🌀 Spiral Bound

The 12 key/vital plot points recomended for a screenplay of any genre. At spiral bound these 12 pegs include OPENING IMAGE, INCITING INCIDENT, Pre lock in flashpoint, LOCK-IN (End of Act 1), Pre MID POINT FLASH, MIDPOINT, Pre All is lost flashpoint, ALL IS LOST (End of act 2), 3rd ACT TWIST, CLIMAX, CLOSING IMAGE/DENOUMENT.

There could be a 1000 ways of writing a particular scene. When one hears constructive opinion/solutions presented for a problem in the written scene, its important to keep in mind that the suggestion is just one of the 1000 ways to do the same thing & there are always 999 other ways to choose from . On the other hand the the first idea could be the best idea but also remeber there are 999 other ways to do it. Always be willing/open to consider another option or a rewrite.

A weakness, in spite of overall strength, which can be preyed upon. It's the chink in the armour that can exploited by the enemy, or a weakness that could lead to self destruction or downfall. It is why the character becomes an architect of his own misery. Flaw ideally should arise from the wound. For eg. In Jaws the protagonists flaw is his fear of water which he must overcome to kill the shark. This fear he got due to a childhood incdent which stops him from going into the water. In the heat of the night - Virgil Tibbs flaw is the prejudice he harbours for white people. This in turn comes from the wound of racial suppresion that he has endured.

Action Conflict Reversal is a tool for scene design/development. ACTION which is the psychological,emotional or intellectual intention or WANT of the character. (Action is NOT to be confused with business. For eg. lighting a smoke, or having tea or wearing clothes is business not action). CONFLICT is the obstacle/problem in the form of an opposing worldview or any force of resistance faced by the intention (action) of the character. The REVERSAL is as the name suggests a reversal of expectation. it could be a change of heart, change of mind, a silly confession or a serious revelation. Reversals cannot be simly to surprise or inject shock value, it should lead to another question or a can of worms that gets explored in the next or subsequent scenes. Its is not necessary to have a REVERSAL in every scene. HOWEVER ACR is a very potent tool To read more on ACR from Aashna's notes click here

Action is a character's want/desire. The want can be psychological (seeking revenge or alliance),emotional (seeking apology or closure), physical (wanting food or water) or material (wanting a loan or money) in nature. Action is NOT to be confused with business. For eg. lighting a smoke, or having tea or wearing clothes is business not action.

Advertising in a screenplay, is a subtle or brazen forewarning to the audience about something of consequence is going to happen or a thematic point that needs to be highlighted. Advertising is priming the audience, so that when that 'someting' happens it is not unbelievable or doesn't appear out of blue.

Line up all the index cards in sequence and try to *see* the scenes in your head. If you feel one of the cards/scenes is not working, the problem probably lies in the previous cue cards/scenes. Restart from the very 1st card and check if each scene flips from one to another like a domino.

This is also the End of Act 2. The worst crisis moment for the character. Its a moment where the character finds herself/himself painted in the corner there is no sign of hope. This is where the character is farthest from what she/he want or needs. This can also be the point where everything the character has worked towards comes crashing down. It important to have the character is emotionally bludgeoned. For eg. In Birdman - Tabitha tells riggan that she will destroy his play, come what may. Kramer Vs Kramer - Kramer loses custody of his son to his wife, Shawshank Remeption - The Warden shoots the one witness Tommy who could help Andrew duffren leave jail.

A character that agitates the wound/world of the protagoist, keeps leading the protagonist into a dark corner or even doom. They do not always need to be the 'villain' or the enemy, but simply could have needs/worldviews that directly oppose the protagonist’s. There may be well meaning, likeable characters who present obstacles/conflict to the protagonist, hence it may be misleading to consider them as antagonists. (For eg. Nurse Ratched from Cuckoo nest or warden from Shawshank may be the clear antagonists because they display poor human values as well as antagonistic forces compared to say the son's character from Kramer Vs Kramer)

what is learnt should be put to good use in the form of tools that could be pulled out from your personal giant toolbox. What is learnt shouldn't just remain as knowledge but should be applied.

Finding the truth of the character by operating from subconcious and not repackaging scenarios from the front of the head(conscious memory) where we have memories of what we have seen on celluloid

A moment between continous action or dialogue.

Its the foundation layed by the writing/screenplay. The script forms the Bedrock of all filmakking, effort, discipline, improvisation and insights.

Understanding the regular person on the street. Having empathy for the common man's trials & tribulations or thir fears and hopes.

A metaphor inspired from Joseph Campbells heroes journey- It is asscociated with the state of character around the end of ACT 1.

A phrase to represent 'When the writer is at work' instead of the character. If we consider writing as a chess game between the writer (black) & the protagonist (white), good writing hygiene requires the plot or arising obstacles to seem as a result of the choices made by the protagonist (the white piece) not out of the covenience of the black piece (writer). Thumb rule for this being - Make the CHARACTER be the ARCHITECT of his/her own MISERY!

Devices like a scene,sequence or dialogue that appears at the start and the end of the film. Just like bookendings on a shelf that hold the hold the books in place.

Plants and pay-offs. Like Chekhov said, if you introduce a gun in act 1, it should go off by act 3. Each scene/dialogue has a purpose, it moves the story forward. Each scene/dialogue reveals a bread crumb of information that leads into the next. The trail of breadcrumbs leads us one step closer to the resolution.

Bruce lee said he doesnt fear the man who knows 10000 kicks - he fears the man who has practicsed one kick 10000 times. We need the Bruce lee the writing tools during applicaton, such that our material becomes more solid.

Always mask/bury exposition in conflict or humour to make it more engaging. Example - Instead of saying, 'As you know bob, I'm a single mother who is broke, that is why I am stealing food for my children', save it for a fight where someone confronts her about stealing and in the heat of the moment she REVEALS that she is a single mother. NEVER, ever use 'As you know bob' dialogues. If its clear what you want to reveal about your character and when,use conflict or humour to mask/bury it.

Business is what the character *does* in the scene. For e.g. Having a cup of tea. Business is not to be confused with Action. Action is the pschological or emotional intnetion of the character in a particular scene.

A technique used to eliminate the need of coincidence & convenience from the script. Good stories are driven by actions of characters not coincidences. Everything happening to the charcter, should be stemming from the choices the characters make. The incidents that force them down a certain path in the story are the Causes. The consequences of these causes that the characters go through (good, bad or ugly) are Effects. A series of pertinent causes and effects leads us to the final resolution of the film.

exposition of a charcter's want, (internal & external), its wound, its hopes, fears, quirks, traits - scene by scene

Letting the story brew in the head instead of typing it out on the keyboard

Anosh- Climax is where the protagonist learns whatever he/she has to learn or heal from whatever they have to. This learning/healing is connected to their wound. In a tragedy the character doesnt learn anything, while in a comedy the character learns/heals. Climax is where the writer reveals if the character has fulfilled his external & internal want. It is also said that Climax is the part of the resolution where the Major Dramatic Quesiton of the film is answered or the Story problem is solved. Example: In Birdcage - 'Will the Keeleys find out the truth about Armand's family?'; In Finding Nemo - 'Will Nemo come back home?', In Toy Story - 'Will Woody be able to become Andy's favorite toy again?'

The last scene/sequence of the movie with which the movie closes with. Its where the result of the journey/learning/healing caused in the climax typically shows. If it mirrors the opening image in some way, we may call it a book ending closing image. It can either be used to show a balance (The wedding in Birdcage), imbalance (Al Pacino on the stairs in And Justice For All), or leave it open-ended (Inception)

Conflicts are usually of two kinds. It can be conflict of interest or conflict of world view/ideology. Conflict arises from obstacles or complications, Challenges faced by the character/protagonist/s -

Views or topics that are perpetually relevant to society, exist in the zeitgiest (Consciousness) relevant to current times. A universal theme about the human condition that more often than not resonates across generations. For Eg. In the Heat of the night is a murder mystery with the theme of Racism, which is relevant to contemporary consciousness even today. Birdcage's LGBTQ theme is relevant to contemporary consciousness even today.

The difference between one's true self and their social mask. The complexity that arises when the WANTS are opposite to the NEEDS. Example - In Birdman - Riggan WANTS to be a good father, but he NEEDS validation for his selfish choices.

that one big thing the protagonist or character wants through out the film

The antagonist (or people or methods employed by the antagonist), or the angonistic forces are also reffered to as the dark forces - they represent the major obstacles for the character's want/intention. It is good writing to have these dark forces or obstacles get stronger and harder to overcome as the story progresses - or have the dark forces closing in or rising

Scene or section of the script which illustrates atonement or reflection or a moral dilemma for the character. End of ACT 2 ( also known as the ALL IS LOST moment) usually leads to the DARK KNIGHT OF THE SOUL. Moreover, it feels like he doesn't have the resources or the strength to rise up again. It could aslo be a moment of ressurection where the character regains his strength to go after his want, if he finds the strength (Comedy) or towards his doom if he fails to find it (Tragedy)

What comes after the climax - the fruition/result of the character's external & internal journey is represented and leads to the CLOSING IMAGE

The writer's act of ensuring, every bit of exposition or every word on the script be it a dialogue, stage direction, description of action, behaviour, setting, prop or business is ruthlessly scrutinised, justified and considered neccesary, before it earns its place in the script. Belief being that if there is no wasted word on page it wont be on edit table and hence onscreen

Is the ability to Say more with less. ECONOMY in screenwriting is causing maximum exposition in as minimum dialogue/screentime/pages as possible.

Acronym for Enter Late, Leave Early. Its bringing the audience as late as possible into a scene and taking them out as early as possible. So as to leave them wanting more and leaning forward. Get to the point and exit before you lose the dramatic momentum. Example - If the purpose of the scene is to cause revelation during a fight or an arguement. Entering late would mean getting the audience straight into the midway of the arguement, taking them into the reveal and getting out before they can see what it may have happened post reveal. (UNLESS THE BEGINING OR POST REVEAL IS BASIS FOR EXPOSITION of somthing crucial).

END OF ACT 1 Also reffered as a LOCK IN. This is usually where the protagonist is setting out on a new journey, or is rising up to a bet or a new challenge. There is usually a clear advertisment/display of crossing of a THRESHOLD, which the character has not crossed before.

EXTERNAL JOURNEY OR WANT - What the character wants to achieve, gain, retrieve or escape in the story. For eg. dos he want to put up a show achieve fame and respect, or climb a mountain or escape from prison or win a trophy or tournament. Its what your character is constantly going after scene after scene. It is usually what is represented in the logline. INTERNAL JOURNEY OR INTERNAL WANT OR NEED is the learning that happens within the character through the course of the story or while he/she goes after the external journey. It could aso be the learning that was necessary for the character to be able to achieve the external want or heal the wound they are sufferng from. This learning (or INTERNAL WANT) is closely connected to the theme. When a character learns somthing through the story - its a comedy. Where the character fails to learn anything by the end of the story - its a tragedy

All Information that the audience needs to have context & be able to experience the story or know about the characters. Exposition MUST be buried in conflict or humour so as to not seem dry and unengaing.

One of the features of a midpoint - Its a glimpse into what resolution can look like. Fake Victory at the midpoint of the film gives a false sense of security to the character before his troubles get bigger/the bad guys close in and send him hurtling toward the All is Lost Moment.

The 'plot' simply defines events. But events dont drive the story forward. The character's choices do. Following or staying with the character is to stay with their want, pain & wound. Good writing lets it occur to the viewers that the Plot emerged from the character's choices and not the other way around.

A gentle subtle warning/indication of a future event/scenario/occurence to allow the audience a sense of expectation of that occurence. Such that when the audience experiences that occurence, they dont find it coming out of the blue. Example: In Birdman - by introducing us to the BIRDMAN poster on the wall in the first scene, the writer is foreshadowing that it will come into play again later. OR when Mike Shiner asks Riggan to use a real gun during the play, its foreshasowing his use of a real gun in ACT 3

The front of the brain/head is mostly associated with memory and intellect. When we write/script stuff we have already seen or read & use intellect to repackage it to appear new - its is said we are writing from the front of the head, as opposed to writing from the back of the head - where our truths and subconcious exist

Allowing the aspects of your theme seep into the wants and wounds of the character/s. Its also Allowing a character's obstacles & journey be themmatic. Making the external want arise from the wound will help funnelise the chosen theme through character's journey better.

Each element of the story (every scene, line of dialogue) should raise questions for the subsequent or the next sections of the screenplay, just like triggering a chain reaction called the ‘Domino Effect’. A glass domino is a scene or a sequence in a screenplay that doesn't tip over into the next scene seamlessly and breaks the momentum of the screenplay as well as the audience's interest. A scene that doesnt progress the plot, cause exposition of character usually feels like a glass domino. Not following character and/or theme are often the primary causes of a glass domino effect burdening a scene.

Harry lime - the mentioning of a character or their traits via other characters long before they arrive on screen. Technique titled in honour of the character of Harry Lime from the movie 3rd man, who keeps getting discussed, mentioned by other characters and finally shows up in Act 3.

This is another scene development tool/guide. (Robert Mckee) Every scene should ideally start with a certain emotion/energy/value system and end on an exactly opposite emotion/energy/value system. For e.g. If a scene started sad, it should end with a happy moment. If the scene satrted with a character being polite it should end with him being not so polite or perhaps even angry or being a recipient of discourtesy. A scene where the hunter becomes the hunted, or the underdog intimidates the predator, is a great example of low value to high value.

An event that derails the protagonist, from the status quo of his normal state/life and sooner or later leads him/her to a call to action. A disturbance that causes turbulence to the ordinary life of the character, throwing the character off kilter.

Graduating all the obstacles to the character's intention or WANT in such a way that it occurs to the viewer that the journey is getting harder and harder for the protagonist and the stakes keep rising

A card represents a story point/beat, be it a scene or a sequence. You don’t need a card for every little thing. Breaking down a story to broad scene headings and basic progression allows one to step back and observe story beats and shuffle them arround or simply revisit the character's journey/s.

INTERNAL JOURNEY OR NEED is the learning that happens within the character while he/she goes after the external journey. It could aso be the learning that was necessary for the character to be able to achieve the external want or heal the wound they are sufferng from. This learning is connected to the theme. Climax is where the protagonist learns whatever they have to(OR CAN EVEN FAIL TO) When a character learns somthing through the story - its a comedy. Where the character fails to learn anything by the end of the story - its a tragedy

A tool of writing used to make screenplays/story richer. It is the technique of using opposites to create cinematic,poetic or emphatic effect. For Eg. Clarice starling in Silence of the lambs ends up using the guidance of one serial killer to find another. Irony can be in scenarios or dialogues.

To get rid of elements of the story that we may be most excited about (scene, character, dialogues) but do not actually contribute to the overall value of the film, or its theme or its momentum.

Knowing the details - what are not just core but also supplemenatry to the subject of interest or exploration. Researching your subject or craft leads one to knowing his onions.

Recurring theme or idea or device

This is the END OF ACT 1, Its where the protagonist is usually challenged, or sucked into a journey or bet or task from which he/she cannot back out from. It could also be the protagonist's response to the inciting incident that 'locks' the main character into the key conflict of the story, leading to a point of no return. Crossing a threshold.

A good logline convey the following. Who is the protagonist? What is his/her WANT? What are the major OBSTACLE/s? ideally the logline should indicate the period or setting of the story/screenplay.

ACT 2, the longest act in your screenplay, feels like a marshland you have to wade through while sticking to theme and character.

Burying exposition in humour or conflict

The structural point in the middle of the ACTs. All acts have a mid act twist. At Spiral bound - This term refers to the mid act twist of ACT 3. The point between ALL IS LOST & CLIMAX

The middle of the protagonist's quest. The typical features of a mid point are : THEMMATIC REAFFIRMATION/COLLISION, sense of FALSE VICTORY, SNIFFING THE OTHER WORLD (or resolution) AND COMING BACK, can be considered 2nd Lock IN, EXTERNAL WANT may change, INTERNAL WANT takes precedence. This is the moment where the character may fail. But remember to always make the character fail IMPRESSIVELY. Let it be a big, gorgeous, deadly failure that pushes the character out of the comfort zone. to read Mayur's article on Midpoint click here

This usually used to refer to the momentum of a character in a scene. The momentum of a character in a scene usually depends on how forcefully, badly, clearly he/she expresses their intention in the scene. Momenetum should not be confused with movement. A very calm and composed character can have a lot of momentum in the scene.Using the technique of ELLE helps giving the characters in a scene, MOMENTUM. To read Anuja's extensive note on Momentum click here

An image which conveys the themmatic flavour of the film and its world and is even better if it serve as a hook.

The urge to finish a screenplay coming from a deadline (or general anxiety to finish a draft) usually leads us to being disconnected from the character's inner psyche/journey and tempts us into focussing on dazzling the auience with a twist/sudden change in the plot.

A character is passive when his want is not clear to the audience. As writers we may make him a victim of all sorts of hardships but all these hardships may make us feel the character is passive if his/her want is not clear to the audience. The protagonist should always be active- making things happen, making active choices (even if they are the wrong ones) vs only reacting to whats happening and hence being passive.

The pause in a dialogue before the line of thought being expressed changes.

Exposition of information that takes the story forward.

A writing technique used to cause exposition economically of the obstacles facing/lying ahead of the protagonist. For eg. an Army General explaining the plan of action to his soldiers on a map with a pointer in his hand. the name originates from the typical pointer in the hand of the general (or a character conveying the details)

The character whose journey through which we want to convey our story & theme to the audience. The learnings of the protagonist by the end of the film connect us to the theme of the film.

PURPOSE OF THE SCENE - Every scene should be absolutely essential. Ask this of every scene, Can I do without this scene or Is this scene absolutely essential? If the honest answer is Yes, only then keep it in your screenplay. Keeping a scene to only show off a witty dialogue or funny sequence which may not be themmatic is questionable.

This term originates from the movie of the same name. Wherein a RAT doesnt just want to reamin in the kitchen but also want to be an acclaimed chef. The improbability of a character being able to accomplish the said journey or task adds to this ratatouile effect. The more impossible the want of the character, the more exciting the journey. For Eg. Munnabhai - A don wants to be a doctor

Reversal is an unexpected turn of events coming ideally from a change in intention/change of heart/ change of behaviour or new exposition- A reversal should not serve only SHOCK VALUE but should ALSO open or lead to another question or a new sequence of the story.

Rising Action at spiral bound implies the increasing stakes that the character is facing. Its also a specific point in the screenplay structure which signifies the same. During spiral bound structure discussions RISING ACTION 1 is the point between LOCK IN and MIDPOINT while RISING ACTION 2 is the point between MID POINT & ALL IS LOST.

Scene Heading. Interior/Exterior, Bar/Bedroom/Car, Day/Night.

A concise description of the scene on the cue card that captures the essence of the conflict of the scene or gets one started on the writing process.

A question that has its roots in trivia associated with the great maker Milos Foreman. So what is what you ask yourself as a writer to assess if the conflict in the story is leading to any kind of internal human need. Its a way to ensure that our stories are not just a series of fun, exciting or interesting events, but also pave the way to the internal want of the character hence making it more relatable to human beings as an audience. Are these events is such that they have an impact on the character's internal journey. This question is what usually leads us to the thematic essence of the stories we are trying to say.

Every character has a external want, inner want & a wound. This combination of a character's external want & inner want & wound makes up the the specificity of the character that we use to define his choices & behaviour. It is good writing hygiene to FUNNELISE THEME THROUGH THE SPECIFICITY OF THE CHARACTER.

Action Lines in a script.

Spelling out or advertising the theme of the film to the audience, through a dialogue or a quote, or a painting, or sculpture or quirk in the scene. All most reminding or initiating or spoonfeeding audiences what the story is really about. For eg. Validation or hope or racism

Their ordinary routine. For us it may be to wake up, shower, breakfast and attend Spiral Bound. But for a gymnast in Las Vegas, it is to wake up, stretch, put on a shiny costume and perform on stage for 500 people every day. Note: 'ordinary' life doesn't have to be ordinary.

Its important to follow/stay with character rather than plot. Do not lose contact with the internal state of the character. If possible find ways to have your character tell you it's secrets, be in touch with their inner desires as if you are holding their kidneys, their darkest corners known to you.

The whole screenplay with scenes written out without dialogue.

When you say something, but you mean something else. An idea or feeling that is not highlighted explicitly by the characters, but is implicit.

Its what causes the audience to say "i cant believe that happened, but ofcourse that had the happen'. The shock/twist causes a SURPRISE value, but at the same time the audience should be able to look back at the story and feel it was INEVITABLE. For e.g. In Sholay, the scene where Thakur doesn't pick and hand the gun to Veeru during the fight with gabbars henchmen. That comes as a shocking surprise but when it is revealed that Thakur's hands have been chopped off, it seems inevitable. Ah ha - No wonder he wore the shawl throughout. In untouchables the bring down deadly Al capone by going after his tax books not his guns. While this may feel like a surprise, the writer plants the dubiousness of his tax books in Act 1 itself. So while the audience may be surprised, they also feel it was invevitable and not cheated or thrown off by simply a twist.

Key Points in the film screenplay based on the 10 peg structure. (to detailed see notes on 10 peg structure click here )

Its what the story is 'really' about. A recurring idea or topic which is being explored through the story. Theme is connected to the wound of the character/s. Theme is connected to the learning the character achieves/gains after going through the journey. Good themes are concepts/scenarios which dont have a clear right or wrong about it. For Eg. Social Divide, Validation, Liberation, Hope & Freedom, Relevance

The point of time in your screenplay or film

Letting the character surprise us. Allowing the character to something radically different from what he or she may be expected to do. Its meant to be an antidote to a typical writer sentiment that 'MY CHARACTER WILL NEVER DO THIS''. Well lets assume he just did it. Now what? Allowing the character to surprise us, unshackle us from the rigidity that we may bring in the character's arc.

the obstacles that appear in the characters path while she/he is going after what one wants in the story

The blank page represents an everlasting tyranny for the writer, to which we always have to attempt to rise up to with the help of techniques and writing tool kit

What the protagonist wants to achieve, retrieve, gain or escape through the journey of the film. WANT is about the EXTERNAL journey protagonist may take.

It's important to question the urgency of the character's want - what will happen if he/she don't get what they want? why now? What

An unresolved event in the characters life that impacts his/her choices till date. This is usually what leads to their FATAL FLAW/achilees heel which they either overcome or don't at the end of the film. The WOUND is what should give rise to the WANT of the protagonist.