Article Evaluation 4: Script Writing

Title of the Text:  Screenplay Writing: Taking the Mystery Out of Writing Mysteries

Author:  Dennis Palumbo

Title of Journal:  Movie Outline

URL / Web Address:  http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/screenplay-writing-taking-the-mystery-out-of-writing-mysteries.html

Main Idea:  "Viewers of mysteries and thrillers like tightly-plotted narratives, clever red herrings, and a certain element of surprise."

Evidences that supports the Main Idea:

1.  "What do we really want? We want order restored. We want the violator of the social compact - the killer, the thief, the blackmailer - caught, so that things in our world are set right once more. And who do we want to do this? Our surrogate, the smarter, wittier, and more doggedly determined version of ourselves: the detective hero. Whether a street wise cop like Popeye Doyle in the French Connection, a sloppy homicide detective like TV’s Columbo, or a tea-drinking, sweater-knitting old lady like Miss Marple, we want this one thing from our mystery protagonist above all others: we want order restored. "

2.  "For example, in most mysteries, whether a suspect is guilty of the crime or not, he or she invariably has a secret. A clandestine relationship, a trauma from the past that haunts them still, perhaps even a connection with the killer (or the victim) that helps complete an entire mosaic of possible motives, entanglements and intrigue. "

3. "In most memorable mysteries, or in the best straight-ahead thrillers, this context of mutual suspicion and misdirection of motives is pivotal. It’s what keeps the suspense mounting for the viewer. "


New Information or Idea Identified:

1.  "For me, there’s only one answer: ask yourself, what makes you unique? What scares you, interests you, makes you angry? What do you yearn for, or wish to avoid? What are your hobbies, passions? What’s the aspect of your own character about which you’re most conflicted, unhappy, even embarrassed? Believe it or not, this is where the seeds of an interesting, unusual protagonist are first sewn."

2. "The closer the hero or heroine of your mystery story is to you, the more vivid and engaging he or she will be to the viewer."

3. "How? To put it simply, the best clues in a classic mystery involve misdirection. A clue usually seems to point in one direction, when actually, looked at from a different angle, it reveals something else. A typical example is the clue that appears to confirm a certain character’s guilt, when in fact it’s been planted to frame that person. "