Writing Excuses 7.41: Seven-Point Story Structure

I am feeling special this morning. After all, how many people get an episode of Writing Excuses just for their benefit. This morning's podcast, "Writing Excuses 7.41: Seven-Point Story Structure," is "on behalf of Lou Anders."

You may recall that I was on the podcast back in episode 6:18, talking about applying the "Hollywood Formula" to novel plotting. Writing Excuses Dan Wells (he of PartialsandI Am Not A Serial Killer)has his own screenplay-derived system called "Seven-Point Story Structure."

I know my Hollywood Formula and Dan's Seven-Point system are two approaches to the same result, but I have been studying Dan's and trying to reconcile them without success. Or rather, I understand the 7-Point system but don't seem to be able to apply it in practice the way that I can my own system.

So on today's Writing Excuses, Dan helpfully explains the Seven-Point system again, then Dan, Howard Tayler, Brandon Sanderson, and Mary Robinette Kowal very helpfully construct a plot using this system.

Thanks to the whole Writing Excuses crew. I know it isn't really all for my benefit, but it's still nice to start off the week with this pleasant surprise. Howard also makes a passable Lou stand-in.

Writing Excuses: The Screenwriting Formula

I'm a guest on episode 6:18 of the marvelous Writing Excuses podcast, talking about "the Hollywood Formula." They write of this episode:

Lou Anders, Hugo-winning editorial director from Pyr books, joins Mary, Dan, and Howard at Dragon*Con for a discussion of the Hollywood Formula. Lou shared this with Mary originally, and she used it to tighten up some of her work. It’s useful enough that we decided to invite Lou onto the ‘cast to share it with everybody else, too.

The formula centers around three characters – the protagonist, the antagonist, and the relationship character. Lou explains how these terms have, in this formula, different meanings than we might be accustomed to.

Among the things that we learn: The Dark Knight has an antagonist none of us could guess, Die Hard and Stargate are third-act movies, and Howard is criminally ignorant of classic cinema.