I am working on a short script that I began several years ago, “The Envelope”. It’s a nine-pager, kind of a philosophical thriller, very abstract and ambiguous; not a genre I normally write. It’s another step in the refinement of my voice as a screenwriter.
The trouble spot I’m running into is:
Nobody who reads it has any idea what’s going on. Or what it’s about.
Ack. I guess that makes for more than just a “trouble spot”. Yet, I did this purposefully. Kind of.
You see, I pulled out ALL of the expository information. There is no backstory given, no explanations, no spoonfeeding. You are just kind of dropped into this unknown world in the middle of this drama between five characters, Wexler, Selena, Durgarian, Toland, and Fosse, and left to figure it out for yourself.
My true goal is to get the reader (and eventually the viewer) to somehow make enough sense of this to get something out of it.
Interpretations will vary from one end of the spectrum to the other. And that’s okay. I just don’t want people going, “Huh?”, at the end and feeling totally lost. I want there to be some closure, and the takeaway to be an introspective question.
The notes I’ve had from eight readers on the sixth draft are things like, “The writing is very engaging, well-written, and compelling”, and, "I particularly like how the story is constantly shrouded in mystery".
But also things like, “Who is the hero?”, and, “Not enough clues/threads”, and, “Too nebulous”.
Also, “Did I miss something?”, and, “Seems like the end is really just the middle”, and, "I can't piece everything together."
And my favorite: “A grand experiment. I accepted the format. But the dots aren’t connected.”
So I am left with a dilemma:
How many clues do I build back into the script so I don’t leave the reader totally confused? Not only how many, but which ones, and where do I put them?
Those are key questions that will make or break any script.
As writers, we have to build in just enough clues so the story makes sense, but not give everything away as to strip the story of suspense, anticipation, and surprise.
Just enough clues. Not too many, not too few. Finding the balance is the challenge for us all.
The trouble spot I’m running into is:
Nobody who reads it has any idea what’s going on. Or what it’s about.
Ack. I guess that makes for more than just a “trouble spot”. Yet, I did this purposefully. Kind of.
You see, I pulled out ALL of the expository information. There is no backstory given, no explanations, no spoonfeeding. You are just kind of dropped into this unknown world in the middle of this drama between five characters, Wexler, Selena, Durgarian, Toland, and Fosse, and left to figure it out for yourself.
My true goal is to get the reader (and eventually the viewer) to somehow make enough sense of this to get something out of it.
Interpretations will vary from one end of the spectrum to the other. And that’s okay. I just don’t want people going, “Huh?”, at the end and feeling totally lost. I want there to be some closure, and the takeaway to be an introspective question.
The notes I’ve had from eight readers on the sixth draft are things like, “The writing is very engaging, well-written, and compelling”, and, "I particularly like how the story is constantly shrouded in mystery".
But also things like, “Who is the hero?”, and, “Not enough clues/threads”, and, “Too nebulous”.
Also, “Did I miss something?”, and, “Seems like the end is really just the middle”, and, "I can't piece everything together."
And my favorite: “A grand experiment. I accepted the format. But the dots aren’t connected.”
So I am left with a dilemma:
How many clues do I build back into the script so I don’t leave the reader totally confused? Not only how many, but which ones, and where do I put them?
Those are key questions that will make or break any script.
As writers, we have to build in just enough clues so the story makes sense, but not give everything away as to strip the story of suspense, anticipation, and surprise.
Just enough clues. Not too many, not too few. Finding the balance is the challenge for us all.
Recent Comments