if you get nothing else from this channel get this as far as i can tell these six questions are the basic stuff of storytelling doesn't matter what you're trying to write a feature a series a narrative game who is it about what do they want why can't they get it what do they do about that why doesn't that work and how does it end this is the most important thing i can tell you about writing for screens it's the holy grail the keys to the kingdom the all-purpose magic wonder tool so let's look at them one by one who is it about human beings turn everything into stories about people we just do if you're going to talk about an event or an idea or a feeling we're still going to look for the people even though this sounds so easy and obvious you would be amazed at how often you lose sight of it get back to the people and by the way it doesn't have to be one central character it can be two it can be a bunch it gets more complicated you have to ask these six questions about each one of them and you have to figure out your priorities among them but it can be done all that really matters is who are we following who are we interested in who do we care about and you know how you get an audience to follow someone's story how you make them care about a character what do they want this is bizarre but it's true if we know what a character wants we get involved we don't have to like them we don't have to like what they want they can want something obscure to us or stupid or something even that we think is evil watch this somebody wants something when you just read that a part of you thought i wonder if they're going to get it you don't know what they want you don't know who they are they don't even have a name it doesn't matter as soon as we know that somebody wants something we think what's going to happen the magic words the thing that makes you turn the page or stay tuned it's an automatic human response to what do they want i like to call this the objective but you can call it the need or the goal doesn't matter what you call it what's important is they have to want a specific thing it can be an object a box of money or a bicycle or an accomplishment to publish a news story or get home or stay on their feet after 15 rounds it can be an event or an experience they want their parent to show approval or their love to accept a marriage proposal or it can even be information they want to know what happened to their sister now yes this narrow specific concrete thing they want can represent or embody a larger general thing like love or power or acceptance and you can talk about that in the script or not but for your story keep the thing they want specific we have to know exactly what it is so we can know when they get it okay so we have to care about someone and we care because we know what they want so we have to know what that is and it can't be easy why can't they get it a good name for this is obstacles and you need some because suppose your main character wants a glass of milk so they go into the kitchen walk to the fridge and get it end of story but if there is a lake full of piranhas in front of the refrigerator now you've got a story obstacles require the main character to take an action they have to do something what they do the actions they take that makes up most of the story and the actions they take define their character our character wants a glass of milk but there's a lake full of piranhas in the kitchen do they try to float the sofa across to the fridge or do they put together a quirky ragtag team of expert piranha hunters or do they form a political party and try to change the building codes to stop the introduction of lakes of piranhas in kitchens what they do defines who they are okay they want something they can't get it they do something about it but everything they do doesn't work if your objective is important and your obstacles are substantial it's going to take a bunch of tries to get it this little subset this middle section of the questions is what makes up most of your story it's when what they do doesn't work that they learn things or have to face things that they need to change in themselves or in the world because then eventually after they've tried all the easy familiar stuff they're going to have to do the thing that they don't want to do the thing that maybe they have never done and that's the end of your story you're going to have to find an action that answers the question is this person going to get what they want and the answer to that question and how it plays out is incredibly important the end of your story makes a statement whether you wanted to or not it reflects a meaning back on everything that's happened the ending of a story is the meaning of a story it sends the audience out with a vision and a feeling don't just plug in a standard ending from your genre don't do what you think society or the business expects choose what you want to say in your story if you do not only are you being morally and artistically impressive but everything gets easier to write that vision in the ending gives you a reason to make all the other choices in the script and there are so many choices to make the ending will save you as a writer go there early figure out where you live plant your flag turn on your homing device when you feel like how the hell can i write a script when you have to write a scene or create a character when you're stuck or lost or confused when you don't know what to write or you just don't feel like writing if you can remember these six questions they will help you figure out everything else you need to know who is it about what do they want why can't they get it what do they do about that why doesn't that work how does it end you're welcome all right that's enough for now go write something if you like this video like this video and subscribe ask me questions in the comments or leave a comment and if you want me to work with you on your projects one-on-one go to writingforscreens.com see you next video and you can talk about that in orange you