Summary of Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass on Screenwriting

17 key takeaways from the screenwriter of The Social Network

masterclass.com

1. Intention and obstacle are the driveshaft of drama. These two things are crucial to writing drama. Without them, it’s journalism. It should be clear right away who wants what, why they want it, why it’s important, and what’s stopping them. The driveshaft makes the car go, it creates action. The actions that your characters take is the plot.
2. To determine if you have enough tension, press on it. Make sure the stakes are high, urgent, and believable. If the obstacle isn’t formidable enough, if they can easily get out of it some other way, you need to plug those possibilities up.
3. Notice when and how intention and obstacle is introduced. Do this next time you watch a show or movie and learn from the techniques.
4. If it’s the place that is attractive, consider it for TV. If it’s the place that has the story, for example, an interesting workplace, it could be a good idea for a TV series. If it’s only the character that has the story, and that character metaphorically dies at the end, then it’s probably better for a feature film.
5. Practice with an already-broken plot. Find a short story you already know, like a fairy tale or fable, and dramatize it into a screenplay. This can be good writing practice…