Life can be difficult at times, and sometimes we all need a little help and encouragement. My tried and true methods of free therapy include making the bed with nice clean sheets, Google-image-searching pictures of daffodils, and now, assessing my life as if it were a screenplay. Allow me to explain.

Last weekend I attended a short screenwriting course. I learned that structuring a successful feature film comes down to a few golden rules. Characters, dialogue, and plot are all written according to surprisingly translatable tricks, which pop up in just about every film you’ve ever seen.

Most screenwriting theorists cite Joseph Campbell and his theories on The Hero’s Journey; the sequence of stages all good stories contain (including ancient myths from around the world). According to Campbell the elements of a good story include a hero who must enter a strange new world, encounter various foes, win a decisive victory, and return an improved person. Audiences, it seems, are so in-tune with this method of story telling that it appears in all sorts of movies- from the most schlocky Hollywood cheese-fest to the smartest indie cult-classic- most successful films follow these rules.

The important thing to realise is that at the same point in most films, almost down to the minute, the hero will encounter the foe, win the victory, make the ally, have the revelation, and make the personal progress. We are so used to hearing stories told in this way that we not only accept it- we also receive a great amount of catharsis from the experience. This is due to one primary element- the hero’s flaw.


Get over yourself, Simba.

At the start of the film we will encounter a hero who has at least one flaw. As the hero moves through their journey, they are forced to overcome this flaw in order to obtain their goal. Oskar Schindler and his greed, Scarlett O’Hara and her callousness, Simba and his cockiness- by the end of the film the flaw must be overcome in order to deliver catharsis for the audience. It aint over 'till the fat lady realise her eating problems stems from a deep seated anxiety she has carried since childhood. That’s entertainment.

Sitting and listening to all of this over the weekend I couldn’t help but apply some of the theories to my own personal story. You, of course, are the main character of your own movie, and you are also the audience. Here’s how to structure your own journey according to the golden screenwriting rules in order to deliver a happy and fulfilling experience to your audience: i.e. you.

1. Remember your flaw makes you worth watching. If the main character of a film is without flaw we have no reason to follow them on their journey. Embrace your flaw but make sure you also have your redeeming features. Many screenwriters will engineer a “save the cat” moment. Save The Cat is a term coined by Blake Snyder. It refers to the hero exhibiting a moment of kindness early on in the film in order to get the audience on side. Like Russell Crowe in Cinderella Man sharing his breakfast with a little girl, make sure you Save The Cat. You’ll feel good about yourself.

2. Drama is conflict. Like flaws, you need conflict in your life to make it a worthwhile experience. Of course, conflict is used in movies to present the possibility for change. We cannot overcome our flaws without conflict.

3. You have a Want, and you have a Need. At the end of the first act the hero is presented with a dramatic challenge that outlines their want, but the hero also has a need they are unconscious of. Rosemary in Rosemary’s Baby wanted a baby and picture-perfect domestic bliss. What Rosemary really needed was to stick up for herself. Hitchcock called this a MacGuffin- a plot device the hero strives for, which moves the story along and moves the hero toward achieving their real need. At the end of a satisfying film the hero may not have gotten their want, but their need will be fulfilled. Try to focus on what matters.

4. The Antagonist will only come into conflict with you for so long. According to the Hero’s Journey model, the antagonist will present challenges at certain points during the narrative. If you are currently battling your antagonist take heart, you may be due for a more uplifting scene next.

5. Don’t rely on divine intervention to rescue you. When the hero is saved by deus ex machina the end result is much less satisfying. Natural disaster, surprise cancer, long lost cousins appearing out of nowhere- it’s basically the screen writing equivalent of ending a story with “and I woke up and it was all a dream” and it can cause a story to flop. For the story to be satisfying the hero must be the one to fight and to win their own goals. You can do it.

6. Not winning yet? Maybe you’re still on TV. A television series is a different kettle of fish all together. On TV the hero must maintain their inherent flaw throughout the series or the show has nowhere to go. Seinfeld had a “no hugging, no learning” rule that maintained it well throughout its 9 seasons, and any drama worth its salt maintains the hero’s consuming wound to sustain action (Like Walter White’s delicate ego which took a bruising in the past and so continues to get him into deeper and deeper trouble). If it seems you aren’t yet overcoming your flaw or defeating your antagonist, perhaps you’re just in the television series phase of your life. Later on you will have your movie moment and complete your Hero’s Journey, just like the Flight of the Conchords boys, as rumour recently has it, as well as the Arrested Development team, and what I dearly hope the recently benched Community might one day achieve. #savecommunity #sixseasonsandamovie (Oh please, oh please).

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Please note, I am not a trained councillor, Hell, I’m not even a trained screenwriting theorist, and there are deviations and exceptions to everything listed above. If you do have a problem that goes beyond remedy by Google-image-searching pictures of daffodils, please seek help from a trained professional. I Love you. xx