Drafting Your Story

Drafting Your Story: Organizing and Visualizing Your Script

Are you itching to fire up that typewriter and start pounding out pages for your script? You may already have scenes, snippets of dialogue, and a hero waiting to embark on an epic journey. But hold on! Before you dive into writing, you’ll need a plan. Drafting your story in a thoughtful, organized way is essential for success.

Drafting Your Story with Index Cards

A great tool for drafting your story is the classic index card (or post-it notes) method. This technique helps you create a high-level outline of your story’s main events, organized into simple, manageable blocks. For a three-act structure in a feature film, writers typically use around 40 cards: 10 for Act 1, 20 for Act 2, and 10 for Act 3. If your story is shorter, feel free to adjust the number.

Each card should describe an essential beat in your story, like key scenes, plot points, or major events. Use only a few words—10 max—per card. At this stage, you’re building a skeleton for your story, so you don’t need to dive into details. Just focus on the big moments that define the flow.

Visualizing and Adjusting Your Story

One of the best things about using index cards is how easy they make visualizing your story. By laying out the cards on a table, wall, or even in digital software, you can see the entire arc. This allows you to identify any gaps, adjust pacing, and make sure each act is balanced. Additionally, you can use color-coded cards to mark different elements, like emotional highs and lows, action scenes, or exposition. Noticing the flow of these colors can reveal if your story has a balanced rhythm.

Another benefit? Testing different scene arrangements. By simply moving cards around, you can experiment with the sequence to see what works best. With this bird’s-eye view, you’ll get a strong feel for the story before you even begin drafting your story in full.

The First Draft: Bringing the Outline to Life

After polishing your outline, it’s finally time to write the first draft. You’ve crafted a genre, created an overall plot, mapped out key scenes, and developed a set of unique characters. Thanks to all this preparation, the actual drafting should feel exciting—and maybe even a bit easier.

Because you’ve already thought deeply about the plot points, characters, and overall flow, the writing process may feel more intuitive. The foundation is there, so now you can focus on bringing your story to life. That said, expect to encounter challenges. Especially if you’re working on a longer format, you’ll likely face obstacles and self-doubt. Embrace these moments. They’re a natural part of drafting your story and help you grow as a writer.

Staying Focused: What to Write and What Not to Write

When you’re drafting your story, remember a simple rule: Every scene should either progress the story or reveal character. This rule isn’t just for you—it’s crucial for the entire production team. The best scripts are built on scenes that keep the audience engaged, ensuring they stay connected to the narrative.

While drafting your story, use this rule as a filter. Does a scene advance the plot? Does it help the audience understand a character more deeply? If the answer to both questions is no, consider cutting or reworking it. Falling in love with certain dialogue, action, or set pieces is tempting, but those elements must serve the story. If they don’t, they can detract from the overall experience, no matter how interesting they are to you personally.

This approach keeps your script lean and focused, full of only the most relevant, engaging content. It’s a fundamental storytelling skill that will help you create a narrative that captivates audiences.

Crafting Scenes: The Building Blocks of Drafting Your Story

A scene is the smallest complete unit in your script. Each scene has its own setting, characters, actions, and dialogue, and should set up some form of conflict. Your characters should have a goal, but there should be obstacles in their way.

Consider a simple scene: Two people sit in a room, debating the best plan. Both have differing opinions, and tension rises. Suddenly, a third person enters, altering the plan’s direction. A decision is made—but is it the right one? This tension is what makes a scene dynamic and engaging.

Arriving Late and Leaving Early

A great tip for drafting your story is to “arrive late and leave early” in each scene. For instance, you don’t need to show the characters entering a room, sitting down, exchanging pleasantries, and then beginning their conversation. Jump in at the heated part of the argument. Likewise, leave the scene before the conversation fully concludes. By trimming excess details, you keep the narrative tight, propelling the story forward and freeing up space for other important scenes.

This technique gives your script a dynamic, fast-paced feel, ensuring that every moment is essential.

Building Sequences: Connecting Scenes in Drafting Your Story

A sequence is a larger part of a script, made up of multiple connected scenes. Sequences are almost like mini-acts, each with a beginning, middle, and end. They form complete story arcs within the larger narrative. Think of them as mini-movies with their own setup, confrontation, and resolution.

For instance, a feature screenplay typically has eight sequences, each around 10-20 pages long and containing several scenes. If you’re working on a shorter piece, like a marketing video, you may only have one sequence. When drafting your story, sequences give the story structure. Each sequence should escalate tension and stakes, carrying the story closer to its climax.

Creating Cohesive Sequences

The key to compelling sequences is ensuring they’re not isolated events. Each should build on the last, with events from previous sequences impacting what follows. In this way, each sequence pushes the story toward the resolution. By layering sequences, you create a rhythm that increases in intensity, giving your story a rising momentum that engages the audience.

Wrapping Up: Drafting Your Story for Success

Drafting your story is much more than putting scenes on paper; it’s about organizing and visualizing the entire journey. By starting with index cards, progressing to a first draft, and crafting scenes and sequences with purpose, you’ll create a cohesive narrative that captivates from beginning to end. Remember, each step in the drafting process builds a solid foundation, giving you the freedom to experiment and refine as you go. Embrace this process, and let it guide you toward a compelling, well-structured story.

If you enjoyed this guide, make sure to check out other posts in our blog!