Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting

An Inciting Incident must “hook” the audience, a deep and complete response. Their response must not only be emotional, but rational.

Critics never cite the pleasure of the audience unless they share it.

The scene is not about what the scene seems to be about. It’s about something else.

stories are equipment for living.

if it merely runs alongside, it will split the story down the middle and destroy its effect.

Secure writers don’t sell first drafts.

From these create a step-outline, using, where valuable, designs from the original work, but feeling free to cut scenes and, if necessary, to create new ones.

move progressively forward to a final action beyond which the audience cannot imagine another.

Two principles control the emotional involvement of an audience. First, empathy: identification with the protagonist