• Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.

character Finding The Right Balance for Story & Character Arcing

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

I'm currently scripting quit a challenge for a writer of getting just the right balance of characters and story in a script with a good eight characters whose lives I'm trying to develop and arc in the same script and keep the page count at 96 pages.

A good way to keep the story interesting and fast pace is to trim the fat and remove nonessential dialogue and scenes.

The blend of science fiction and magic is also making this script a good brain cell burner where I have to workout the rules of magic and science fiction in the same story.

I find I need to watch both science fiction and magic shows and movies to give me ideas to work it out.

Right now, the script is in chaos as it is in the middle of a new revision.

This is like inventing a new concoction in the kitchen for lunch. Getting just the right amount of everything to make the creation all that it can be.

The problem with so many stars is trying to give everyone enough screen time to see their characterss arc is becoming a great challenge. Knowing how flakey independent nonunion actors are, is it worth all the trouble? But, that is why I want to go union in my next production. I'm cutting a script with great characters for worthy actors.

When you turn to film what you script, it's hard not to think of the casting and script at the same time.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Sounds like a really fun project. I had a similar conundrum adapting a fantasy/sci fi novel I had written. In the end, it became a pilot and several episodes and still not finished! If you are truly intent on making it work as a single piece, it can be done just combine the characters into groups and keep it to three story lines ('arcs') that interweave. You can share characters between them to keep continuity but it helps limit central characters to one or two. I've found for me 3-6 characters make for good stories. If you have more than one story arc, you need to limit the characters involved. So for 3 arcs, I'd try to keep it to no more than four characters (main and supporting).

Story 1: A, B, C, D Story 2: B, E, F, G Story 3: A, D, F, H

A,B,D, and F are major characters
C,E,G, and H are supporting characters (equally important for story/character development)

So you might interweave the storylines: 1.1, 3.1, 2.1, 2.2, 1.2, 3.2, 3.3, 2.3, 1.3
[my shorthand for .1=act 1 (intro,set-up), .2=act 2 (prob,learning), .3=act 3 (crisis, resolution)]
This introduces F and H in advance so the audience starts to see them and aren't totally surprised by a new character at the end.

You may want to keep it a little unresolve plotwise at the end for a potential sequel. :) If you're willing, I'd love to read it. I enjoy complex, interweaved storylines (and the genre!). Good luck!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well the hope is for an ongoing series for cable TV or a web series. The one thing this script cannot be limited to is too little characters and subplots for a series.

This story has two families with human and cyborg family members, ancient gods, amazons, and super ssoldier mutants. The super soldier mutants are genetiacally engineered with human, animal , and ET genes. They were manufactured by a foreign nation to be some sort of a weapon against the cyborgs who are completely super human and engineers to be better soldiers and greater weapons. The fact that the cyborgs have already proven they can survive a nuclear war has the other nation very nervous and stepping up their genetically engineered super soldiers.

Ares wants a war that will wipe out all humans because human carnage makes him stronger.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
I'm currently scripting quit a challenge for a writer of getting just the right balance of characters and story in a script with a good eight characters whose lives I'm trying to develop and arc in the same script and keep the page count at 96 pages.
Click to expand...

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Well the hope is for an ongoing series for cable TV or a web series. The one thing this script cannot be limited to is too little characters and subplots for a series.
Click to expand...

I agree. From your initial post, it seemed like you wanted to restrict yourself to a movie. When you write for TV, the "rules of engagement" are a bit different than for a movie. Remember, you can introduce characters over the course of the season, so be judicious. Introduce new characters as a tease; they don't have to have a completed storyline.

Unlike a movie, TV storylines can be unfinished to act as a hook. Also there tends to be a strong move away from 2 hour pilots. I would look at your story and write it to break with a cliffhanger at 48-52 pages. I wrote my original two hour pilot then on advice from my friend, broke it into two hour-long segments. I offer it both ways. In a typical episode, I will have 2 or 3 story lines.

Again, you don't have too few characters. But you need to remember, put your best characters forward to intrigue the audience. Then introduce the others logically. Give the audience the chance to meet new people just like your characters. You're running multiple stories. There are the Series story, the Season story, the Character stories, and the Episode stories. Writing for television REQUIRES a bible. If you haven't started one, you will want to before you write future episodes. It will save your a** down the road.

I have a bible that documents all of my characters, locations, and events. It charts what characters appear within what episodes and what episodes contain which characters. Over 10 episodes, I have 41 characters that appear, 11 in the pilot. Of those 11, there are three storylines that tie into the Season story. The main storyline (Episode story) introduces the heroes/protagonists and introduces the Series and Season storylines. The other stories hint at parallel action that kicks in later and basically 'lures' in viewers. However, not all of those 41 are recurring characters. There are 7 'main' characters and 8 'supporting' characters. But they are not all present obviously. It's that variety that allows for some interesting stories.

It requires much more discipline to write for TV than for movies. You have to keep characters consistent, carry multiple stories, and do it to a tight page count. Action and dialogue need to be consistent and crisp. Action every 6-8 pages ending with a hook so the audience comes back after the commercial. Even if you are writing for cable, it could end up in syndication so structure accordingly. And in the worst case, it makes it adaptable for the 10 minute webisode.

I like the story idea you presented. I can't quite see how the magic will come into it yet. It seems killing off the humans would end Ares "foodchain". It will be interesting to see who he eventually sides with--cyborgs or humans. Cool idea.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
He is old-school and has corrupted some cyborgs and even posssesed them at times because they are more powerful than the humans.

His real challenge is the Amazon goddess, Artemis who knows Ares better than anyone else. She knows Ares won't stop with the planet Delta Four. He wants to destroy human everywhere in the universe.

Artemis has the cyborg generals and the queens of both nations on her side.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A real twist is 3 out of 4 of the starring cyborg officers are the sole survivors of Earth who survived the humans nuclear war. We see a strange new world of Delta Four through the POV of the cyborgs from Earth.

The prologue will be very similar to the prologue of IC2 with General Angela Bruno, General Gail Storm, and their first cyborg creation, Colonel Roberta Azzurra are Earth's legacy. The prologue is in some ways like the opening of a Superman movie with Superman (and these days his cousin Kara aka Supergirl) as the sole survivors of their dead world who traveled by spaceship to a new world to become the champions of their new world.

There is even a little feel of Farscape with people of Earth (cyborgs and not humans in this case) for and original POV.

The cyborgs show their gratitude to their new home by getting the queen's permission to adopt human children and we see the humans over a decade later grown as adults who were raised by cyborgs from Earth who even taught them how to play Earth games like volley ball. The cyborgs played the games with them to teach them team work.

So, I'm working on some family value to make it more marketable for TV.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm looking to write this more like an extended pilot that follows a shorter pilot.

I may have to do it The Six Million Dollar Man style before something clicks. Before The Six Million Dollar Man became a tv series, three made for tv movies preceeded it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
FantasySciFi said:
You may want to keep it a little unresolve[d] plotwise at the end for a potential sequel. :)
Click to expand...
To me this is perhaps one of the trickiest aspects of deliberately writing a story, feature or series, with the intent of following up on them LATER: Crafting little undeveloped "tails" or "strings" that remain unresolved presently to allow further story development in the future - while at the same time - not irritating the audience by not appearing to be pointless half-baked diversions that don't go anywhere.

Deux ex machina solutions irritate everyone.
Code: 
Uncle Bob, the long forgotten wealthy oil tycoon no one knew about, 
rode into town in his Caddy convertible and paid off Misty's stripper bar loan.

Juvenile solutions irritate everyone.
Code: 
Uncle Bob paid off his niece's loan on her stripper bar with the 
agreement he'd receive free scotch for life and a corner booth.

Intriguing solutions leave the audience with an interest to return.
Code: 
Sly Uncle Bob eased behind the bar counter top where Misty totaled the night's 
register receipts. First he pulled out a bottle of her scotch, poured a glass. 
She gasped when he next pulled out his... checkbook.


MDM, you may find it beneficial to review some fave ensemble films while taking detailed notes on how all the characters were moved about by the writer(s).
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Very cool clips. I get a better sense of where your story is heading. It's kind of like the new Battlestar Galactica (they mix in the Greek gods and cyborgs), though yours takes a different spin with its Amazonian social order. Neat effects. I appreciate your sharing them. It will be interesting to see how you incorporate Ares. The clips you've put together hint at the possibilities. Nice work!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks!

I liked the way Ares was done in season one of Hercules The Legendary Journeyies where he was more of an evil spirit who could take over anyone's body to work his evil to pit one side against another.

The clever cyborgs of this advanced world will come up with an upgrade for themselves where they can see his aura to find out where he is hiding.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top