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If you think back over the books you have read or films
you have watched, there will be some which stand out
above the rest. The stories engage you in a way that the
others don’t and touch you on an emotional or intellec-
tual level – or both.
Film is a compelling medium through which a story-
teller can tell their tale and have their voice heard. But
what makes a strong screenplay?
There are many factors that go into telling a strong
and compelling story. This article will break down the
elements you need to incorporate in your screenplay to
create a story that engages and moves your audience.What makes a strong story?
Have a message
At its core, a strong story will have a message to bring
to the audience. That message may be explicitly stated,
like in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy says, “there’s
no place like home” and realizes that she already
had everything she wanted. Or it may be more subtly
implied, such as Jurassic Park’s warning as to what can
happen when people try to interfere with nature.
Some films aim to raise awareness of particular
issues. The Day After Tomorrow brings attention and
awareness to climate change, for instance. Other films
want to challenge the way their audience thinks, such as
Philadelphia, which helped to destigmatize AIDS at a
time when it was a taboo subject.
A story with a strong message can emotionally
engage the audience during the film and can continue to
generate discussion and interest in the days that follow.Use relatable experiences
Script writers often use events from their own lives
when writing a script to shape the story or add depth
to their characters. When the audience can recognize
events from their own life experiences in your film,
they will more strongly connect to your story. Having a
basis in reality will also make your film more authentic.
It’s helpful to make your story relatable, but that
doesn’t mean you need to limit your story’s scope to
everyday events. Rocky is a film about boxing, but,
more importantly, it is about overcoming hardship to
achieve your dreams. In many ways, this is the sameWhat makes a Screenplay Strong?
story as the journey of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars,
who goes from being a poor farmer on an obscure
planet to a hero who saves the universe. The audience
will relate to the characters’ struggles even if they take
place in an unfamiliar world.Write compelling characters
To engage your audience, you need to create compel-
ling characters that people will rally behind. When
your audience feels empathy or sympathy with your
protagonists, they want to know how the story ends.
Ensure that your characters are believable and three
dimensional. It can be tempting to use established
stereotypes to quickly determine who is the hero and
who is the villain of your story. While this can be a good
starting point, you should flesh out your characters with
their personalities, foibles and nuances. Consider Police
Chief Brody trying to protect Amity’s people from the
shark in Jaws: he is afraid of the water and doesn’t like
going out on the boat. Indiana Jones faces all manner of
challenges but is fearful of snakes. Giving your hero a
weakness is one way to make them more human, just be
careful not to make these weaknesses humorous.
Take time to get to know your characters before you
write their story. Where were they born? What accent
do they speak with? What is their favorite food? What
music do they listen to? Make each of the main char-
acters in your story different and unique. Most impor-
tantly, write characters you like as you will spend a lot
of time with them as you work on your story!A strong plot
At a fundamental level, there are only six or seven
basic story types. To make your screenplay stand out,