One of the biggest challenges in developing a screenplay is finding a way to turn the dramatic situation you have come up with into a narrative story. This is similar to moving beyond the premise, an issue discussed in previous Buzz essays (December 2002 and July 2005). However, often writers will succeed in finding ways to complicate the set-up, yet still fail to get the plot moving.

The main reason why scripts get stuck in situation mode is that the protagonist lacks a goal. She finds herself in a predicament, which then simply plays out over and over with variations. She may react to events, and things may even get worse, yet the script curiously lacks momentum. In order for the story to move forward, the central character has to want something specific. This objective should be established by the end of the first act at the latest. The protagonist then needs to actively pursue this goal, while encountering obstacles that make the goal more elusive and the character’s predicament more difficult and/or complicated. Without a goal, the protagonist will seem reactive or even passive. Events occur to her, but she is merely an object of others’ actions. It is difficult to become engaged by such a character or know what we are supposed to root for.

A character’s goal does not need to be overwhelmingly exciting, however. Not every story is about a quest for a Holy Grail. You may even have a character whose objective is that he wants things to stay the same, or he wants to do nothing, even though the forces around him are trying to get him to act. However, such a person is not passive. He is actively trying to maintain a status quo, with increasing difficulty.

Another reason why a story does not advance is because the character doesn’t change. The protagonist may have a goal, yet her pursuit of it fails to affect her in any notable way. As a result, although the action propels forward, the story seems to stand still. Every obstacle the protagonist encounters should lead to a choice. The decision the character makes to follow one path instead of another will demonstrate how she is changing due to her experiences. As the complications set in, and the obstacles become greater, these increasingly difficult choices will test the protagonist.

It helps to think of the difference between an episodic television program and a feature film. TV shows are created around situations. A sitcom defines the idea: a character is placed in a comical situation, which we see played out in a new variation each week. For instance, in EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, Ray Romano moves across the street from his parents, and in each episode, he has some sort of goofy interaction with them. The characters might have a goal for the show, but it is not necessary. Situations also drive dramatic shows like LOST, in which the characters are often acted-upon instead of acting. Crime shows tend to be more goal-oriented but, like sitcoms, usually lack the character development a feature provides.

In the development of both the plot and the character, external complications and personal choices will lead to a crisis point. This is the place where the character faces the biggest choices and the greatest obstacles. The character’s response to this crisis leads to the resolution. We see how the events of the story have changed the character, and how the character’s actions and choices have brought led to this specific conclusion for the character’s journey.

It is this journey that is your story. The situation merely establishes the conflicting forces operating on your character. Make sure that your protagonist acts and changes due to these forces. The result will be a compelling screenplay rather than just a promising idea.