Inside Story Read online

  PRAISE FOR INSIDE STORY:

  THE POWER OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL ARC

  by Dara Marks

  “Nobody can give a writer talent, but Dara Marks can guide us through the craft of telling our stories in the most thoughtful and thought-provoking way.”

  —Iris Rainer Dart, Author, Beaches

  “They say you can’t learn screenwriting from a book. They were right—until Inside Story. This is a book every screen--writer must read before writing the words: ‘Fade In...’”

  —Andrew Smith, Screenwriter

  The Main Event, Who’s That Girl?

  Former Head Writer, Saturday Night Live

  “Dara Marks has done it!!! Just when one thinks there can be nothing new to say about screenwriting, along comes Dara Marks with Inside Story! Her book contains the best writing advice of all, ‘Dare to be guided by your passion.’ That’s as good as it gets and Dara’s Inside Story is as good as it gets.”

  —Lew Hunter, Writer/Producer

  Chairman Emeritus and Professor

  UCLA Department of Film and Television

  “Dara Marks has written a breakthrough book on the art of crafting extraordinary stories. Inside Story takes you where few other books about writing can—inside not only the structure and substance of great stories but also inside the writer’s heart, mind, and soul from which great stories spring.”

  —Clyde W. Ford, Author

  The Hero with an African Face

  The Long Mile (Winner 2006 IPPY Award)

  “Replete with examples from both classic and contemporary films, Dara Marks’ Inside Story offers fresh insights into screenwriting structure, enabling writers to better hone their craft and elevate their art.”

  —Professor Richard Walter

  UCLA Screenwriting Chairman

  INSIDE STORY

  Copyright © by Dara Marks, Ph.D. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage system, without permission from the publisher.

  Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Marks, Dara.

  Inside Story : The Power of the Transformational Arc /

  Dara Marks, Ph.D. -- 1st ed. – Ojai, Calif. : Three Mountain Press, 2007.

  p. ; cm.

  Softcover: 978-0-9788129-1-1

  Hardcover: 978-0-9788129-0-4

  Epub: 978-09788129-3-5

  Mobi: 978-09788129-2-8

  Includes bibliographical references.

  1. Motion picture authorship--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

  2. Screenwriters--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Plots (Drama, novel, etc.) I. Title.

  PN1996 .M37 2007 2006932223

  791.43/7--dc22 0701

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  With gratitude for permission to reproduce the following. Sony Pictures Entertainment for the use of excerpts from the screenplays The Fisher King written by Richard LaGravenese © 1991 and A Few Good Men written by Aaron Sorkin © 1992. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. for the use of excerpts from the screenplays Goodfellas written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese © 1990 and Casablanca written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch © 1942. MGM for the use of excerpts from the screenplay Rocky written by Sylvester Stallone © 1976. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. for the use of excerpts from the screenplay Romancing the Stone written by Diane Thomas © 1984. Paramount Pictures for excerpts from the screenplays Ordinary People written by Alvin Sargent © 1980 and American Beauty written by Alan Ball © 1999.

  Cover and Book Design: Patricia Bacall

  Author Photograph: Xaque Gruber

  Editing: Brookes Nohlgren

  Published by Three Mountain Press, Ojai, CA

  www.threemountainpress.com

  Direct inquiries to: [email protected]

  To my mother and father,

  who encouraged me to try my wings and fly.

  To my husband,

  who inspired me to soar.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  All great stories are about relationships; my own is no exception. In gratitude:

  To my mentor, Dr. Linda Seger. Her wisdom and generosity of spirit have been a guiding influence throughout my life and career.

  To all of my extraordinary teachers who have helped illuminate the path that has led to this book, especially: Dr. Ginette Paris, Dr. Dennis Patrick Slattery, Dr. Gilles (Zenon) Maheu, and the amazing staff and faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

  To those who gave hands-on support, wise counsel, steadfast commitment, and relentless prodding: Robin Haney, Julie Wellings, Heather Hale, Tinker Lindsey, Carol Abbott, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Raymond Singer, Lisa Loomer, Joe Romano, Dino Audino, Deborah DeFuria, Bess Armstrong, Catherine Hart, David Huff, Dana White, Constance Welsh, Donie Nelson, Janis Cohen, Barbara Nussbaum, Ellen Reid, Patricia Bacall, Ghislain Viau, Brookes Nohlgren, Xaque Gruber, Laren Bright, Robert Menna, Wanda Webster, Richard Marcus, and my extraordinary family: Libby, Tim, Jane, Jeff, Vicki, Fred, Zachary, Lauryn, and Eleanor Marks.

  To my students and clients, who continue to teach me everything I know about the art and craft of screenwriting.

  To all of my extended family and friends, who show me how to live and who keep me focused on what is important.

  To Randy and Justin, who make it all worthwhile.

  And always to the Muses, who forever guide me to the truth,

  though I sometimes forget to listen.

  We are lonesome animals.

  We spend our life trying to be less lonesome.

  One of our ancient methods is to tell a story

  begging the listener to say

  – and to feel –

  ‘Yes, that’s the way it is,

  or at least that’s the way I feel it.

  You’re not as alone as you thought.’

  ~ JOHN STEINBECK

  CONTENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  PART I

  LAYING A STRONG FOUNDATION

  ONE IN THE BEGINNING: THE WORD

  It Was the Best of Scripts, It Was the Worst of Scripts…

  Houston, We Have a Problem

  Trust the Force Within

  No More “Mr. Nice Guy”

  The Eternal Story

  The Why Factor

  Getting to the Gold—The Transformational Arc

  TWO PLOT: LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

  Conflict, Action, and Goal

  Deepening the Plot

  One Story, One Plot

  Naming the Plot

  Case Studies

  THREE CHARACTER: GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

  The Myth of the “Hero” Myth

  Identifying the Protagonist

  Secondary Characters

  Co-Protagonists

  There's More to a Protagonist Than Meets the Eye

  Case Studies

  FOUR THEME: DEFINING INTENTION

  Making Meaning

  Some Assembly Required

  Write What You Know

  The Language of the Heart

  Finding the Thematic Goal

  Setting Up a Thematic Structure

  Case Studies

  Write What You Don’t Know

  FIVE THE FATAL FLAW: BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE

  Sacred Trust

  System Breakdown

  The Fatal Flaw

  Finding the Fatal Flaw

  Turning Theme into Character

  Backstory

  Turning Theme into Plot

  On the Other Hand…

  Case Studies

  PART II

  BUILDING THE ARC OF CHARACTER

  SIX INSIDE STRUCTURE: SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END

&nb
sp; Structure—That Dirty Little Word

  The Dynamic Duo

  A Bend in the Road

  The Pattern of Life

  The Sphere of Influence

  From Here to Quaternity

  Getting Back in Shape

  As Simple As ABC

  The Wholly Triad

  Case Studies

  Putting It All Together

  SEVEN ACT I: FADE IN…

  Where to Start?!

  Anatomy of a First Act

  Image Is Everything

  No Points for Ambiguity

  The Great Unknown

  Taking a Turn for the Worst

  A Rude Awakening

  Case Studies

  EIGHT ACT II—PART ONE: WHAT GOES UP…

  The Dreaded Second Act

  Three’s Company

  Make Way for the Midpoint

  Looking Inward

  The Moment of Truth

  Case Studies

  NINE ACT II—PART TWO: …MUST COME DOWN

  Amazing Grace

  The Fall

  The Death Experience

  A Tragic Turn

  Getting More Than You Bargained For

  Case Studies

  TEN ACT III: DOWN AND DIRTY

  Let the Chips Fall Where They May

  On Shaky Ground

  Moment of Decision

  All Good Things Must Come to an End

  In Defense of “Happily Ever After”

  Case Studies

  EPILOGUE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

  GLOSSARY

  FILMOGRAPHY

  INTRODUCTION

  Over the years in my work as a script consultant, I’ve found that notes telling writers to “ write what’s in your heart,” “add more depth,” or “find your authentic voice” aren’t especially useful. It’s not that these problems don’t exist; in fact, they are often the primary reason a story feels flat and is un-involving. But, achieving depth in any artistic endeavor isn’t just a thing you do; it’s the totality of the experience. It’s the result of an “in-depth” process that grows with the story as opposed to something that is tagged on in the end as an afterthought.

  No one questions a writer’s need to have a strategy or technique for developing the physical, external plotline of a story (e.g., catching the killer, solving a crime, making it to the altar on time). Most serious writers study the basic elements of story structure and learn how to organize a film script, novel, or play in a manner that resembles the form and serves the dramatic function. However, when it comes to expressing inner values and establishing a personal perspective on a story, writers are often guided only by their instincts or intuition and a little luck.

  Instinct and especially intuition are absolutely essential for getting to the more meaningful, authentic aspects of a story, but they can easily degenerate into random guesswork if they’re all you have to rely on. The starting point for any artistic creation is always at the level of intuition because it’s where new ideas are conceived. However, new ideas, even great ones, seldom rise to the level of consciousness fully formed. They often begin as a jumble of thoughts, impressions, feelings, and images that can be as confusing and contradictory as they are inspiring and compelling.

  The method for getting to the emotional heart of a story is not a divine secret bestowed only on the anointed. All writers have a well of valuable feelings and insights; it’s just a question of knowing how to tap into them. Inside Story offers techniques and methods to help writers identify and stay focused on the deeper thematic and emotional dimensions that are necessary to create a more natural or organic story structure.

  Crossing to the Borderland

  I also have a problem with the notion that writers must suffer for their art. I do believe, however, that we have to live for it. Living, of course, includes suffering as well as disappointment, disillusionment, and rejection, but it also includes joy, enlightenment, and even contentment. Ultimately, every one of the stories we tell tells our own story. Though a story seldom reflects the direct autobiographical chronology of our lives, it always reflects what we know to be true. It has to; we don’t know anything else.

  A young client of mine recently completed a high-wire action thriller, but from what she shared of her background it was apparent that she had also turned the rage she felt toward her domineering father into a story about the heroic pursuit of independence. Of course, that was hardly her plan when she first sat down to write, but that’s the power of the creative experience: It opens up the space for a new piece of our own truth to be revealed—to us.

  The writing experience is often described as a journey because, although it may physically shackle us to our desks, it does fulfill the primary mandate of a true journey: It takes us to someplace new. Even if we end up right back where we started—we will inevitably see where we are with new eyes.

  Inside Story is intended to be a traveling companion on the storyteller’s journey. It will help you explore and navigate the rugged, unpredictable, and often harsh landscape that lies in every writer’s path. It will serve as a translator for the complex metaphorical language of story and will guide you to the outposts of your known world, helping capture in your stories a glimpse of the wild new thing that lies just beyond everything you thought you knew. This is the true destination of all stories. At their best they take us to the space that lies just outside what we know about ourselves and introduce us to a new piece of personal knowledge that enhances our connection to others, to nature, and to the divine. Most importantly, stories can transform our painful and even blissful life experiences into higher consciousness.

  The place that lies between what we know and what we are coming to know about ourselves and others is sometimes referred to as the borderland. It is the place where new consciousness is beginning to dawn, the place where we emerge from darkness into light. A writer who relies entirely on intuition rarely makes it to the borderland because what comes from the unconscious will generally stay there unless it is confronted and examined. This is why so many films today lack cohesiveness, substance, and relevance even though they may have an interesting central idea. A story that never makes it to the place where new consciousness, illuminating insights, and fresh perspectives are birthed will merely recycle worn-out clichés that trivialize and marginalize the true heroic quest for wholeness.

  This quest for wholeness, for connection to all the undiscovered parts of our true nature, which includes our relationship with nature itself, is the model around which this theory of the transformational arc is formed. It embraces the principle that any living thing that isn’t growing and evolving can only be moving toward decay and death. That we are either moving toward life or away from it is the heart of the human drama. To stand up and fight through the conflicts, confrontations, and disappointments we all encounter is the heroic challenge. To run away, disregard, dismiss, or avoid these challenges isn’t merely benign or cowardly, it’s tragic. It destroys the opportunity to grow and evolve. Ultimately this path leads only to the death of hopes, dreams, ambition, love, and all forms of interconnectedness.

  Furthermore, if stories themselves avoid this internal challenge, they aren’t simply harmless or shallow: They are tragic as well. A story that lacks any real reflection of a character’s inner struggle can only portray the human condition in an idealized state. This means that characters who are “good” were born good and characters who are “bad” or “evil” were born that way as well; neither have any capacity to grow and evolve. This communicates to the audience that virtues like courage, kindness, and compassion aren’t choices, but birthrights. Likewise, for those characters aligned with dark forces, there is no way out nor any hope of redemption. If only an occasional film lacked this dimensionality, it probably wouldn’t matter too much. However, when stories that undervalue the complexity of the human drama are dominating film, television, and all other manner of popular fiction, they become the standard by which we inevitably see ourselves—
and each other. This is not only tragic, but the implication of its dehumanizing influence on the culture is catastrophic. The only way around this fate is for modern storytellers to make the journey inward themselves and share with audiences what is discovered there.

  Twenty-five hundred years ago, a Chinese general named Sun Tzu wrote a collection of essays on military strategy known as “The Art of War,” in which he offers this sage advice:

  If you know the enemy and know yourself,

  you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

  If you know yourself but not the enemy,

  for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself,

  you will succumb in every battle…

  While the art of writing is certainly not an act of war (for most people) and a script is not your enemy (most of the time), Sun Tzu’s wisdom in regard to successfully facing a great challenge is also the foundation for developing a winning strategy as a writer.

  If you know your story and know yourself, your writing can’t fail. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee that film studios will have a bidding war over every script you write, but it does promise that something of great value will be achieved by the experience. However, if you know yourself and you don’t express that knowledge in your story, your script will fail creatively—no matter how much money a studio pays you. But most assuredly, if you refuse to look inward to know either yourself or your story, nothing of any value will ever come of your efforts—regardless of how “big” the film hits at the box office. Video store shelves are littered with the corpses of life-less, ineffectual films that no one remembers and no one ever really cared about because nothing of any emotional substance was ever invested in the story.

  Invest in Yourself

  All literary theories arise principally through observation. As far back as the time of ancient Greece, Aristotle observed that drama imitates life (he called this mimesis). Even if a theatrical situation appears to be more outlandish than any known human experience, it will always be grounded in some physical, emotional, or spiritual aspect of our reality, or we simply won’t comprehend it. This means that writers are observers and interpreters of life. Therefore, it can be said that everything you need to know about dramatic writing—you already know!