Assumption Document for the Pen It by Hunter Ridgway screenwriting class

(The class generally takes off into territory beyond these principles)

  • Stories that get to the heart of what makes us human are often good ones.
  • Writing deeply “about yourself” usually beats just writing something “about yourself.”
  • Timeless stories are good ones all the time. Stories about experiences most people can recall from their own lives have a built-in interest factor. Stories about things everyone is aware of but no movie has ever explored can captivate.
  • Non-obvious and non-derivative plot elements and characters comparatively rock. In story terms, new and accessible (at the same time) also rocks.
  • Creative story circumstances can be cool, but people struggling, failing, prevailing, and changing under inventive circumstances are often even cooler.
  • Modern movie audiences are wise, experienced, and sharp. But you still have to surprise them.
  • Vivid visuals come off well in a visual medium.
  • The most basic story elements of all are having a beginning, a middle, and an end.
  • Stories about high wants and long odds can reach great heights and go far.
  • Unique and challenging roles attract good actors.
  • An artful compilation of fascinating characters in a screenplay can attract a good director.
  • Audiences can be skeptics and critics of story tonal shifts.
  • In movies, dazzling the eyes with some kind of action is better than taxing the ears with speeches.
  • Jump-starting the imagination early on is key for screenplays.
  • Stories with a protagonist at the center of it all are usually easiest to follow and fully experience.
  • Interesting protagonists make interesting stories more interesting.
  • Huge adversity for a protagonist can pay huge story dividends.
  • If the audience cares for the protagonist, they will care for the movie.
  • Dynamic relationships in screenplays that stay (perhaps differently) dynamic are dynamite.
  • Stories that get somewhere fast can really go places.
  • A life-changing event that raises questions for a protagonist is a great way to kick off a story.
  • Having the end of a story answer those questions (see above point) is a great way to wrap it up.
  • Dramatic conflict in the middle of a story is more meaningful if it is set up near the beginning of it.
  • Characters thrown “out of place” can lead to good drama.
  • An immediate, pressing need to do something = a story.
  • The protagonist as problem-solver is a serviceable way to think of a story.
  • Conflict requires the interaction of at least two people.
  • A hero and an adversary both wanting something out of reach is also a good way to think of a story.
  • Important goals naturally create continuity and cohesiveness to a story.
  • Good story goals can be either tangible or intangible.
  • Activity is a fundamental component of a quest.
  • When passionate desires hit tough choices, stories get interesting.
  • Plot creates character, and vice versa. Personality creates conflict, and vice versa.
  • Visible antagonists usually menace more than hazy ones.
  • Villains who view themselves as heroes are often more interesting than ones who actually view themselves as villains.
  • Nothing proves one’s worth more than a great contest. An epic one is even better.
  • Tension makes the middle part of stories more interesting.
  • Pressure reveals true selves.
  • Deadlines increase urgency.
  • Blatant coincidences can trip up deep story enjoyment.
  • When things mess with characters’ heads or hearts before a story ever starts, it can make it better.
  • Emotions set movie audiences’ interest in motion.
  • Unpredictable actions are usually more interesting than predictable ones.
  • Sometimes the spice of a good story is variable tempo.
  • Layered, multitasking scenes in a screenplay can make it great.
  • Enhancing subplots in a screenplay can make it more memorable.
  • Supporting characters in a story are better if they are unique, interesting, and have an objective.
  • Orchestration of characters can produce higher story accolades than randomness with characters.
  • Good actors like short lines that sparkle with complexity.
  • Shifting motivation can a good story make.
  • An ending segment that’s perhaps the very best thing in a story can make the story.
  • An ending that’s unforeseeable and uncommon at some level can delight.
  • Movie characters whose struggle or journey continues “living” in the audience’s minds after the final credits roll are usually the best kind.