Outlining a Screenplay Like a Pro
When it comes to outlining, you are creating the backbone of your screenplay. And depending on how detailed you get, it may take you longer to outline it than it would take to actually write it.
So, what are the benefits of making one of these documents?
A Private Workspace for Creativity
One of the things I loved from the video is how he described the outline as a private "workspace" not intended for public consumption. It gives the writer the freedom to be messy, to experiment, and to be truly creative in their primary outline without the pressure of external judgment.
You can do anything you want, try any twist or turn, and really pressure test what the best choices are for the story itself.
The Power of Knowing the End
The video strongly advocates for a method many successful writers swear by: "writing backward." This means knowing your story's ending before you even begin writing page one.
I've always advocated that on this website, you really want to know where things are going so you can draw the best map to get there with your outline.
Spend a lot of time making sure your ending is satisfying.
By establishing the conclusion first, you can ensure that every scene, every line of dialogue, and every character arc is purposefully driving forward.
Be Ready to Adapt
Writers must be willing to make significant, even radical, changes to their stories to best serve the overall narrative.
If you spend time outlining, you won't waste time in the script doing this later. You can suss out all the issues here and then write.
That's what makes the outline such a powerful tool.
Summing It All Up
The journey to a finished screenplay is a long one. As this video makes clear, taking the time to build a detailed, thoughtful, and flexible outline is not a shortcut, but a necessary foundation for telling a truly compelling story.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
We've written a lot on No Film School about the tutorials available for editing, visual effects, and color correction, but there's one area of post production we haven't really touched upon: DVD authoring. However, once you watch these tutorials from Creative Cow's Andrew Devis, you'll have the knowledge you need to start creating content for your DVD's:
