Major Project: Pre-Writing - Coming Up With a Story

     My first challenge for writing this script was to decide on what it would be about. I've already looked into how to come up with a concept, but I also wanted to look at basic themes and plot lines within a story to help me come up with a solid story idea.

I came across a website that showed the basic themes an plot lines for a story.

http://lenwilson.us/seven-stories/

On the site it listed the basic themes that can be found within a story. In some situations by coming up with a theme for a story, it can you as a writer look into until you can come up with a plot line and there you have you story.

Here are the basic themes that can be found within film, television, literature and art.

Man against man

Man against nature

Man against himself

Man against god

Man against society

Man caught in the middle

Man and woman

As I was going to be writing a feature length film I looked at examples of these themes in film, to help me gather some ideas on what my story could be about.

For example, I looked at each theme seeing what previous films would fit into their category. Using the man and woman theme as an example, this theme could be used to focus on the male and female character in the story, whether they are enemies like in the film 'Mr and Mrs Smith' (2005) or whether the characters are trying to find a way to be together like in the film 'Romeo and Juliet' (1996).

After I had a better understanding on what themes can be used within stories, I then looked at basic plot lines that have been used for years within film and television.

These basic plot lines are:

1. Overcoming the Monster - The hero learns of a great evil and goes on a journey to destroy it.

2. Rags to Riches - A sad beginning that leads to a happily ever after.

3. The Quest - Where the hero goes on a journey to find something unknown and unseen.

4. Voyage and Return - Where a character is taken to a new world but ultimately wants to return home.

5. Comedies - Where two or more people can't be together creating all sorts of antics. In the end it gets figured out.

6. Tragedies - Similar to riches and rags where there is a sad beginning, however in the end the villain wins.

7. Rebirth - Where the hero realises their error before it's too late.

By researching into basic themes and plot lines I now have a broader knowledge on what direction I would like to take my film in. I have used a combination of what would interest me as a writer but also as a viewer, to choose a story line that had a basic theme or plot line, but was still interesting enough to be an original idea.

For my particular story I have decided that the main character wants to go on a journey to get her dream job. I have already decided that I want to set this story in the 1960s and still need to do more of a thorough research before deciding what my characters dream job is as well as how easy/hard it would've been for someone from a quiet town to go into big city to achieve this goal.