What Are the Essential Elements That Make Screenplay Work?

Having time to develop your story is a blessing, especially when you are driven by inspiration and the urge to tell the story in the purest of its form.

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

As long as you can stay connected to that need, don’t overanalyse your story; it might work to your disadvantage. Let the writing flow.

However, when you become stuck or get to the point when you know that something isn’t working and have difficulties identifying where the problem is, it’s time for you to check if all the screenplay’s dramatic elements work together in your story.

Follow the checklist of questions below to see if the dramatic elements are congruent:

1. Who is your main character? Is your main character consistent in their actions? Is your main character interesting enough for your audience to become emotionally involved in their story? (I always think about the blogs I read and follow. I’m interested in those blogs because I’ve been able to connect to the person on the other side of the blog, and this is what you need from your audience, the ability to see themselves in your character’s shoes.)
2. What are the stakes in your story? Does your audience care about the character’s goals…