A Chronic Problem For Screenwriters Is Failing To Tell A Story - Jill Chamberlain

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Jill Chamberlain is the author of one of the highest rated screenwriting books on Amazon entitled The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting.

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#writing #screenwriting #screenwriting101

[Within_Cells_Interlinked]

I remember the South Park creators describing the same thing, that story is not “A happens, then B happens, then C...” but that it should be “A happens, therefore B happens, but then C happens, therefore D...etc.” It’s so subtle but makes all the difference.

[ajtaylor]

There was one time that I wrote an entire script with cool dialogue, great action set pieces, lots of twists and turns, but one of my mentors read it and said "So what's this about? What is the main character's journey? How would you describe this movie to someone else aside from me?" It hit me that I lacked a story, and this was back in 2013 when I wrote a short film script that wasn't great at all. Since then, I've always prioritized story over everything else in a screenplay because without it you essentially have a pointless movie. Yes, there are movies with really no story, but even then they have some sort of small-scale journey the audience can follow.

[two-moonz]

1. Who is your main character?
2. A story: What do they want? (B Story : What is their wound/need?)
3.Who is trying to stop them?
4.What are the stakes if they fail?

[assianeu]

I expect the 30, 000 people watching these videos with me to be dropping 30, 000 excellent scripts cause she’s giving really powerful advices

[julyx]

I just went to her website. her technique is the same as everyone else's. If u didn't get theirs u r not going to get hers. Understanding and learning how to tell ur story is so much more complex than these charts. It is very much an intuitive process.

[estellepatella]

Story is important. But I find that many screen writers don't write "in character"" very well. Often the dialogue has the same syntax from one character to the next, making the characters indistinguishable and monotone.

[scottslotterbeck]

Aaron Sorkin makes the same point. A story goes somewhere. A situation is just a moment in time; it doesn't go anywhere. Nothing happens that leads to a satisfying end.

[arzabael]

Her advice about how “if you can replace the protagonist yet the story is the same than you have a situation not a story” is plain harmful. New writers always think they need to retro-fit the advice they get into their manuscript and advice like that most certainly needs to be prefaced with the disclaimer we are all familiar with which is there are no true rules only principles.

[Boss]

The connection between plot and character arc really resonated. Glad I purchased the book.

[tommycharles]

"My system, my system, buy my book! Also, buy the more expensive paperback version please!" :P Went to the website to see the 'nutshell.' It's basically story telling 101. There is nothing new here. it's just a loss leader to get you to sign up for the mailing list, after which you will be sold stuff. This interview is 11 minutes long, and she says almost nothing of substance. Sorry to be negative, but this video is a sharp down down turn in your usual quality. To everyone else: want to write a story? Have POV characters. Have those POV characters set goals. Have them fail to meet those goals and have things happen as a consequence. Have the POV characters deal with the consequences. Then have them set new goals. Sometimes, the character can meet his goal but find out that there's a newer, bigger problem to deal with. Repeat this process until you hit story resolution. This will create organic plot structure

There, I just saved you $20.

[Goishen]

Thinking of this woman every time I sit down and try and watch "Start up". 6 episodes in, and the characters are back at the very start.

[rmpeete]

Thanks! @FilmCourage creates a treasure trove of gifts for its audience -- stocked with vast riches from the writing universe. Thanks for the introduction to Jill Chamberlain!

[joeygonzo]

A situation only matters if the protagonist has to make a decision with regards to that situation . And there has to be something at stake for the protagonist . If there is not a HUGE stake for the protagonist ( or to his loved one/ones ), then that situation/event is weak.

[joseafalvel]

hahaha since the moment she started to explain the difference between a story and situations I thought immediately, "mmmm so "Boyhood" could be a movie that was written based merely in a bunch of situations assembled together" and by the end of the video she came up with that example. I loved it

[WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Though I write novels, I'm tempted to give her book a read-through

[activelifetransformation]

All I'm gonna say is, if you are an aspiring writer, these are the type of people you need to run away from.

Thank you. Good luck on your journey!

[thereccher]

She's over complicating it. Good stories have causality. A happens because of B. No technique needed. Just link your plot points.

[askarsfan]

365 Days is a good example of a movie that strings a bunch of (music) videos together and calls it a story.

[Photographicelements]

This is amazing, and yet so simple. It is so easy to over complicate things, especially with screenwriting. Now reviewing a recent script to see if it checks all the boxes for story.. thank you.

[demetriusdion]

The secret to writing is sitting your pant's to the chair, and writing. Character + Plot = Story.