstacles.

Phase 3 – Warrior (Act II part 2)


Ok now it gets exciting. The Warrior phase of your story is when your protagonist has stocked up on knowledge, weapons, skills, or whatever he needs to face the antagonist. This phase begins at the beginning of the second half of Act II, which is the midpoint of your story.


The Warrior phase is an interesting one because throughout the course of your story your protagonist is struggling to answer “the central question”. The central question is a simple question that runs through the bloodline of your story. Will the princess be rescued? Will they escape the dinosaurs? Will they be able to infiltrate the enemy’s base and foil their plot to destroy the world? It is the question that as soon as it is answered, your film is over.


In the Warrior Phase, your character now fully understands the situation and embarks on a journey to answer that question. In many films this actually involves your character venturing into enemy territory (For example in Jaws the 3 characters board a boat and go out to see to seek out and kill the shark). The danger level for your character increases and ends up with the death of your protagonist.


Phase 4 – Martyr (Act III)


Let’s back up as many of you are probably questioning that last statement. Yes, your hero has to die (usually it is figuratively). Act II ends with the character in the darkest, worst, nightmarish place he/she can imagine. Its rock bottom, all seems lost. In order to resolve the story, you character has to go through a transformation. When your character “dies”, he/she emerges again as something different. A character that now truly understands what’s at stake.


At the beginning your character was an orphan, isolated from the world around them. Then something happened and pulled them into a situation that they were not comfortable with and they became the wanderer and began to search for an answer. Once they became familiar with their situation, they became the warrior and embarked to answer the central question. After coming this far, the problem is still unsolved.


The only thing left is for your character to sacrifice his or herself in order to accomplish the final task. At this point they have to be willing to give up their personal desire to correct their own life and go forth to face the enemy regardless of what might happen to them. Luke Skywalker decides that the only way the Death Star is going to get destroyed is if he flies into the trench himself, using the force and takes it out. It doesn’t have to be a physical danger, could be a social or personal sacrifice. In American Pie, the character Oz gives up his state championship lacrosse game that meant so much to him in order to get to choir competitions and win the girl’s heart.


So those are the four phases that your character travels. In most cases, by sacrificing themselves your character will give up what they want but end up getting what they needed instead. I heavily recommend looking into Contour and Mr. Schechter’s work to learn about this development on a much richer level and give your story some depth.


The next part of this article explores the Central question and how to develop a “road map” for your story.