Progress continues for developing the story of the new spec, with a few important details solidifying, along with weighing options for the overall setting (Is it too familiar? If it changes, how much will that affect the rest of the story? Is that a good thing?)

But the one thing really coming into play this time around is figuring out the best way for one scene to lead into the next – to the point that it needs to seem like it was only logical that this next thing is the only thing that could have happened, and so on and so on. It’s challenging.

This is where watching films and reading scripts really comes in handy. Taking a look to see how other stories have accomplished this can make quite a difference. Granted, a lot of the scenes involve being set up earlier in the story, so not only is there a payoff somewhere down the line, they also tie in to how the story is developing AND move things forward.

A leads to B, which leads to C, which leads to D, etc., etc.

It’s also important to stress that the events of the story need to flow organically. B needs to be the only thing that could have followed A without it feeling forced or “this happens because I need it to”. Making sure of this is a big contributing factor to all the time being spent on the story.

I’ve discussed this with several other writers, and many said this is a positive thing. Putting so much effort into this now leans towards the story’s foundation being pretty solid, and establishing that steady A-to-B-to-C movement will help things flow.

Something else I’ve noticed in a lot of the films and scripts is that the scenes are VERY TO THE POINT. There is no time wasted whatsoever. The scene starts, they get to the point asap, then move on to the next one. I’ve seen the opposite in a lot of scripts, including some earlier drafts of my work. I’ll be making sure this doesn’t happen this time around.

Even though there is still a lot to figure out for this story, there’s also a lot coming together – at a slightly faster pace than usual, which is something I’m not used to. There’s even been a random moment of clarity or inspiration when I’m not expecting it, which is always great.

My automatic reaction to when that happens is “does this work within the context of the story and accomplish its purpose?” and if not, is there a way to adjust it so it does? Even if I end up not using it, it might still have the potential to be used in one form or another somewhere else in the story (or in an entirely different script).

And what might be the best thing of all is that I’m simply having a great time putting all of this together. Like I said, it’s challenging, but still fun. Wish it could go a little faster, but I think it’ll be worth the wait.