Note: Italicized page numbers indicate a figure on the corresponding page.
Absalom, Absalom (Faulkner) 80
active protagonist loop 65, 66, 66–8, 67, 67
adventure: beginning of 22; in dénouement 44–5, 56, 114; examples of 46, 58, 177–8; as genre 73; initiation of 41, 44; invisible structure component 20, 24, 28, 39, 75; as opposition clause 113; plot and momentum 33–4; in story middle 43; in story premise 17, 30, 123
Alien (Hill) 102
Aliens (film) 128
All Is Lost (film) 74
Amadeus (film) 63
antagonist: as a complication character 131; examples of 113, 114; impact on protagonist 35; multiple antagonists 43; opposition from 32–3, 43–4; in Visible Structure 137
archetype, defined 19
Aristotle 15
The Art of Dramatic Writing (Egri) 16
Campbell, Joseph 19
cautionary tale characters 129–30
chain of desire 30–1, 32, 112, 137
change: in dénouement 114; doom moment and 35; evolution-de-evolution 35–6; examples of 46, 114; invisible structure component 20, 24, 28; lack of, in story 36, 39; in protagonist 31, 41–2, 50, 66–7; situation vs. story 72; in story premise 17, 53, 56
character: defined 51–3; focal relationship character 31–2, 112, 113, 129, 131, 137; invisible structure component 20, 21–2; as plot 54; in premise 16; protagonist as 29; reflection characters 31; story definition and 50; see also antagonist; protagonist
Children of Men (James) 90
clauses in premise line 39–45, 106
climax moment 35
collective unconscious 19
complication/red herring helpers 127–8
conflict: dramatic conflict 33; moral conflict 31, 67; in premise 16–17, 44
constriction: invisible structure component 20, 22; moral component and 29–30, 41; protagonist’s character flaw 41–2
core belief of protagonist 29–30, 62
crystallization idea 16
Dark Knight, The (film); 129–30, 131
dénouement: adventure in 44–5, 56, 114; defined 35, 40; examples of 46, 114; overview 44–5; in premise line 76, 105
desire: adventure and 24; chain of desire 30–1, 32, 112, 137; by characters 62; examples of 77, 112; invisible structure component 20, 23, 75; opposition and 32, 43; of protagonist 33, 35, 138; situation vs. story 59; team goal clause 42–3
development: business stage 119–20; character groups 126–31; the ensemble cast 124–6; overview 118–19; protagonist in 123–4; story stage 121–2
Dickens, Charles 12
Die Hard (film) 54
Die Hard (Thorp) 90
Dog Day Afternoon (film) 85
dramatic conflict see conflict
dramatic development see development
Egri, Lajos 16
emotional focus in premise 84, 86
endings in premise 16
entertainment value in premise 84
Exorcist, The (film) 127
Field, Syd 9
final resolution of story 35, 114, 137
Finnegan’s Wake (Joyce) 85
Fitzgerald, F. Scott 78
five-stage (act) theory of dramatic structure 15–16
Game of Thrones (HBO) 125
Godfather Trilogy, The (film) 60
Godzilla (film) 74
Hague, Michael 9
Harry Potter (Rowling) 90
Hemingway, Ernest 12
Hero’s Journey story system 9, 19
Hero with a Thousand Faces, The (Campbell) 19
high concept premise: defined 83–4; determination of 81–8; introduction 13; log line worksheet exercise 88; overview 81–2; seven components of 84–7; short synopsis and 115; soft concept premise vs.;82–3
Hill, Walter 102
Hitchcock, Alfred 121
hook: high concept ideas and 55, 86; log line and 72, 90–1, 102; situation vs. story 55
Howe, Elias 26
invisible structure: adventure 20, 24, 28, 39, 75; adventure in 20, 24; change in 20, 24; character in 20, 21–2; components of 20–1; constriction in 20, 22; defined 17–18; desire in 20, 23; introduction 13; mapping of 75–9; overview 19–20, 24–6; relationship in 20, 23; resistance in 20, 23; synopsis and 104; visible structure and 28–9
invisible structure, mapping: dénouement clause 35, 44–5; opposition clause 43–4; overview 40; protagonist clause 41–2; team goal clause 42–3
Law & Order (TV show) 126
literary agents 3, 83, 103, 120
log line: defined 89–90; development of 89–92; examples 90–1; hook and 72, 90–1, 102; introduction 13; premise line and 90; tagline 91–2; worksheet 72, 88
McCarthy, Cormack 12
“magic formula” for situation vs. story 51, 62
Martin, J.R.R. 125
mass audience appeal 86
messenger/helper characters 126–7
Meyer, Stephanie 77
middle of story: active protagonist loop 67; adventure in 24; example of 112; human relationship in 74; milestones in 34–5; moral blind spot 31; oppositional clause 43; situation vs. story 55; team goal clause an 2, 43; weak spots of protagonist 3, 34
“Mini-Movie Method” 34
moral blind spot: antagonist’s knowledge of 33; constricting event and 30, 41; desire, link to 31; in doom moment 35; immoral effect and 62; as moral component 29, 61; overview 61–2
moral component: defined 61–4; dynamic moral tension 29, 61, 64; in visible structure 29–30
moral conflict 31
moral premise: active protagonist loop 65, 66, 66–8, 67; blind spot 61–2, 129; dynamic moral tension 64; immoral effect 62–4; introduction 13; moral, defined 60–1; moral component, defined 61–4; passive protagonist loop 64–6, 65; plot and 54
motivation: action from 52–4; constriction impact on 41–2; core belief under 30–1; emotional change from 51; moral component in 61, 62; opening motivation 43; situation vs. story 72; windows into 129
multiple antagonists 43
Muybridge, Eadweard 86
novelization of screenplays/movies 103
O’Conner, Flannery 12
The Odd Couple (film) 130
Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) 63
passive protagonist loop 64–6, 65
plot: character as 54; defined 53–4; momentum in story 33–4; six-stage plot 9; story definition and 50; see also visible structure
Poetics, The (Aristotle) 15
Point Blank (Jacobs) 102
point of attack 22
premise: adventure in 17, 30, 123; change in 17, 53, 56; common definitions 14–15; development 4; foundation 4; historical definitions 15–16; introduction 13; originality of 84–5; soft concept premise 13, 82–3, 87–8; working definition of 17–18; see also high concept premise; invisible structure 7-Step Premise Development Process
premise line: analysis of 45–8, 46; anatomy of 39–40; clauses in 39–45, 106; dénouement in 76, 105; development of first pass 79–81; finalization 92; introduction 13; invisible vs. visible connections 36–7; log line and 90; sample premise line 45, 47; story structure vs.38–9, 39; as tool 15; worksheet 71–2
premise testing 72, 92–5, 96–7
Producers, The (film) 126
protagonist: active protagonist loop 65, 66, 66–8, 67; antagonist impact on 35; change in 31, 41–2, 50, 66–7; character flaw and constriction 41–2; core belief of 29–30, 62; desire of 33, 35, 138; in development 123–4; mapping clause 41–2; midpoint stakes for 33, 34; number of 123–4; passive protagonist loop 64–6, 65; in visible structure 29
Proust, Marcel 12
Puzo, Mario 78
Reed, Barry 63
reflection characters 31, 129–30
relationships in storytelling: focal relationship character 31–2, 112, 113, 129, 131, 137; invisible structure component 20, 23; middle of story 74; overview 55
resistance: adventure and 24; invisible structure component 20, 23; as opposition 32–3, 43–4, 113; overview 23; in story structure 17, 20, 75
Rowling, J.K. 90
Sallie Gardner at a Gallop (Muybridge) 86
7-Step Premise Development Process: developing log line 89–92; forms, worksheets, and samples 71–2; high concept premise 81–8; introduction 4; invisible structure, mapping 75–9; overview 12–13, 14, 69–70; premise line, finalization 92; premise line, first pass 79–81; premise testing 92–5; process in 70–1; situation vs. story, determination 72–5; see also invisible structure; premise; premise line; visible structure
Short Synopsis Worksheet 104–17
Silence of the Lambs (film) 60
situation vs. story: character, defined 51–3; determination of 72–5; goals of 58–9; “magic formula” for 51, 62; plot, defined 53–4; situation, components 56–8, 57t; situation, defined 55–6; story, defined 49–51, 55; whistles and bells test 73–4
six-stage plot 9
soft concept premise 13, 82–3, 87–8
Song of Ice and Fire, A (Martin) 125
Soth, Chris 34
Stanton, Andrew 102
Steinbeck, John 63
story: change, impact on 36, 39; consultant 93; defined 49–51, 55; development stage 121–2; editors 3; final resolution of 35, 114, 137; stakes 34, 113, 137; telling of 9–10; writing vs.10–11; see also middle of story; situation vs. story
story premise see premise
story structure: premise line vs.38–9, 39; resistance in 17, 20, 75; writer’s block and 137
storytelling: episodic storytelling 23, 42; story development stage and 121–2; story premise support of 17; writing vs.11–12; see also relationships in storytelling
sub-desires 31
Sunset Boulevard (film) 63
synopsis: overview 101; process of 103–4; short synopsis 101–3; Short Synopsis Worksheet 104–17
tagline: defined 91; examples of 74, 91–2; log line and 72; premise testing and 94
team goal clause 42–3, 76, 105, 112
Thorp, Roderick 90
three-act structure 9
Toute une vie (And Now My Love) (film) 85
28 Days Later (film) 128