Screenwriting : Plot -- A Little Goes A Long Way! by Ryan Christians

In the spirit of the message, let me keep this post short(er) and sweet(er):

When it comes to Plot, treat it the same way your 1st grade art teacher treated Elmer's glue:

"A little goes a long way!"

One of the biggest misconceptions I've found that (usually) newer writers have is their belief that they need to CRAM as much cold, hard, capital-P Plot into their story as possible. That somehow the script is incomplete or underwritten if every beat, every scene, doesn't accomplish multiple plot points to nakedly and bluntly advance the narrative forward by marked leaps. If it were a medical disorder, it might be called Story Dysmorphia or Narrative Neurosis and -- while symptoms may vary -- they can / usually include:

-- An overstuffed script that feels more like two (if not three movies) packed into one -- or, in other words, a script which contains more than one concept that could be its own standalone movie 

-- An inciting incident that reads more like an act break from Act 1 to Act 2

-- A midpoint that acts more like the end of Act 2 (with yet another "end of Act 2" to follow shortly after)

-- An Act 3 that reads like a prolonged string of climaxes and conclusions (to wrap up all those plot lines)

-- Thinly developed characters and interrelationships due to the overabundance of plot

-- Characters that are primarily reactive or passive in design, because they are now characters driven by the (too much) plotting rather than characters who are driving the plot themselves

-- A theme that is either non-existent or feels overly simple or trite

-- An overall story cadence that reads akin to "this happened, then this happened, then this happened, then this..."

Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? Then you may suffer from Too Much Plot! 

But don't worry, you're not alone, and there are many treatments available to address your ailments. But the most effective treatment is also the most straightforward (as they tend to be):

KEEP IT SIMPLE!

The main components of a feature film are:

-- Setting (time/place/circumstances)

-- Characters (the hero[es] of our tale)

-- Problem (aka Inciting Incident or "Why now?" or essentially whatever you want to call the thing that disrupts the status quo established in the beginning)

-- A-Story (the main adventure wherein the physical actions / journey to solve the Problem occurs, also known as the external story -- the closest thing to what we might call P-L-O-T)

-- B-Story (the character journey aka the internal journey, wherein the hero grows and changes from the flawed, un-enlightened version of themselves at the beginning to the enlightened version of themselves at the end, thereby expressing the story's Theme and learning the "big lesson". B-plots are often represented within a central relationship between two characters -- i.e. a love interest -- whereby their interaction / challenging of each other helps the lesson to be learned, the Theme to be expressed, and the hero's growth journey to be complete. More often than not, the A-Story & B-Story will intersect in the latter portion of the movie as a solution within the B-Story unlocks a revelation the hero needs to solve the A-Story problem.)

And that's basically it! Yes, you may have some C- or D-Plots (abbreviated or more-singular character journeys for members of the ensemble). And yes, there will be Set Pieces (within the A-Plot), and Highs (i.e. Midpoint) and Lows (i.e. End of Act 2). There will be Dialogue to write, and Tone and Pacing to consider. And let's not forget about that big Conclusion. But--

When you really boil it down, when you really reduce the sauce of the story to its utmost essence, you're really simply looking at: 

Setting + Character(s) + Problem (Inciting Incident) + A-Story (Plot) + B-Story (Theme) = Your Movie

NOTE: I did not write A-Stories or B-Stories... There is ONE (1) A-Story and ONE (1) B-Story. Not many. Not multiple. And the moment you try to slide in more than one, you overstuff your movie and dilute its focus.

And, of course, the real "note behind the note" is this: trust yourself.

More often than not, the reason writers overstuff their story with too much plot is because they find plot to be the most tangible, most measurable, most easily definable part of the storytelling process. More so than, say, character development or theme, elements that are a bit more abstract, internal, or hard to measure -- elements that don't always have an immediate "this happened so then this happens" quality. Thus, out of uncertainty, writers don't devote space to those murkier, trickier narrative elements, leaving them with all this free white space on their script pages... white space that they then fill with more plot instead. 

So, next time: instead of filling those story holes with more P-L-O-T... take a deep breath, tell yourself "the Plot I have is enough, I am enough," and give yourself the (page) space to enrich your story with more character development, thematic moments, quiet moments, visual moments, cinematic moments. Trust yourself to do this -- because you can. You have the time.

On the other hand, this post ran wayyyyyy over time. No one tell my art teacher.