I'm obsessing about outlines while re-doing mine
for 'Justice at Sea'. I'm starting to get quite a collection of possible
outline formats. Any favorites of yours that I missed?
Three-Act Structure (Aristitle's Incline)
The classic linear plot
has a beginning, middle, and ending. In a novel, they’re structured as three
acts. If you were to draw a diagram of this plot line, it will look like a
diagonal line starting at the left, building toward a climax which ends on the
right. The line is divided into thirds, one third for each of the three acts. At
the bottom left at the very beginning of Act One is your opening scene. Your
ending scene will be at the top of the incline on the far right. In the middle
of your incline is your midpoint scene, the first great turning point of your
novel (or short story), or as Aristotle called it, the reversal.
A novel using this type of plot line will have
six key scenes. Because of time and word constraints, a short story won’t have
this many full scenes, but you can still use this diagram to outline your
story. The six key scenes are:
1.
Opening scene
2.
Plot point one
3.
Midpoint or reversal
scene
4.
Plot point two
5.
Climax
6.
Ending scene
Now let’s go into this in
more detail.
Act One is your beginning
of the story. It is the setup. Here you introduce your characters, reveal their
conflicts. Act One closes with a turning point (with plot point one) and then
the curtain to Act Two opens. In Act Two, obstacles intensify the conflict. Act
Two will contain the reversal scene at its midpoint and will close with plot
point two, another key scene that will signal the ending of Act Two and bring
up the curtain for Act Three. Act Three contains the climax and ending scene.
Opening Scene
Your opening scene is
your reader’s first glimpse into your story. It’s the scene that determines
whether or not your reader will buy your book or continue with the rest of the
story. It introduces your characters and conflicts while also setting the tone
and mood for the rest of the story.
Plot Point One
After your opening scene,
your next key scene is plot point one. This is the scene that closes the first
act of your story. The purpose of this scene is to finish the setting up of
conflicts and characters. At the end of plot point one, the tone, time, or pace
changes.
Midpoint/Reversal
In a movie, the midpoint
occurs at the midpoint, at the end of the first hour of a two-hour movie, or
around page sixty in a script. In a novel or story, you will also have a
midpoint. Understanding the importance of this key scene will help you to
prevent a boring, floundering middle of a story—or middle-of-the-book blues.
The midpoint serves
another purpose in your story. Robert J. Ray describes it as what anchors the
events both leading up to the midpoint and away from it. Your midpoint should
transform your character in some way. All the events leading up to it should
have a logical cause and effect relationship, as should the events leading away
from your midpoint. Each event linked in a causal chain will lead to a logical
but also satisfying ending.
Plot Point Two
Just as plot point one
closes Act One, plot point two closes Act Two and opens the curtain for Act
Three. Robert J. Ray describes the function of plot point two: “Plot point two
is the high point and turning point. You use it to wind the action up, twisting
the strands of your story so they can be unwound in Act Three, sometimes called
the denouement.”
Climax
The climax of a story is
the high point of emotional intensity. It is the moment of resolution. On the
Aristotle incline diagram, it’s the highest point of your story before it
closes with the ending scene.
Ending
The ending scene is the
final scene of your story. At this point, everything has come to a logical
resolution. An ideal ending scene should have a final image that remains in the
reader’s mind after he has closed the book.
Mary Shoman's Script Layout (an adaptation of the 3-Act)
ACT I
[pages 1-12] SETUP: Who is the main character,
what is the place, time, mood, size /scope /feeling, point of view. What's the
story about? Whose story is it? What does hero want, and what's stopping hero
from getting it? Do we like hero and care if he/she gets what she wants? What
happens next?
[3] CENTRAL QUESTION POINT: What is the central
question, the theme, the main issue the movie is going to answer?
[12] NEW OPPORTUNITY: Something that happens to
steer events in a particular direction
[12-30] CHOICE OF PATH: Based on the new
opportunity, the hero begins taking steps toward a general goal.
ACT II
[30] CHANGE OF PLANS/TURNING POINT: What event
throws hero a curve, forces response or reaction, sets the hero's plan/goal,
defines the hero's new pathway for Act II? General goal(s) become specific.
[30-60] PROGRESS: Plans to achieve goals are
working. There are conflicts but things are going pretty well. Hero is
changing, circumstances are changing & stakes get higher.
[45] MOVING FORWARD METAPHOR: A small scene with
symbolic overtones, showing the character's growth, and giving us a clue to the
resolution.
[60] POINT OF NO RETURN: Something happens so that
hero, if pushing forward & committing, against all odds, to goal, cannot
return to where he/she was in the setup. Sometimes, here the external goal has
become internal/personal;pursuing it will change the hero.
[60+] POST-POINT MOMENT: A lighter moment, which
typically follows the POINT OF NO RETURN. Doesn't further action, but shows how
hero is
changing, then obstacles start to escalate.
[60-90] COMPLICATIONS AND HIGHER STAKES: The goal
becomes even harder to achieve. It looks like it will take everything to do
this, harder than thought, but hero wants it more because it's harder.
ACT III
[90] ALL HOPE IS LOST/MAJOR SETBACK/THE BIG
GLOOM/GIVING UP
POINT: The greatest setback. It appears that hero
may not achievegoal, hero about to give up, but something happens that changes
everything, an event that gives a chance at a goal hero didn't know he/she had.
[90 - 108] FINAL PUSH --> ONE SPECIFIC ACTION: Final
intensification of the hero's pursuit of the goal, which usually becomes focused
here into achieving one specific action. An event occurs that educates the
hero, and
starts the resolution. Hero may be getting
something more or different from what he/she set out to get, hero has learned something
and is changed by it, a new complications sets in?
[108 - 114] CLIMAX: Hero is close, can see goal,
final obstacle, has to give up everything in pursuit of the goal, crisis point
where all is in jeopardy, final moment, all or nothing . Hero achieves or fails
to achieve the goal, and outer motivation is clearly resolved, often through
confrontation with a "nemesis."
[108 - 114] DENOUEMENT: What is the outcome,
resolution, hero's new life?
[120] THE END
* I have
some reservations about this outline, yet it’s one I usually use. The FINAL PUSH, MOVING FORWARD, & POST
POINT MOMENT really feel artificial and constraining to me. Formulaic.
Yet, when I identify these scenes in movies (the incredibly short
spider-killing in the brilliant and tragic Chronicle, for instance) I
find they work brilliantly.
Joseph Campbell's Hero Journey
(adapted by Christopher Vogler, among others -
again for screenplays.)
Act I: Departure, Separation
Intro - The Ordinary World (the hero in his
natural environ, before he’s thrust into strangeness)
The Call - The Call to Adventure (the story hook,
the change) The adventure begins with the hero receiving a call to action, such
as a threat to the peace of the community, or the hero simply falls into or
blunders into it. The call is often announced to the hero by another character
who acts as a "herald". The herald, often represented as dark or
terrifying and judged evil by the world, may call the character from his world
of the common day to adventure simply by the crisis of his appearance.
Refusal - The (possible) Refusal of the Call (the
hero balks, fear.) In some stories, the hero initially refuses the call to
adventure, or something prevents him from answering the call. When this
happens, the hero may suffer somehow, and may eventually choose to answer, or
may continue to decline the call.
Aid - Supernatural Aid (helps prepare the hero,
readies them for the change). After the hero has accepted the call, he often
encounters a protective figure (The Mentor - often elderly) who provides
special tools and advice for the adventure ahead, such as an amulet or a
weapon.
Crossing the Threshold - PPI (the Climax of Act I)
- Crossing the First Threshold (once the hero crosses this, they are
committed.) The hero must cross the threshold between the world he is familiar
with and that which he is not. Often this involves facing a "threshold
guardian", an entity that works to keep all within the protective confines
of the world but must be encountered in order to enter the new zone of
experience.
Alternately:
The Belly of the Whale: The hero, rather than passing a threshold, passes into
the new zone by means of rebirth. Appearing to have died by being swallowed or
having their flesh scattered, the hero is transformed and becomes ready for the
adventure ahead
Act II: Initiation (Pt. One)
Tests, Allies & Enemies - The Road of Trials -
Once past the threshold, the hero encounters a dream landscape of ambiguous and
fluid forms. The hero is challenged to survive a succession of obstacles and,
in so doing, amplifies his consciousness. The hero is helped covertly by the
supernatural helper or may discover a benign power supporting him in his
passage.
The Approach - Approaching to the Inmost Cave -
the world of secrets
The Ordeal - Midpoint (Climax of Act II, Pt. 1)
Can take several different forms, When the Hero hits rock bottom and comes face
to face with their greatest fear.
- Atonement
with the Father - The hero reconciles the tyrant and merciful aspects of the
father-like authority figure to understand himself as well as this figure.
- The
Meeting with the Goddess - The ultimate trial is often represented as a
marriage between the hero and a queenlike, or mother-like figure. This
represents the hero's mastery of life (represented by the feminine) as well as
the totality of what can be known. When the hero is female, this becomes a male
figure.
- Woman as
the Temptress - His awareness expanded, the hero may fixate on the disunity
between truth and his subjective outlook, inherently tainted by the flesh. This
is often represented with revulsion or rejection of a female figure.
-
Apotheosis - The hero's ego is disintegrated in a breakthrough expansion of
consciousness. Quite frequently the hero's idea of reality is changed; the hero
may find an ability to do new things or to see a larger point of view, allowing
the hero to sacrifice himself.
- The
Ultimate Boon - The hero is now ready to obtain that which he has set out, an
item or new awareness that, once he returns, will benefit the society that he
has left.
Act II: Initiation (Pt. Two)
Reward (Seizing the Sword) Some kind of change
that’s happened as a result of the Ordeal. Some reason it’s imperative for the
Hero to return. The action that drive the character’s return to the world of
normalcy and the Climax begins here.
Refusal of the Return - Having found bliss and
enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the
ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man.
The Magic Flight - When the boon's acquirement (or
the hero's return to the world) comes against opposition, a chase or pursuit
may ensue before the hero returns.
Rescue from Without - The hero may need to be
rescued by forces from the ordinary world. This may be because the hero has
refused to return or because he is successfully blocked from returning with the
boon. The hero loses his ego.
The Crossing of the Return Threshold - PP2 - The
Road Back - The Climax of Act II (Pt. Two)
The hero
returns to the world of common day and must accept it as real.
Act III: Return
Resurrection - Master of the Two Worlds - Because
of the boon or due to his experience, the hero may now perceive both the divine
and human worlds.
Return with the Elixir - Climax (of book & of
Act III)
Freedom to Live - The hero bestows the boon to his
fellow man - Denouement (a return to the beginning and life in the New World)
Each quarter of the circle in the Hero’s Journey
builds to it’s own climax, and (after dividing act II into 2 parts) each
quarter of the wheel represents one section on Aristotle’s Incline
* Although I’m a huge fan of Joseph Campbell, I
feel that this is *not* how his material should be used. Identifying archetypes within your characters
(and within culture) is useful. Building
your characters around them, maybe not so much.
I tend to take a look at this outline after I’ve completed a rough draft
already, trying to think about themes and archetypes I hadn’t realized were in
there, and deciding if I want to strengthen the themes around them, change or
delete them.
The Classic 5-Act Structure (Shakespeare used this a lot)
The format of 5 acts is familiar from Shakespeare,
and is grounded in the concepts of unity in Aristotle's Poetics. Scholars have
analyzed the five act structure, notably Gustav Freytag who described a
"pyramidal" structure, with Act 3 at the apex. Here is what to expect
from the various acts:
Act 1 -- Exposition. We meet the dramatis
personae, and time and place are established. We learn about the antecedents of
the story. Attention is directed toward the germ of conflict and dramatic tensions.
Act 2 -- Complications. The course of action
becomes more complicated, the "tying of knots" takes place. Interests
clash, intrigues are spawned, events accelerate in a definite direction.
Tension mounts, and momentum builds up.
Act 3 -- The Climax of Action. The development of
conflict reaches its high point, the Hero stands at the crossroads, leading to
victory or defeat, crashing or soaring.
Act 4 -- Falling Action. Reversals. The
consequences of Act 3 play out, momentum slows, and tension is heightened by
false hopes/fears. If it's a tragedy, it looks like the Hero can be saved. If
not, then it looks like all may be lost.
Act 5 -- Catastrophe. The conflict is resolved,
whether through a catastrophe, the downfall of the hero, or through his victory
and transfiguration.
Examples:
Some example plots where outlining a book or movie
taught me something about how the plot was put together. (These are mostly movies, as I can go through
a movie faster than a book. While
analyzing movies doesn’t really help me in terms of sentence or paragraph
structure, in terms of a scene-by-scene analysis, it’s extremely rewarding.
I recommend doing this a lot. I get a lot out of it, both as a writer and a
movie-watcher. Who knew how freakin
inspiriational Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn was? Who knew that Pulp Fiction is a morality
tale? This guy.
Wrath of Kahn
One of my favorite movies of all time. If you’re
not a Star Trek fan, you may want to skip to the next example, but one of the
highlights of this movie was its appeal to a widestream audience. It turns out,
this script has a marvelously richer subtext than I expected. One thing that
surprised me is how the action scenes – though exciting – are rarely pivotal
scenes in terms of plot or character arc. Most of the key plot turning points
in this movie are characters making decisions, revealed largely through dialog.
Most of the cool phaser and ship-to-ship scenes are simply represented in the
incline as that line slanting upwards - rising action.
ACT I
The SETUP: Includes Saavik’s disasterous Kobayashi
Maru, Kirk’s dissatisfaction with his retirement combined with his reluctance
to admit he has a problem. He has loyal friends around him, but won’t accept
their help. Kahn’s escape, with specifics about why he hates Kirk and how
committed he is to his revenge. Also touches on Kirk’s unique Kobayashi Maru
solution. All in the first 12 minutes. How does Kirk deal with getting old?
The PUSH into ACT I: Kahn escapes and steals the
Reliant. He’s after revenge on Kirk. The connection to Chekov & Carol
Marcus makes this personal. Kirk must take command.
Choices: Kirk must take command. The driving
decision that Coleman talks about. This conversation, when Kirk comes up to
Spock during Spock’s meditation, is so important and personal that it
reverberates throughout the whole movie. This is the Plot Point I that Robert
Wray talks about, the scene that drives the story from Act I to Act II.
KIRK: I told Starfleet Command all we had was a boatload of children
but we're the only ship in the quadrant. Spock: these cadets of yours - how
good are they? Will they respond under real pressure?
SPOCK: Like all living things, each according to his gifts. Of course,
the ship is yours.
KIRK: No. That won't be necessary. Just get me to Regula One.
SPOCK: As a teacher on a training mission, I am content to command the
Enterprise. If we are to go on actual duty, it is clear that the senior officer
on board must assume command.
KIRK: It may be nothing. Garbled communications. You take the ship.
SPOCK: Jim... you proceed from a false assumption. I'm a Vulcan. I have
no ego to bruise.
(Kirk smiles in bemused wonderment.)
KIRK: You're about to remind me that logic alone dictates your actions?
SPOCK: I would not remind you of that which you know so well. (pause)
If I may be so bold, it was a mistake for you to accept promotion. Commanding a
Starship is your first, best destiny. Anything else is a waste of material.
KIRK I would not presume to debate you.
SPOCK That is wise. In any case, were I to invoke logic, logic clearly
dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
KIRK Or the one.
(Spock inclines his head.)
SPOCK You are my commanding officer. You are also my friend. I have
been and always shall be yours.
A lot of the phrases here reverberate throughout
the entire movie. Kirk must divert the Enterprise, but tries to do it without
taking command. Spock urges him to take command, telling him that Kirk never
should have given up command in the first place. He also reminds him of their
friendship. This hints towards Spock’s own Kobayashi Maru and sacrifice at the
end. This is a turning point for both characters as well as changing the
direction of events.
You almost can’t imagine the end of the movie
unfolding in any other way than it does after this conversation. This is also
one of the many places where the major theme of rebirth comes out. This is
focused primarily on Kirk’s rebirth, but Spock’s final fate, the Genesis
device, the new planet all echo this. You can feel this importance in the
movie. Forget about ships blowing up, this personal connection is what anchors
the story.
ACT II
A lot of exciting action here. The intro of
Genesis details, the mind control worms, Kahn’s attack and Kirk and Spock’s
ingenious and explosive response. None of these are turning points, only a
continuous rising action, ratcheting up the tension.
MIDPOINT: (or the point of No Return) - Kirk
commits himself in a personal way, beaming down into the Genesis cave. Things
become more personal, and things start to go very bad. More complications.
Kahn does a lot of damage here, stealing Genesis,
marooning Kirk and vaporizing a few people on the way. It’s not just dangerous,
but a further personal connection for Kirk. His old flame is there, and he
learns about his son.
ACT III
PLOT POINT TWO: (the Kick-off into ACT III)
We highlight Kick’s rogue tactics and winning
streak with his final solution to the Kobayashi Maru. “I don’t like to lose.” Highlighted
by his surprising success when Spock is ready to beam them up, as agreed “by
the book”.
More rising action here, and wonderfully
well-done. Another space battle, and the decision to enter the Motara Nebula,
and the tactics and battle that follows. Only this time the Genesis Wave raises
the stakes. Before putting this on paper, I’d always thought of this as the
climax, but it’s not.
Hollywood (which usually takes a firmly
conservative view on plotting) really likes an ‘All Hope is Lost’ twist here,
to be retwisted for the surprise ending. I think the burning need to this to
always happen can be overdone, but it works nicely here. Kahn tries to pull
victory out of defeat – ala Ahab – by triggering the Genesis Effect. “I need
warp speed in two minutes or we’re all dead.” Which pushes us to Spock’s major
moment.
The CLIMAX: Spock sacrifices himself to save the
Enterprise, and Kirk. (Not just physically, but spiritually.) Kirk grows here,
finally learning the meaning of sacrifice. Note the tagbacks to the
conversation in Plot Point One.
The DENOUEMENT: Kirk’s rebirth. And Spock’s
Death/Rebirth. (Spock’s torpedo tube arc is shockingly similar to the Genesis
device delivery in Marcus’ previous info dump.) Many references to rebirth, not
the least of which is the birth of a planet underneath them. This is a story of
death and rebirth for both characters.
This echos what I'd like to do with my own plots. I
wanted each key scene to reverberate with my main characters in a profound and
emotional way. So, when constructing my plots and key scenes, I wanted to make
sure to notice and highlight the scenes of deep personal interest, to make sure
that my plot focused heavily on the character’s change and growth. This usually
means pain and conflict.
Pulp Fiction
One
of my favorite movies, particularly because of its oddball sequence of events,
the purpose of which becomes more clear as you analyze it. Also interesting
that this innovative plot falls nicely (still) into the 3-act model. This
outline needs a lot of work – my notes, not Tarantino’s script. But even this
rough start highlighted the underlying themes connecting all these narratives.
ACT
I
0-5
Frame w/ Honeybunny and Pumpkin
6-21
SETUP: Vincent Vega & Jules - Arguing about Wallace throwing guy over Mia
9
What's right, and what's wrong?
21-26
Vincent Vega & Marcellus's Wife
27-31
Vincent buying drugs
54
TURNING POINT: Just when you think your big worry is Vincent having sex Mia,
Mia snorts the heroin
ACT
II
54-1.03
Vincent finds her OD-ed, takes her to Lance's they give her the shot, save her
1:03-1:08
Butch gets the watch
40-79
PROGRESS:
1:09
Butch's Fight, escape, Wallace's Hit
1:10-1:15
Butch's taxi ride
ACT III
Jules and Vincent in the Diner while it’s getting
robbed.
141-148 CLIMAX: Jules making the decision
to walk away from a life of crime, starting with not slaughtering the violent
and incompetent Honeybunny & Pumpkin when they try and rob him and the rest
of the diner. He lets them walk, with all the money, but tries to shock enough
to socket home the moral lessons he’s just learned.
The
Big Sleep
The most interesting bit about this one was
my first attempt, using the book and then the original screenplay. I couldn’t make heads or tails out of
it. I didn’t find any real consistent
threads, other than the constant themes Marlowe (Stained Knight alone in the
darkness. The constant seediness of the
city as representative of man’s nature.)
Eventually, I came to the conclusion that as far as the Sternwood
mystery, there just *wasn’t* any structure to the story, that Chandler had
deliberately avoided any narrative thread here.
(Google the story about Chandler and the Chauffer as back-up to this
claim.) For Chandler, with such a strong
‘slumming angel’ voice, riveting wordcraft and engaging themes, he could pull
this off.
But when Hollywood set about making the
movie (involving such writers as William Faulkner and Leigh Bracket) the
wandering plot caused some problems.
They ended up re-cutting the film for a more linear plot and dropping in
more scenes with Bogart & Bacall to support a romantic story arc. This is what I’ve outlined below. Did they subvert the original work a
bit? Did they put a romantic story in a
noir suit and undermine the genre a little bit?
Sure. But they also made a better
movie. Without the benefit of Chandler’s
prose, which couldn’t translate directly to the screen, this was a good
move.
ACT I
1-14 SETUP: Intro: Carmen's flakiness, Gen.
Sternwood's backstory, Vivian's wild ways & Marlowe's straight talking. The Problem: one blackmail scam today, and
the previous one. Also, where's Shawn
Reagen?
20-29 CHOICE OF PATH: Finds indelicate Carmen,
argues about Regan w/Bacall (27:07), fences with police, * Decides that he's
helping the Sternwoods (he likes the old man) more than just for the job.
24 - 27 Argues w/ Vivian
28 - 30 Bernie Olds & the Packard w Owen
Taylor (for Carmen)
31 - 39 Vivian in Marlowe's office (his confession
that he's beginning to like another of the Sternwood) & more blackmail
(Carmen's picture)
ACT II
29 TURNING POINT: Marlowe admits to his fondness
for Vivian
29-45 Progress, Complications, Marlowe finds
Carmen (naked/compromised) at Geiger's, and Geiger's body, Eddie Mars shows up.
46-57 & rising action Brody's apartment
w/Vivian, Marlowe continues to work in the Sternwood's interests, but in his
own way, at cross purposes w / Vivian
57-58 Carroll Shoots Brody, Marlowe chases
Carroll, takes him to Geiger's calls police.
59 Vivian at the bar, tries to sugar him off the
case, comes on to Marlowe, but the offer is tainted, because she's doing it for
Mars. Marlowe calls her out: "We'll take up the question of you and me
when that's done."
65-70 Up at Eddie Mars' place, with Vivian's ruse
(the holdup), Again, they admit affection for each other, and again she lies
and he calls her out
71 The suggestive lines: "Marlowe, I'm
ready." Vivian: "So am I."
75-77 POINT of NO RETURN: Ride in the car with
Vivian, calls her out again, the kiss, and another confession of love
77-80 Carmen waiting for Marlowe in his apartment,
admits she didn't like Sean Regan, and Marlowe throws her out.
80-81 Bernie Ols, then the diner - Vivian calls
and says they found Sean Regan, that she's going out to him
82-94 Guys work over Marlowe, intro Harry Jones
(w/Agnes) who has a deal. Canino gets to and kills Harry Jones
94 Marlowe fakes a flat tire, and gets captured by
Canino
ACT III
96 ALL HOPE IS LOST: Prisoner - in the house with
Vivian and Mrs. Mars - Canino is calling for orders, and will be coming back to
kill Marlowe
97-105 FINAL PUSH: Vivian finally choses Marlowe
over Eddie Mars & Carmen, kisses him, and releases him. He shoots down
Canino
105-113 CLIMAX: Marlowe gets there first, frames
and walks Eddie Mars into the line of fire, Vivian vows to send Carmen to
therapy
DENOUEMENT: Assumption is that the two of them
will live happily ever after, but is unshown
Am I using all these examples to say that you
should pick a formula and adhere to it?
Absolutely not. I’m a fan of the
Shoman layout, and tend to build my plots – at the beginning – off this model. There are lots of examples of good and
innovative stories that adhere to this model.
But there are lots of great examples that *don’t*,
or that use this model, but subtly subverted.
A lot of television shows tend to have really front-loaded versions of
this model, to deal with limited time.
I’ve seen a number of movies with faux endings so that the audience
feels an ending, and then, bam, gets hit with the surprise ending. (Sixth Sense.) There’s lots of ways to use this.
I find, at the very least, that this model makes
an excellent placeholder for my beginning outlines until the shape or needs of
my story twist it. But *knowing* my
plot’s structure, and building it deliberately, rather than just writing my way
through at near-random, has helped me enormously. I think it’s the lack of structure that
brings a lot of starting novels and novelists to a car-accident style halt
about a third to halfway in.
I should add that none of my outlines are *ever*
right or complete. Not even at the end
of the book. And my outline doesn’t keep
me from losing track of bits of story, sadly.
At least, not much. (Knowing that
being lost most of the time is a huge part of my process might be the single
most important lesson that I’ve learned about how I do this.) I pick at it constantly during the writing
process, mostly when I’m stuck. When I
know fully and completely how the next scene goes, I don’t need the
outline. Also, when I have a complete
rough draft, the outline’s been replaced.
I don’t need it anymore.
I’m picking through the old outline for Shadows
Over London, as I build the sequel, and I’m amazed out how much stuff is in
here that didn’t make it into the novel.
Fodder for book two!
Outlines - Part II
Apparently, I do requests. After
discussion, here's what a brief analysis (and accidental movie review) of the plot
of Taratino's 'Deathproof'. There’s two
versions, as it turns out, and I accidentally watched the longer one. My mistake, as you shall see.
(Big Fat Spoiler Alert)
DEATHPROOF - Part ONE (Alabama)
I started this as one outline, then
decided it fit better at two, distinct stories.
The lesson for me here isn’t crafting the perfect Plot Point I when I
write, but a deeper, instinctual understanding of what pacing does to my story’s
content. If I spend 15 minutes on the
lap dance, I give it greater weight and meaning than if I only spend 5. Does it deserve that amount of time? In this case, probably not.
ACT I
1-30:
Some basic introduction to our three female characters, including the fact
that one's sort of famous, that they're all hot. Some talk about a new
boyfriend, some talk about kissing. We actually meet him briefly, and
more of the same. We also meet Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russel) and he's a bit
creepy and a bit charming. He offers Rose McGowan's character (Pam) a
ride home. We get the setup for the lapdance joke for the three pretty
girls, and the actual lap dance itself. (For
me, this part of the plot and character setup is a big fat failure.
There's a lot of Quenten-esqu dialog, but it doesn't go much of anywhere.
We get a little of Mike's washed-up-ness, and how he's part of era long
gone. We get various levels of hip, snark and sluttiness from the ladies,
but no real character.
30-35 (-ish): They explain the poem/lap dance joke to
Butterfly/Arlene. I had some trouble
pinning any one scene as Plot Point I.
Mostly because I didn’t CARE.
This bit DRAGS. There's also a lot of setting/film execution gold
in here: old film posters, exploitation era hair and music, some amazing film
grittiness and spots and bad cuts to give you that old B-movie feel...even the
above commentary on a stunt-man's profession going away becomes very meta with
the nature of this film and Zoe's character later on, but none of that stopped
me from clawing desperately for the fast-forward button. You could make
some argument for a building of tension here, but mostly it's just freakin'
SLOW. 42 minutes is a long time to be waiting for *some* kind of event.
Digression #17: I’m not implying you
can’t ever stretch, break or meld this model – take, for example, the brilliant
extra-long, super-dance-remix extended, white-knuckle, multilayered ACT III of Inception. In Deathproof, though, I don’t think there’s
enough content or story to justify this stretch. Or, if you restructure it differently, enough
content to serve the function of setting up the climax, since really the entire
first half is setup of for the second half.
This first half would never hold up on its own, but its structured like
it would.
35-42:
We intro Mike, and Pam, who accepts a ride from him. Mike is charming and creepy, and shames
Butterfly into giving him the lap dance.
ACT II
42-48:
Pam gets into Mike’s car. She
finds that she’s trapped, and he crashes into stuff, killing her. Poor Rose!
(There’s also more meta stuff here, as this is really 2 stories placed
back-to-back. (And originally paired with
another film, Planet Terror.) Digression #84: the fuzzy and arbitrary
nature of these plot point assignments means you could easily assign something
earlier in the film (Arrival at bar, Rose needs a ride, lap dance) at Plot
Point I/end of ACT I, making the numbers even out a bit, but that still wouldn’t
make those 42 minutes go any faster.
ACT III
49-51:
Climax - The car crash that kills our 3 ladies (and some random lady
number 4 who jumped into the story while I was fast-forwarding.) Point to Taratino for gruesomeness. I originally tagged Pam’s death above as PPI,
but changed my mind and hung it here. I’m
pinning this as PPI, setting up the dangers of – and moving us into - ACT II.
Normally, this would come about 30 minutes in. Normally, this would be the final scene of
ACT I, but it doesn’t feel like it, does it?
52-56:
Denouement. Hospital, cop
rehash. All of which is really set-up
for…
DEATHPROOF - Part TWO (Tennessee)
ACT I
56 - 112: 14 months later, we find Mike skulking around
and meet a new set of ladies for him to stalk.
This is where the film starts to work for me. After the gruesome death from just before, we
have an instant concern for these ladies.
They, too, are talking about kissing when we first meet them, just in
case we missed their connection to the other three hot ladies from before. Also, one of them is kind of famous, like
Jungle Julie from Act I.
1:05-1:11: Plot Point I - Mike plays the a similar
creepy flirtation with them, which doesn’t go very far. But he’s set his sights on these three.
ACT II
1:12-1:27: Intro Zoe and the Dodge Challenger. We leave behind our new famous lady. (Lee, I think.) There’s no real Midpoint here, unless you
count Kim’s resistance to doing stunt, which Zoe eventually overcomes. However, with Kim’s driving, Zoe’s stunt
work, you get at least the feeling that these ladies have a bit more substance
to them. Not a lot, because that’s not
really Tarantino’s priority, but a little.
ACT III
1:28:
They start the car stunt Ship’s Mast.
Reckless driving with Zoe on the hood.
Great fun.
1:32:
Mike shows up for his next kill.
1:33-1:37: Mike makes his play, but it’s not as neatly
set-up, and Kim has some driving skill.
Zoe (and the rest) come out alive.
1:38:
Mike stops, acting like it’s all a big joke. (How does that make any sense?) Kim shoot him in the arm. Now it’s the ladies chasing Mike, and it’s
more than he bargained for.
1:39-1:49: CLIMAX - The ladies chase Mike, drive him off
the side of the road, and proceed to beat the crap out of him. This our climax not only for his attack on
Zoe, but on his murder of the four women in the previous portion.
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