For over ten years I've thought about the fascinating question of the relationship between a story plot and characters in a screenplay. At long last I believe I solved the puzzle to my own satisfaction. I'm sharing my answer here with the hopes that it will help all my fellow screenwriters struggling with the pseudo problem of whether the "story" or the "characters" is more important in writing a screenplay.
A plot "limits" but fails to "predetermine" what a character will do the way a Question limits but does not predetermine what the Answer will be.
For example, the set of possible answers to the question "What day is today?" includes all seven days of the week but not "yellow," or "six hundred twelve," or "eggplants and strawberries."
In that sense the Question limits what answers we can give to it without, however, reducing it down to a single possible answer.
The same conceptual "limiting" relationship holds true in screenwriting as well.
Imagine this plot point: a guy traveling by plane finds a fat wallet sitting on the empty seat next to him.
Now what should he do? We know that he probably will not write an opera about it or perhaps cook it and eat it. In that sense, his responses can not be infinite and will be limited to a number of "possible actions" that "make sense."
He can call the stewardess and turn the wallet over to her, for example, or… he can pocket the wallet and keep it for himself. Or perhaps, he'll do nothing and continue to read his paper.
Which one of these actions our character will follow depends on the kind of character he is. Thus a brilliant story plot is not enough to write a good screenplay because in itself it is not sufficient to tell us how the people in our story will "answer" the "questions" put to them by our plot line.
Authentic responses to plot questions require not random but appropriate answers by characters. Otherwise you'll hear your viewers complain out loud with that familiar "no way!"
Decide on who your characters are while building up your story line. Otherwise your "answers" to plot "questions" will be pretty random, like the case with most "bad movies" out there. If you keep this Question-Paradigm in mind, it'll be easier for you to weave through the complex web of Character-Plot interactions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 500 corporations since 1999.
You are most welcomed to visit his COPYWRITING WEB SITE http://www.writer111.com/ for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.
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He is the editor of PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS web site http://www.privatetutor.us/
In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), Member of Bethesda / Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce of Maryland, and a Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) .
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