Story Structure Is 90% Of The Work - Jill Chamberlain

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Jill Chamberlain is the founder of a screenwriting school, a script consultant, a screenwriter, and the author of The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret to Successful Screenwriting.
The Nutshell Technique is considered the go-to manual many professionals swear by. It's on the syllabus at film schools all over the world and has been published in Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Italian, and in audiobook format.
As a script consultant, Jill has fixed and fine tuned scripts for Oscar-nominated screenwriters, top television showrunners, screenwriters whose movies have made over a billion dollars at the box office, award-winning independent filmmakers, and for many, many spec script writers.
In 2006, Jill founded The Screenplay Workshop with Jill Chamberlain (www.thescreenplayworkshop.org) where she has personally taught thousands of screenwriters feature film and episodic television writing. Complete beginners to Emmy-winning screenwriters and award-winning producers enroll in her classes.
Find out more about her and her script consultancy at jillchamberlain.com.
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[@filmcourage]

What do you think? How much effort do you put into story structure?

[@DrRussell]

Fully agree it’s essential; like blueprints before construction. May I please ask if there are any good books which offer any insight in to the outcomes of various structures? I aspire to use our educational material for patient education but I absolutely don’t want to lecture them; I trust we can agree emotional responses support memory, but it’s such a vast area I just don’t know where to start.

[@TheMightyPika]

Structure is the most important part and will make or break even the most basic of stories. The structures of Othello and Angels in America, for example, should be studied by all writers for how impossibly profound they are. I spent a solid year structuring my current story before starting, and because of that, I'm confident that I have a good solid story as I flesh it out.

[@ryanhowell4492]

a lot of effort

[@francoismahr]

The structure makes me feel my story has no plot. So I am struggling a lot 😅

[@reallymakesyouthink]

The beauty of structure is you'll know at the very least you'll finish your script if you get it right because you'll know where your story is going. Obviously you'll still need to write great dialogue and scenes etc but you're so much further ahead.

[@DAMON409]

Your creative elements dictate structure. You know that you'll need a beginning , middle and end, but those are only empty boxes to fill. You don't start with structure. You start with a concept, that concept leads to a character, then to where you will put that character. The beginning and end are easier than the middle, but the first act sets up the middle, so if you write the first act well, the second act practically writes itself.

[@darrensurff8554]

She's so easy to listen to a real pro teacher 😊

[@Lark572]

You should have a general outline in your head at the very least. Then when you write the individual scenes you have a good sense of the characters and their intentions and quirks and give yourself the freedom to sort of let it flow like jazz. It’s complicated. You have to have an outline, and you have to have freedom to be spontaneous within its confines.

[@CarmenPerez-kz6rw]

You must be a genius.

[@Lark572]

@@CarmenPerez-kz6rw I’ve just been doing this for a few decades that’s all. But I have my moments! Haha

[@Fleischkopf]

its good to know what is the general goal and conflict of a scene. then the caracters and the world can grow into the scene all by themselves :) the comparison to jazz is very fitting i think. most jazz musicians also follow a general structure with some repeating pattern then the rest can grow in.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

I would go a few steps further and say that there should be a main unifying goal that the protagonist is pursuing throughout the story. If you don’t have that, there is no story. I like the idea of a midpoint or other major point in the story where the initial goal shifts because of new information or a specific event. For example, one of my favorite teachers on this channel gave the example of a parent trying to find and retrieve their kidnapped child; but then at the midpoint, the child is found no longer alive. Consequently, the parent’s goal changes to tracking the kidnapper down and getting Justice for his child. One can see how the protagonist’s strategies would likely change as the gloves came off since putting the child in danger would no longer be a restrictive factor. I would also say that there should be cause and effect between the individual scenes such that each one pushes the story forward toward the climax - which should in some way tie all the way back to the initial problem or situation (inciting incident) that launched the story in the first place. Like the video says, structure is key. Whether the author has internalized structure that works for their stories and it comes naturally to them or if a writer needs to plot it out in writing, structure is the crucial element that differentiates a well told story from a linear record of unconnected events with no point, end or otherwise.

[@socratesagain7822]

Isn't this the point of the treatment? I won't write "FADE IN" unless I have fleshed out a semi-decent treatment to guide me. I strongly appreciate Ms Chamberlain's tips, not fetishizing (McKee's) "beats" which kills me! These teachers collectively contribute to better script/story-construction with their brilliant insights (Vygotsky lives!) and approaches, but at the end of the day, we just have to sit down and write that script and the next and the next... For, writers write. Be well.

[@yorkipudd1728]

Panzered the story years ago and only recently met a character strong enough to hold it all together. Now its their story, but it perfectly fits the whole.

[@jessebbedwell]

Structure involves more than 3 acts. Structure is choice meets mode which originates with intuition. Sometimes you start with a particular structure in the planning stages, or even through a draft or two. But when you find that something is not working as you think it should, sometimes you need to alter the structure slightly or radically. It's all in service to the story you want to tell.

[@kevinfancher3512]

This is where I start: 1. What do I want my audience to know? 2. When do I want them to know it? This is me building the structure, yes?

[@kathleenrough4864]

That is very useful. Thank you.

[@IDTFellowship]

I love you, Jill. What a brilliant mind. Thank you for all your great work - including your amazing book.

[@TihomirJalsovec]

This channel is pure gold. Thank you for excellent and very inspirational / educational videos.

[@filmcourage]

Thank you! Great to hear you find the videos helpful.

[@Its_Chimerical]

Very much enjoy Jill Chamberlain and the way she explains concepts.

[@filmcourage]

We agree and are looking forward to releasing more segments with Jill! Thank you for watching.

[@codybeavers4971]

100% agree. Once you get your structure in place, the rest is getting into the fun parts of dialogue, etc. Structure is like building the foundation of a house. Dialogue is like hanging pictures on the wall. But without a solid foundation, your pictures won't look right hanging on an uneven wall.

[@uniworkhorse]

Video editing got so much easier for me after I realized planning out the story BEFORE playing around with the fancy program/shortcuts was the important part. Wish I learned it sooner, it saves so much more time to do it first!!!

[@edgewaterz]

If you do it this way, great! But I finally noticed something in this video. Some writers, like Jill, really do like writing the structure first. I absolutely hate that and here's why. My brain simply doesn't work that way. I don't feel creative doing that. I'm not free to explore doing that. And I also can't hold all of that information in my head and seeing it on paper never makes sense. Structure and theme come through the first draft process. That's how many of us "excavate" plot and crucial escalations and it's the way to identify the "emotional spine" of the story as Pat Verducci said in her equally awesome interview. Discovering the character's fear and flaws are where the structure comes from and that is its own journey typing on on the page. The writer Stephen Cannell said when he wrote a book he would first write a 60-80 page outline to get the major story worked out. And then he would write the full book (guessing 300+ pages). And the key thing he said is after he finished the outline, he never looked at it again while writing the book. He didn't need to. My brain doesn't work like that at all. That is physically impossible for me. I can't hold all of that in my head. So I disagree that a second draft isn't going back to the drawing board. The vomit draft is how you figure your story out through the writing process. So I'm fine writing additional drafts because that's the process of discovery "for me". The vomit draft is getting the whole story out on to the paper from beginning and middle to the end. Then you rewrite it in to 2nd, 3rd, 4th drafts if necessary. That's a perfectly normal creative writing process for many of us. And you can write the outline outline at any point depending on your writing style. The outline can stay fluid and flexible. It can change as you go,. Even after you've finished for no other reason than you buyer requires one. But especially if writing out the structure feels forced and not creative, which can include writing an outline up front, isn't fun because it doesn't allow you to explore "what could be" in your story, don't let it bother you that that's how you work. You might get more scripts done that way but you may not be as happy with the outcome. That said, I love Jill's advice when it comes to using her 8 structure points to evaluate how well I have defined and ordered the parts of the story. I have her book and it's brilliant for analyzing plot and the "re-objectification" of your own story arc after having been immersed in it for months. I am grateful for Jills interviews! It's helping me figure out my own process even more concretely, which helps me not be ruled by it but to use it to my advantage as Corey Mandell keeps reiterating in his interviews. Love this channel!

[@matthewpaul6904]

Its such a rookie mistake having the idea and juat diving in. I used to do this ALL THE TIME. How many books or movies started strong and ramped things up, only to fall apart at the end? I can't remember who said this but you don't just build a house, you have to start with a blueprint so everything makes sense.

[@yorkipudd1728]

Yeah, but there's nothing like your first tour of a new house. The light, the smells, your awareness of the space and how it sounds...The trick is making your readers want to move in too without re-decorating too much! Lol

[@touaher8167]

The Nutshell Technique has helped me organize my scripts. I use it all the time.

[@mmoan2]

My goodness, this is so true! I researched a topic for three months in preparation for what I thought was a killer story. Without outlining, I charged into writing the script and arrived at page 80 with nowhere to go. What a frustrating, disheartening feeling. More than just providing my story with structure, outlining seems to tell me if an idea is a story in the first place!

[@Sharath275]

Wow.. I was waiting of her interview. Thank you

[@filmcourage]

Much more to come Sharath!

[@CarmenPerez-kz6rw]

My writing before going to pages can go anywhere from 20 pages up to a hundred from theme stated to logline through to cut material and rewriting plans and table reading notes. Research, beats, bullet lists, scene cards, snatches of dialogue. Narrative. Character sketches. Alternative beginnings, endings, midpoints, escalatory events. Theme stated. There’s a lot to do before pages. I can be inspired by real events, pieces of dreams, images, or just a title. It’s fun. Addictive.

[@v-22]

What I've learned: Structure is the most important thing. It's everything. I still have no idea what she means by "structure". Is it an outline? A treatment? The acts laid out before you write? A summary?

[@codybeavers4971]

She really just means the major beats first laid out so you have a direction of where your story needs to go and around what time in the script it needs to hit that beat. Then you structure it further by filling in those beats with the scenes that connect the dots from one beat to another.

[@Isayit]

Hi! Very well said Jill chamberlain! I use to structure for 25 mins 1st, then write script. again continue structure it and script again. Yes story is all about how well it’s structured! Thanks Film courage!

[@DavidKauffmanMusic]

I agree. Structure is key. Like Bones of a body. Hard to add a nervous system, blood vessels, meat, etc until you have good bones. Enjoy.

[@cgustaff4807]

Your primary structure is your script, your secondary structure is your film editing. The perfect combination of both is your movie.

[@monsieur_domtom]

@Filmcourage, Allways good content, Thank you from France !

[@DAMON409]

If a writer runs out of things to say on the page and has only 60ish pages as a draft, it means they probably do not have enough characters. You need about 4 or 5 main characters to weave in to your protagonist's story in order to have enough material for a feature film.

[@toddboothbee1361]

Form is freedom. Constraints provoke creativity/invention. So I imagine structure is really just form: ordered relationships.

[@lonjohnson5161]

I bought her book after her first appearance on Film Courage. It did help me find the ending to what I consider my best script so far. On the other hand, it isn't a magic formula for churning out excellent work. I definitely see the Nutshell Technique as part of a screenwriting strategy, like toast is part of this complete breakfast.

[@matthewlavagna6080]

I agree with Jill. Working out the structure of the story is at least 90% of the hard work. Screenplays almost entirely consist of action lines and dialogue, but neither the action lines nor the dialogue is what makes a screenplay work. It's the events that occur and the order in which they happen. It's the the events that occur and the particular order in which they unfold on the page. It's the things that are shown and the things that aren't shown. It's the information that's withheld, the information that's shared and the precise moments in the story in which it's shared, which may differ for the characters and the reader as sometimes the reader is made aware of things that certain characters are unaware of (dramatic irony). There's a mountain of complex work that goes into structuring a well told story.

[@coachmitaritonna587]

Is there a story structure you would recommend? Thanks

[@kenneth1767]

I prefer writing into the dark, and then honing the structure afterwards. But to do this successfully one needs an intuitive sense of structure, and that comes with much writing.

[@juliangarner56]

STORY IS CHARACTER IN ACTION.

[@nikkinewbie6014]

Action in pursuit of a goal- or else I’d “argue” it’s not a story. It’s probably obvious to many; but I never heard Jill mention the goal that should run like a spine through the story and therefore steer the characters’ actions. The importance of a sustainable pursuit of a goal in story cannot be overstated.

[@samantaluna3870]

Structure lets creativity flow. As long as you know the main points in the story, you can just let yourself go when it comes to events, description and dialogue.

[@cesarhernandez-wv8oj]

I dont believe in structure, you build the scafolding as you write the story. The story itslf forms the structure. Just tell the story.

[@jamesfox1441]

I Think This is a brilliant message

[@filmcourage]

Much more to come with Jill!

[@Tim_Beitel]

There’s something similar to this in the copywriting industry where you have those writers who like to improvise when writing their copy but they often struggle with things like ideas, flow, conciseness etc whereas those writers who take advantage of the formulas tend to have an easier time

[@filmcourage]

Interesting comment. Thank you for posting!

[@MaPoFiz]

Totally agree!

[@shebreathesingold8043]

Do you have the FULL interview? I'm reading her book.

[@filmcourage]

We have the full video from 2019 here - buff.ly/3wj9Tlh - As for her new interview, we just began posting these segments. Looking forward to sharing more awesome advice from Jill! Thank you for watching!

[@wexwuthor1776]

I say walk out into the wilderness and see what you find.

[@mandeepsingh-fd7mh]

Agreed❤

[@wexwuthor1776]

"I want yo bleed on the page?" And they say actors are dramatic. 😂😂😂

[@cjpreach]

"Screenplay is structure." William Goldman.

[@ccwoodlands1565]

Outline, outline, outline. Don’t drive from Florida to NY via California!

[@davidtrent399]

🙏

[@Knuckles2761]

It's important, but not 90%. I would say 20-40%%.

[@cesarhernandez-wv8oj]

I dont enjoy structure, I love to be a pantser writer and really enjoy my writing and my writing is fluent.

[@Fleischkopf]

i dont think that it takes the joy out of writing. it makes it easyer hence more fun. at least its this way for me 😂

[@Omegaroth666]

I kinda wanna hear the people who think story doesn't have structure describe a story, to see if they even can without implying any form or structure.

[@ryanhowell4492]

I put 10 or Story structure into it

[@RolandDeschain1]

This is what McKee has been teaching for decades.

[@DAMON409]

Story and structure are not the same thing. Story is about a character's evolution. Structure is the framework and has to do with plot. You could have 5 movies with the same structure but different story.

[@zstopperuno]

Sure, structure is 90% but it's the other 10% that separates a good script from a mediocre one.

[@aim1578]

*_Story is not structure._* What Jill and many mostly American Writers, teachers, Hollywood writers, filmmakers, producer are pushing is more driven by an agenda to tell in the academic definition associated to run the industry for political purpose. It has been since ages, and they are so trapped in that thinking. That's why the documentary guy probably was thinking of it funny way. It's not like editing or cuts or brolls. That's like forced association of cropping a weed as this is a GARDEN kind of definition. *_Story is like say a necklace_* Now the necklace can be made of beads and a thread, but it can be made with any object, it doesn't have to take a fixed shape or even can take it, it can be so wobbly, it can be stiff necklace, or it can be even just a thing which hangs on your neck or wrists too or on your ankle. A human or audience recognizing what it is on where it is and what it is based of and it's beauty and purpose of the occasion or event. That is STORY. Just like if we tie the images humans naturally connect the images and their imagination form an association unknowingly. If it's meaningful that becomes a story. It can be a one-liner too or like a log-line or even just a poetry narrated story or visual too or a book or even a film.. What Jill and many American Hollywood propagates is mostly trapped in that industry centrist idea. Jill is good, I understand what she meant, but... Is she not right here. She is just defending her profession that's all. See, she says "Writing is really hard for me", reason is she can't write a story just like that, because that trap of thinking only through structure or a fixated frames of WHAT IT SHOULD BE makes her unable to write anything with the flow of life experiences or anything around the world. It's like saying, I can't climb a tree, I would break my leg, but give me a ladder I will say I CLIMBED THE TREE HURRAY! kind of view point. The whole idea is to have fun climbing the tree. Because the experience of climbing the tree is what becomes the story. Not expecting people always to give you hold a ladder for you to climb a tree and claim HURRY I REACHED IT! Than you truly don't have imagination whatsoever. And there is no such thing as right brain or left brain. That again is a flawed idea. Brain doesn't work that way.

[@markaven5249]

No, don't agree. Dialogue is weak today compared to the 70s and 80s, dialogue should be 90% of the focus, unfortunately its so incredibly bland and robotic today, it's hard to get hooked into anything compared to if you watch a film from 1968, can't turn away because of wanting to see what a character thinks after saying this or that line, regardless of the plot.

[@robinndjavera5625]

Sooo what are you saying? structure hinders that?

[@TheDuckHasArrived]

Does knowing the end / last scene / how the story ends, robs it from its potential?

[@BooksForever]

If the audience knows, it probably does rob it. If the writer doesn’t know then he is reliant upon luck.

[@TheDuckHasArrived]

@@BooksForever If the reader knows / figures it out, then the presentation of the story is flawed. But I was asking about something else. If you know exactly where you’re heading, can the journey surprise you? Is it still so exciting? If you were to know when and how you’ll die, will your life have the same potential for you, as when you do not know? Would there be any room for hope and (at least subjectively perceived) potential of becoming whoever you choose to be?

[@BooksForever]

@@TheDuckHasArrived - I gave the two-part answer to address both situations, but with stronger expectations that it was with regard to the author that you were asking about.

[@TheDuckHasArrived]

@BooksForever I’ve asked all those questions because it’s something I’m struggling with. On one hand I need some kind of structure - even a vague one - to direct me and to avoid - as Mrs. Jill said - to be cornered by the self. On the other hand when I do have a structure, I often resign from many avenues where the story is trying to take me, as I have in mind where I’m headed. Sometimes I even feel that the story I’m telling could be so much more but some decisions were made and I have to stick to them, to reach the “destination”. As if my story already had a predestination of its own. I've watched an interview made by Film Courage here on YT with Mr. Jack Grapes and I loved when he was talking about lack of an outline: /watch?v=vc964wsoepM&t=12s This is true writing for me. But I guess I lack the experience to trust myself to be guided in such a way by a story. I've once written over one hundred pages of a novel and I've found myself stranded without the concept of how to finalize the story. I liked what I've written on all those pages but it took me places I'd never suspected I'd go and the initial concept of an ending was impossible to implement at that point. I’ve never finished that novel and this experience convinced me that I do require a structure to avoid such situations in the future. However, what Mr. Jack said it gave me hope that it is possible to write even an entire book, without knowing from the start where we're headed.

[@sunofsound]

What happened? I learned nothing from this. Structure is important, ok, now what? This was a waste of time.

[@filmcourage]

If you'd like a deeper dive into story structure - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYHbqX1orKeBiqM