Coming up with an idea for a screenplay.

I think it was two weeks ago, when I managed to come up with a pretty decent idea for a movie screenplay. I felt that this idea was exciting, might have a lot of potential and that it might get me back to writing again.

At least in my opinion, this was an idea that would likely play to my strengths and would allow me to write about things that matter. It would perhaps allow me to write about stuff that could make people feel better about their lives.

Yet, just because I managed to come up with an 'idea' doesn't mean that I'm even close to having solved this writing project. Having an idea for a screenplay at best means that you're off to a promising start and that you have a lot of things to do.

In any case, now that I've managed to come up with an idea and a theme, the most important thing to do next is to come up with a main character. I need to come up with a character that is consistent with the theme of the story. 

In this case, it's absolutely crucial that the main character is likable and that you can relate to her. It's crucial that the protagonist has a personality, qualities and aspirations that the audience can respond positively to.

When it comes to the story, I need a main character that is going to run into obstacles over the course of the script. These obstacles need to revolve around the theme and need to be obstacles that push the story forward.

In order to make the story any good, I need to have an overarching 'main' problem that will also work as a catalyst in the script. This will guarantee that the story and our character is actually going somewhere and has a goal.

This is not to say that we don't need any smaller problems or goals in the movie. In order to make the script entertaining, we need tons of little obstacles or opportunities that our main character and other characters will run into.

When it comes to the script as a whole, it's crucial that I know how the story and the structure works. It helps immensely if I'm aware of the basics and that I know when and where 'story beats' like 'all is lost' are supposed to be.

That doesn't, however, mean that it's okay to strictly pay attention to and rigidly follow the standard structure and think that it's going to be enough. Following the beat sheet without making sure that things actually make sense won't cut it.

So I need to respect the structure, but I also need to be creative enough to understand that cookie cutter solutions won't make the script good. I need to write my butt off and come up with solutions that will work.

In any case, these are only some of the things that I need to worry about in the process of writing a script. It most certainly won't be easy and is a big challenge for a writer like me who isn't used to writing movie scripts.

All in all, when it comes to getting further with this project, certain sacrifices have to be made. If I want to succeed, I need to work really hard, use all my talents and probably get a bit lucky in the process too.