Alternative Scriptwriting, 5th Edition

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Rewriting

Once we subject the mainstream rules to scrutiny, we are left without a map upon which we can depend. By what standards do we critique our own work? How do we get ourselves out of trouble? What guides our rewrites? We don’t want to minimize how difficult it is to work without guidance. Models do provide an important framework. For instance, in her book Making a Good Script Great, Linda Seger offers a very good checklist of what each act should accomplish: “What kinds of action points are within my script? Barriers? Complications? Reversals? Where do they occur, and how often?”¹ are a few of the questions she asks about Act II. These questions are very helpful to a writer. However, we feel that checking your script against a list ...