Film Courage: Naomi, can you explain what a story goal is?
Naomi Beaty, Writer, Screenwriting Teacher and Consultant: It’s that ultimate goal that your whole story is structured around. It’s the thing that your protagonist is trying to achieve in the story. Story goal is just the easiest way to describe it. In Silence of the Lambs it’s Clarice trying to catch the serial killer Buffalo Bill, that’s her story goal. It’s the plot thing that gives your entire story its structure.
Film Courage: Is the story goal also the story engine?
Naomi: The character’s pursuit of that story goal I think is what creates the engine and the story. The protagonist trying to achieve that thing, that’s what drives the story forward. It’s what moves the plot. I think the story goal is a necessary part of that engine.
Film Courage: Can you give us examples of story goals that work? Effective ones and then ones that don’t work well?
Naomi: Effective story goals will have some external component so they can be dramatized on screen in some way. Ineffective story goals are usually very internal and things that we can’t see a character taking action toward, we can’t see them pursuing. If you’re writing a movie it’s going to be easier to write it to structure it if there’s some external action or at least a way for you to…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
Naomi Beaty is a writer, screenwriting teacher, consultant and owner of WRITE+CO., along with the author of LOGLINE SHORTCUTS: Unlock Your Story And Pitch Your Screenplay In One Simple Sentence and THE SCREENPLAY OUTLINE WORKBOOK: A step-by-step guide to brainstorm ideas, structure your story, and prepare to write your best screenplay.
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