A Step Outline - Example
A step outline might begin this way:
- The First Lady (Gwen) and the President (John) are
arguing at breakfast. Gwen storms out.
- Across the street, she's being watched by Carlo and Andres.
When she leaves in a limo, they follow her.
- They follow her on a series of good will visits: to a
hospital, a retirement center, a dedication.
- When the limo stops for gas, Carlo and Andres seize the moment
and take her hostage. A gun fight ensures but they get away.
And so on. The purpose here is not to demonstrate "good writing" but to
put down the structural foundations of the story.
I like to keep the scene descriptions brief and put one scene each
on an index card.
Sometimes the next step is to expand the step outline into a treatment.
[Other step outline examples: E.T.,
Field of Dreams,
Frankenweenie]
SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting
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