The Screenplay Workbook by Jeremy Robinson and Tom Mungovan

Jeremy Robinson and Tom Mungovan. The Screenwriting Workbook: The Writing Before the Writing. Hollywood, Ca.: Lone Eagle Publishing, 2003.

A screenwriter, before beginning to write a screenplay, need to develop characters, a plot, subplot, and find emotions and emotional shifts that the audience should experience.

A screenwriter should conceptualize a screenplay, consider its genre, characters, time period, how much a movie could cost to produce, what its target audience should be, the story content, the writer’s own interests, and then develop an impression of these thoughts so far.

Character development should include names for the characters. The names could project particular meanings or emotions. Consideration has to be provided to the themes the characters will project. The characters could have quirks, interests, vices, strengths, goals, sexual proclivities, regrets, etc. that are a part of the screenplay.

Character relationships need to consider how the characters interplay with each other, the challenges and difficulties in these relationships, their mutual interest and beliefs, and the goals of each in these relationships.

The plot structure has to consider exposition, increasing action, conflicts, climax, falling actions, resolution, and the ending.

Plot points and the turnings points have to be considered.

A character needs a character arc. A challenge posed to a character has to be acknowledged, faced, struggled with, and defeated.

A plot chart considers plot points, plot structure, and the character arc.

Screenplays need to consider their time period, location, story element, characters involved, the visual look, important actions, dialogue, and revelations.