Go Into The Story: Screenwriting 101 - Scott Myers [FULL INTERVIEW]

SEE IT ON AMAZON - The Protagonist's Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling by Scott Myers
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Scott Myers has written thirty projects at nearly every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. He hosts GoIntoTheStory.com, which Writers’ Digest named “Best of the Best Scriptwriting Website.” An assistant professor at DePaul University, USA, Scott is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Yale University Divinity School, USA.
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[@SamuelDaram]

This 90-minute interview with Scott Myers is a treat.

[@jehjey7626]

I am glad Scott Myers feels his purpose is teaching because he obviously has a gift for storytelling and an ability to share it. Such a good call on getting him on camera.

[@filmcourage]

Thank you, Jennifer. We felt fortunate to hear his thoughts on story and honored that he'd agree to an interview. Appreciate the feedback!

[@lonjohnson5161]

This is why I'm subscribed to this channel.

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Lon, glad we can finally publish this full interview. Scott is incredible. Would love to speak with him again.

[@ronreidjr]

MIND BLOWING!! I felt Film Courage brought me on a journey that is getting me serous about this craft. Not a second was wasted in your questions and his answers. From your routine to your passion to write and how to build that up, the 5 Archetypes influenced from Aristotle...to writing like it is a job and not a side hustle....the 1---2----7--14 rule....CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT....THE PROTAGONIST JOURNEY....GOOD STORY....JOSEPH CAMPBELL to...PIXAR doing it well in STORY STRUCTURE that we can learn from... CREATION OF STORY....IMPORTANCE OF OUTLINING (especially for TV)...JOSEPH CAMPBELL and the JUNG connection....BILL Moyer's show and the need for STRUCTURE in a story....PLOT-physical/psychological...STRUCTURE and finally moving into Dialogue... what a ride!!! Thank you FILM COURAGE FOR ANOTHER MASTER CLASS.

[@jadeneaston]

He is my professor for scene writing. We had our first class today. Haha

[@danbee998]

52:51 Genesis of the Screenplay. Outstanding individual to learn from.

[@Sophia-wv6yf]

Scott Myers is story 🙏

[@halfxbreed23]

I think a lot of writers have an obsession with their characters which keeps the story from growing because they're too in love with them. Nothing is greater than the story. Nobody is greater than the story. Story is the sun, Characters are flowers. The story allows characters to bloom. Also lmao, "they're gonna crash and burn after 50-60 pages" plotters swear they have a monopoly on the game. Keep your character motivated with a compelling story and they'll lead you to where they need to go.

[@fabwalk8133]

WOW, i'm consuming your content like mad. great interviewer and amazing guests!

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Ahmed, we appreciate that. Glad this channel found you.

[@AntKneeLeafEllipse]

I love this! Who is this guy! What the fuck is this blog!!! What a wellspring of creative wisdom.

[@CerebralAilment]

I just listened to this while jotting down notes about a project ive had on the back burner for a while. This really helped me sort some things out and understand my vision! Thank you

[@filmcourage]

Love to hear that, glad this one was so helpful to you.

[@atallguynh]

@8:45 The Great British Baking Show... Oh good, I'm not the only one...

[@roadcrewfilms]

This is absolutely gold!!!!!!!!

[@dustyhills8911]

I came back to this for a second viewing because Scott retweeted me recently and I felt like it was fate. He's definitely one of my mentor characters on my journey to finding screenwriting unity. ;)

[@filmcourage]

Welcome back Dusty! Where are you at this moment with your screenwriting?

[@dustyhills8911]

@@filmcourage I was forced to take a few weeks off from writing due to a minor medical emergency. Now getting back on track and at the midway point of my first draft (true crime/period drama) that I have been working on for months now. I've been on a roll the last few days and hope to finish this draft within a couple weeks. Scott caused me to go back to some Joseph Campbell material, which led me to some Carl Jung history that sparked an epiphany for my 2nd act. I'm "in the zone" you might say. :)

[@jenniferwolfinteriors]

What a wealth of insightful nuggets! If Mr. Myers was my neighbor, I’d be over bending his ear every day! Thank you for the remarkable interview!

[@David-mg1yj]

I love the idea that Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, doesn't have a job. It made me imagine, that being a Cowardly Lion, a Tin Man or a Scarecrow, are career goals worthy of my skillset and my capabilities. If I ever give up writing, then I'm definitely going to become a Professional Scarecrow.

[@howardkoor9365]

Sensational interview

[@gokanzimo6578]

Polish scientist Maria Skłodowska-Curie also won two Nobel prizes, so Linus Pauling wasn't the only person to achieve that.

[@blk2wite]

Scott such a great teacher with a great heart.

[@ZDvoid]

What a man. What an interview. I have learned from Scott more than anyone else. Thank you for that interview

[@akuakritiproductions]

Wow! Such an amazing interview. Looking forward to see more videos coming up on Film Courage.

[@ComicPower]

I love these videos. I am learning the screenplay writing process to tell stories I know I can be good at but did not know the structure and industry specific terms. I'm soaking it all up and the longer the better. I deliver mail for a living so I listen while out on my route. It helps kill time and I'm learning so much. Thanks.

[@richardsoos8902]

I hope to hear your work one day. I found open mic nights at Irish pubs to be a good place to start your craft.

[@yaninpoart3070]

As a beginner in writing stories, this gives me a lot of insight! thank you so much for this interview :D

[@jbchannel88]

I can't wait to read his book. I think it's going to help me a lot.

[@Aegis287]

These videos serve as great inspiration in more ways than one.

[@mickeyaugrec7560]

Terrific interview, was writing notes furiously! Love all the process discussion. Thanks FC!

[@filmcourage]

Scott Myers is great, glad you found this one Mickey!

[@CaroleMora22]

Excellent interview.

[@danielburns1556]

Really great videos, thanks Film Courage! I've been watching your whole channel and taking notes and trying to apply what I learn. One thing no one seems to touch on, and perhaps it's silly and/or I'm naïve, is, does the want/goal of the character come from a place that is informed by their disunity/identity? What I mean is, every character wants something, chases something, whether that be a longing or desire or an actual goal, but I'm wondering if they'd even have their want/goal to begin with if they had a different wound? Is their want directly linked to their past/flaw/need/to the lesson they must learn? Does it take Will Hunting's messed up past and personality in order for him to want the love interest? Does wanting the love interest only occur because he has a messed up identity? When the want isn't spurred by a random outer event (tornado and wanting to get back home), then is their want related to their wound? Can a character want something that has nothing to do with their inability to achieve it? Is it obvious that the character's want is designed by a writer because a writer has given the character a wound that will hinder the character from achieving the want? For instance Clarice Startling wants to have respect and be a good fbi agent and catch the killer, but she's navigating 'in a man's world' and has a haunted past, which makes sense for her growth in the story. So she couldn't really have had any other want than the above mentioned, right? Otherwise we wouldn't have seen her grow in those difficult areas. does the want have to be in relation to their transformation? Frodo went on a quest to destroy the ring, he wanted to do that. Could he have had any other want besides that (in which case the story would have been completely different?) In Good Will Hunting, Will wanted the love interest, which coincidentally meant he had to deal with his past in order to grow/emerge enough to be at a peace to be with her. Or, could he have seen a hot race car in a magazine that he really wanted and tried to achieve it - having nothing to do with addressing his inner demons? Maybe it doesn't matter what they want, because in the end they will have learned their need. But sometimes I think the story is dependent on a character wanting something specific as well as them having the exact kind of trauma that's going to make them stumble and flourish along the way to achieving it. I wonder if our characters' wants stem from their trauma? Would a character even want the thing they want, had they not been messed up? Would they want this particular thing they want if they didn't have this unfortunate view of themselves or the world? And, is it obvious that the writer is putting their characters in situations that test the character's specific flaw/wound? If a character had a want other than the one they wanted, first of all, could they even have any other want or is their writer-given want in direct relation to who the character is as a flawed person? Second of all, would their transformation unfold differently if they wanted something other than the ones we see them try to achieve? What if Dorothy's lightbulb was she decided her goal was teach the munchkins us government? Or if she started along the yellow brick road and found the tin man's axe and decided to be a lumber jane? What if she wanted to stay in oz? I am asking if her want of going home was because it's what she wanted or if it's because the writer wanted her to want that - in order to explore the themes of appreciation/having the power. Her want was related to her wound. What if Will in good will hunting didn't like the girl and went on his way? Must these stories have unfolded the way they did, in order for these characaters' needs to be explored? His want related to his would, he had to acknowledge and come to accept his past and move on in order to become who he was truly capable of becoming. Why it took a love interest to incite his journey, I do not know. Just wondering if the inciting incident that catches the character's attention has to be in relation to their wound. It sounds silly to ask, because it's obvious that characters have to go on rather specific journeys/create the journeys they go on, to show us the push and pull of their flaws, needs, wants, transformation, etc, but I can't help but wonder if a character's initial want or initial goal should be, from strictly a writer's perspective and theme perspective, linked to the lesson they will end up learning. Charlie grew up poor and unhealthy, and so winning the factory tour money/chocolate would be fantastic for his family. Catching a rampaging rhino running through a town wouldn't do much for his situation/transformation. So not only do I wonder why does a character choose NOW to want something, but I wonder if the thing they want IS WHAT they want DUE TO their plight? Would Will have wanted the girl if he wasn't disillusioned to begin with? Would Charlie have wanted to win the golden ticket if his family wasn't poor? Would Rose on Titanic have even wanted Jack/a passionate life if she wasn't miserable? Why does the character want what they want when they want it? If these characters didn't have their deep burdens, would they even notice these incident incidents? Or would they just continue on unphased? How much is them actually wanting the thing, and how much is the writer making the character want the thing so there's a story to tell? So I wonder if the adventures our characters go on are specific for the characters' needed growth. Would they want the thing they want if their wound was different? I'm sorry I can't explain this any better. If anyone would like to discuss this, please do! Lastly, after rereading, I see that most of the examples have something in common, the want is usually spurred by something out of the character's control. Arriving in Oz, Will Hunting's love interest, Buffalo Bill kidnapping/killing, a chocolate factory contest, the ring being given to Frodo. All of these events popped into these characters' lives. After that, it's up to them to navigate the journey/grow. Did the writers choose these inciting incidents to push these characters out of their comfort zones? probably yes. Were these events designed to get the characters on a path of transformation? most likely. These events are carrots that get the character to want. But why they want these carrots, other than the writer wanting them to, is sort of a mystery. these wants could be considered to be in relation to their wound. If you're sad you want to be happy, if your family is poor you want them to be ok, if you feel unloved you might seek love, etc. Thoughts? What prompted my curiosity about this subject is, I am creating a story and I'm finding that though I have a good feeling about the character's backstory and wound, I feel like his want can be any number of things, and I'm not sure if there is a method in determining what type of want a character would have - should it be something in relation to his disunity. I can't seem to find information out there on how to determine if or how a character's want should be linked to his past. I keep the theme in mind, and that guides me on the best wants/needs to explore. But for a visible goal, I'm not sure if there is a determinative; method, formula, rule of thumb to keep in mind so that his want is a natural stem from his wound.

[@dm_ex_machina3395]

When the want and the wound are aligned we can more easily understand the character's growth because the logic follows. If they achieve the growth but the catalyst for each stage should've had an opposite effect then we won't understand how they reached this new stage. John has a wound inflicted from a specific childhood trauma. Let's say he gets stung by a beehive. The event establishes character wound where they are afraid to take action and tend to freeze up. Flash forward and John freeze up about everything. Then enter The Girl. He is smitten. Its boy meets girl. But he freezes up. We're instantly aware that his wound is preventing his want. He'll have to overcome it. He finds Jack, the bravest guy he knows, and tries to get him to teach him to not freeze up. Now there are many ways you could take the story from this premise. Any number of interesting and comedic trials could show us John becoming braver. Jack could be a mentor or whatever. You dont necessarily need to have him face bees to believably learn courage. But a story benefits from rhythm. Conclusions depend on the pattern of your story feeling closed. So if you raise a specific wound it helps to hammer in this closing of expectation because it satisfies people's sense of balance. I would make Jack into John's former bully. His mentoring would make things worse as it's basically bullying as adults. This would make us uncertain that John is ever going to get better. Then I'd have him have to run a gauntlet of pain and hilarity to save the girl (ending with bees). Is this realistic? Not at all. But neither is dialogue. Making that decision is your artistic choice that you use to make something that feels more alive than actual life. The goal of Good Will Hunting isnt to get the girl. It's to show how even geniuses struggle with the pains of abuse. The writer decided on a happy ending because that's the tone they wanted for the ending. So he was going to have that breakdown with Sean. "I know..." "It wasn't your fault." "I know" Riding off to meet the girl is how the story tells us that he's won. It's the cowboy riding into the sunset. It's the hobbits returning to the shire.

[@danielburns1556]

​@@dm_ex_machina3395 Thank you so much for responding and for the example and explanation. Would you be able to create an example for a character who doesn't overcome or realize their flaw or misbelief, but instead holds true to what's in their heart? How to they grow if they don't change, if they don't have a flaw or misbelief that is holding them back from the thing they want and need? I am trying to come up with steadfast version of my story and a change arc version, to see which one has the better potential. Would you be willing to discuss some elements such as this over e-mail? danny burns 23 @ gmail . com no spaces, if you are willing. I have been struggling with understand story elements. I am planning a children's story and could use some help and would be willing to pay!

[@danielburns1556]

@@dm_ex_machina3395 Thanks so much for responding and for the examples and explanation. Can you provide an example of how this works with a character who changes others and the world around him, by remaining true to himself? I am struggling with both steadfast and change arc, and am trying to consider both, to see the potential my story has. I would love some help, if you're willing to listen.

[@danielburns1556]

@@dm_ex_machina3395 Hello? My replies aren't being posted, this is my third one. Edit, oh looks like they are viewable now!

[@wordsfailingme5874]

Outstanding interview. I spec. liked his comments re character arcs and the unrealized self - noting that not all films have them - at least in the expected sense. Forrest Gump does arc slightly but his essence doesn't change. It's a discussion point as to whether that disqualifies him as the true protagonist. James Bond doesn't arc. In Tin Cup, Costner starts as true to himself, is 'made' to assume a persona, but achieves fulfillment - and the girl- returning to his true self. 'Seems ev'ry man wears gloves foh his own reasons, '

[@dm_ex_machina3395]

I'm not sure the protagonist is as important as modern writers seem to think. Don't get me wrong, having a strong protagonist helps us tell the types of stories people have expected for a while now. But that hasn't always been the case. What matters at the end of the day is maintaining an appealing structure. You can establish the expectations of your structure yourself or you can use the expectations of culturally popular structures. Establishing your own structure can be done in the first scene, chapter, episode, etc. You have to be aware of all the established and popular structures in order to create your own. This is because if you arent aware of the ones that exist you can't know if your own structure makes others recall a different, previously established structure. Structure in this sense is all about expectation. You are using repetition, thematic items, and other tricks to establish the primary questions any audience wants to know about the story they are about to see: How is it going to make me feel? Is it going to have a happy ending? Who should I be rooting for? The answer to the third question can be changed, but you have to be deliberate in your transitions. You can set up someone to be likable and then have them transition to being unlikable. But you should give them someone else to root for when you do this and you should establish this person as likable before the turn over. Again it's because you're establishing your expectations. As long as you ensure your audience has an answer to those three questions you don't need a protagonist (because you can have an ensemble) and your story doesnt need to have character growth (which is useful for cartoons and television) AND you don't even need to have a coherent plot. Really. No one knew what was happening in Lost and in the end that was the point. At any point in time people just need to know what emotion they're buying, what the payout will feel like, and they want to be able to pick sides. It's why we watch sports. It's why reality television is able to work. You don't even need to pick a side. If you can maintain those assurances you can invent your own expectations and formulas. This is how we create cultural, mythic icons like the Greek heroes or Abraham Lincoln or Superman or, yes, James Bond. Jesus also doesn't change. Though he does go through trials that threaten a change we dont want. There's a tendency in anime to have the Heart character go through a moment that threatens to shatter their worldview (which is often seen as being naive by others) In these cases we're rooting for a return to normalcy or our expectations. Endless winter myths. It's all born from those same core expectations.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

The part about visuals in screenplays was really interesting. Is there even an option to add images on Final Draft?

[@TamirYardenne]

Love this dude ❤

[@kennyguzman5470]

Wow..

[@robertpollock4672]

My manns bringing the sauce on this one. Gawd damn

[@victorallencook7107]

I love 🚀 🌹

[@RDSimpson]

Architypes or Protagonists words come from 500 Bc Greek plays

[@victorallencook7107]

I got this ✏✏📖📖

[@nathannemeth4094]

The book, "The Hero Within," does it cover these same 5 archetypes?

[@grambalt3780]

could someone give me a link to the document he is talking about at 14:20 please ? It seems like I can't find it by myself :(

[@filmcourage]

Scott is referring to a book that he is writing. Believe it is going to be a textbook for his students at DePaul. Not sure what it's availability will be and we aren't sure if he has completed it.

[@violimo]

@@filmcourage Can't wait for that. I'm a Jungian fan and a screenwriter.

[@davidgagnon5581]

Is the original formula Beacon Hill Base Brat Pack the greatest story since the series of medieval folk songs that brought us the legend of Robin Hood himself?

[@dh1163]

It was my understanding that poppies represent heroin and the snowfall represents cocaine in the Oz story.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

These interviews are always too short 😉

[@MrRatingz]

Im the same space and time and late!!!

[@franciscojaviergarciagomez2846]

Please develop this screenplay for me,I don't want nothing at all

[@christianmogildea4963]

+

[@retromaniatampa]

i find it hard to believe that someone who claims to be a writer can only write 3-7 pages a day.... if it is that hard for you, maybe you're not really a writer....