How to Outline Your Feature Film Screenplay

Learn from the writer of M. Night Shyamalan's film KNOCK AT THE CABIN and TRANSFORMERS ONE!

Outlining before writing your script can dramatically help the workflow and quality of your writing process.

Outlining isn’t for everyone. But if you find yourself struggling with where to begin, or getting stuck in the middle of a draft, or if the concept of writing a full screenplay just feels too daunting, then an effective outline can help make the process easier. An outline helps you to dive into your story before you begin writing, so that you can craft a plan for turning your vision into a reality. If your screenplay is a house, the outline is the architectural blueprint. Mastering outlining can elevate your next project to new heights and convince more people to take notice in your story.

It happens to everyone: You have an idea that you’re passionate about and leap into writing page one. But eventually, that initial spark wears off and it’s a struggle to figure out what to write next. Outlining is a great way to curate your ideas into a game plan so you can hold on to that spark. But in order to have a successful plan and structure for your screenplay, it’s crucial to know not only how to outline, but to read what that outline is telling you about your story. Let’s take a closer look.

Steve Desmond is a WGA screenwriter who sold his sci-fi adventure screenplay, Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers, to Warner Bros in a bidding war, with an Oscar nominated producer attached. FilmNation (Arrival, The King’s Speech) hired him to adapt the Stoker-award-winning horror novel The Cabin at the End of the World into M. Night Shyamalan's recent horror hit KNOCK AT THE CABIN. He’s also been hired to work on projects for Legendary Pictures, Sony, Blumhouse, and Mandalay, amongst others. In honing his craft as a writer, Steve has leaned heavily on the art of outlining and has used it to find success for his work.

Steve will provide tips and best practices for outlining to help you better prepare for writing your script and zero in on your project’s story and structure. He’ll explain the positives and negatives of outlining and how to find the outlining approach that’s best for you. He’ll also discuss how best to research and the benefits of creating a notes document. Steve will delve into ironing out your premise, focusing in on theme and tone, and building out characters. He will talk about three act structure and his own “build the bridge” method for outlining. Finally he’ll discuss next steps after you finish your first go at the outline.

Expect to leave this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar with strategies and ideas you can take back with you to better organize and attack your own script.

Praise for Steve's Previous Stage 32 Webinars:

"This was fantastic. Steve offered so much insight, dozens of little nuggets that rang true or gave me pause to think of something I'd never considered before."
-Ed K."Perfectly laid out, clear and concise material taught by a genial host!"
-George P.
"Steve was fantastic. His examples and insights were on point. Thanks!"
-Adam H.
"I made 3 pages of notes; good pertinent topics with simple fundamental answers presented. Very helpful, worth the time and fee."
-Thomas W.