In July 2007 ‘The Unknown Screenwriter’ posted a review of ‘Writing a Great Movie’by Jeff Kitchen, subtitled ‘Key Tools for Successful Screenwriting.’
I only came across the post a few weeks ago and was encouraged enough to order the book which arrived a few days ago and started working through it, hoping for some lateral thinking on my current Revisions, particularly with regards to building additional conflict layers.
I was not disappointed.
Working through the opening chapters, I have covered page after page with notes, mindmaps and question trees, all designed to create more drama in my fiction, working, extending, building, and developing challenges to the Goals and Needs of my protagonist.
The section on Dilemma is particularly useful in this regard. I found it a great way to break the story into a rationale sequence of events and decision points, all building to the crisis where my heroine makes her final decision. No going back. No surrender. Bring it on, type of decision - where her true character is revealed.
I am now looking at a sizeable stack of white cards with dilemma breakdowns from the main action line dilemma which was already in place, and I know I will be able to use most of these ideas to strengthen the emotional resonance of the story.
Recommended.
Go here for more info on Jeff Kitchen and his work; http://www.developmentheaven.com/
