How do you write a 1 page synopsis for a screenplay with two storylines? A woman is attempting to discover the history of a woman of dementia in the present day. Interspersed are scenes from the past, letting the audience, but not the main character, know about her life. Thank you for your help!
Screenwriting : Multiple Stories in One Synopsis? by Anne Faye
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
1 person likes this
I would suggest focusing on whichever the story is really about. Is it about the woman with dementia or it is about the woman who's doing the searching? Which one carries more weight, even if it's slight, throughout the story? I'm more drawn to the woman searching. Who is she and why does she want to dig into this?
Thank you!
1 person likes this
Usually it's one story per film, so what you may have is a main plot and a prominent subplot. Focus on the main plot. Sometimes this requires that you take a step back from the story and see all of it at once (the way looking at a piece of a picture may make you think it is only about an ear, but when you step back you see the whole face).
Thank you - I'll think about how I can do this.
how can you make them fit together?
Great suggestion! Thank you. I know that this style of story has been done many times. I figure there has to be some way to handle it.
Lyse, I found this synopsis which is definitely a step in the right direction. http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fried-green-tomatoes/5780/synopsis
1 person likes this
Hi Anne - this kind of synopsis can be very hard to write. i agree tho what you want to focus on is the main story. you might even leave out the fb's as it sounds like they are used stylistically rather than moving the narrative forward. if they contain key information i'd reveal it in the synopsis at the point where it becomes relevant for the protagonist which might be in a key reveal at the end. Also if you're looking for samples of synopses try wikipedia most films have a synopsis which can be very helpful. Here's a blog post i wrote that might help. http://ruthatkinson.com/2013/07/01/a-writers-worst-nightmare-the-dreaded... Good luck! Ruth
1 person likes this
Thank you - your blog post is very helpful!
1 person likes this
Anne - happy to hear it! synopses seem so simple yet summarizing a story is incredibly hard. you want the story to be clear and succinct but also compelling and engaging. no easy task! but sounds like you're up for the challenge and I'm sure you'll do a great job!