Beat by Beat Read online

25 Scary Stuff 3

  26 The Big Unexpected

  27 The Mini-Quest

  28 Big Quest Prep

  29 Big Quest Prep 2

  30 The Need

  ACT ONE

  Setup

  PAGES 1-30

  The Main Hero goes about his usual business with his sidekick, oblivious of his flaw. Suddenly an incident occurs that will force him to eventually deal with that flaw. But since he doesn’t want to face his flaw, or is in denial about it, he refuses to confront what the incident presented to him. Eventually he . . .

  THE QUEST (Between 29-35)

  31 Distress Signal

  32 Anxiety Amp

  33 Ominous Oh No

  34 Friend Effect

  35 Bait And Switch

  36 Hide And Seek

  37 Over His Head

  38 Positive Reconnect

  39 New Journey Bond

  40 Ally’s World

  41 Thorny Rose

  42 Surprise Reveal

  43 Surprise Reveal 2

  44 New News

  45 Out Of The Ordinary TURNING POINT 45 (Between 44-47)

  46 The Revelation

  47 The Escort

  48 Needed Knowledge

  49 Foreboding Fact

  50 The Portent

  51 The Engage

  52 Say Uncle

  53 The Intimidation

  54 The Lightbulb

  55 Sideswipe

  56 Dark Twist Chat

  57 Difficult Words

  58 Vital Event

  59 The Deception

  60 The Shocker THE MIDPOINT (Between 55-65)

  ACT TWO

  The Quest’s Escalating Complication

  PAGES 31–60ish

  . . . embarks on a quest that forces him to enter a “dark cave.” The Main Hero, with the help of his Sidekick, Maiden, Wise Old Man, and Mother Figure battles the Henchman, Shape-shifter and Villain in this strange dark cave (who all challenge his flaw). Obstacles grow more difficult and complications escalate the deeper the Main Hero goes into the cave. It’s at this point the Main Hero either sees a (false) light at the far end of the cave, or the cave collapses in front of him on his way toward the light. This collapse forces the Main Hero to find another way out.

  61 Plus Minus

  62 Flirtin’ with Disaster

  63 Ally Attack

  64 Bad Guy Threat

  65 The Resistance

  66 Positive Step

  67 Hero Effect

  68 Ally Aid

  69 Captivating Concern

  70 New Journey

  71 Bad to the Bone

  72 Badder to the Bone

  73 Baddest to the Bone

  74 Put into Peril

  75 Skull and Crossbones TURNING POINT 75 (Between 74–76)

  76 Death Tap

  77 The Rumble

  78 Mystery Mission

  79 Mystery Mission 2

  80 Tick Tick Boom

  81 Surprised Hero

  82 Surprise-Surprise

  83 Gotta Go!

  84 Gap Subtract

  85 Bad Guy Boo-Boo

  ACT THREE

  Death Valley

  PAGES 61–85ish

  The Main Hero then experiences the darkest moments of his entire life as he continues to fight the Villain who prevents him from exiting the cave. In fact, the Main Hero reaches the lowest point he’s ever experienced. Realizing that his only hope of getting out of the cave is to overcome his flaw and to face the Villain directly, the Main Hero prepares himself for battle. He then marches toward the Villain for a final, winner-take-all brawl.

  THE FINAL QUEST (Between 85–100)

  86 Worry Wound

  87 Damage Done

  88 Double Damage Done

  89 Red Alert!

  90 Rescuing Ally TURNING POINT 90

  91 Suffer the Weak

  92 Hugs And Kisses

  93 Hugs and Kisses 2

  94 The Aggressor

  95 The Separation

  96 Death and Dying

  97 Taping the Knuckles

  98 Kiss or Spit

  99 Kiss or Spit 2

  100 Kiss or Spit 3

  101 Deeper Deeper

  102 The Blow-Up

  103 The Blow

  104 The Upper Hand

  105 The Deceit TURNING POINT 105

  106 The Dodge

  107 Good Does Bad

  108 Sense of Finality

  109 The Extraordinary

  110 Strong Statement

  111 Turn for the Worse

  112 Charging Shark

  113 The Cage Slam

  114 Gets the Better

  115 Bleak Meek

  116 Kick ’Em While They’re Down

  117 Reprieve

  118 Hope Might Be Lost

  119 One Bullet Left

  120 Powder Keg

  ACT FOUR

  Resolution

  PAGES 85–120ish

  The Main Hero sacrifices his flaw completely on this final quest and suffers great pain because of it, but in doing so he defeats the Villain and finds a way out of the cave. Stepping into the sunlight, the Main Hero is rewarded with a new and better life. (Or, if he doesn’t overcome his flaw, he is defeated and we, as an audience, learn from his failure.)

  © 2016 Todd Klick from Beat by Beat: A Cheat Sheet for Screenwriters

  FILMOGRAPHY

  The Avengers, 2012, Marvel Studios

  A Beautiful Mind, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures

  The Conjuring, 2103, Warner Bros.

  Die Hard, 1988, 20th Century Fox

  Forrest Gump, 1999, Paramount Pictures

  The Godfather, 1972, Paramount Pictures

  Gone Girl, 2014, 20th Century Fox

  The Hangover, 2009, Warner Bros.

  Jaws, 1975, Universal Pictures

  Juno, 2007, Fox Searchlight Pictures

  Knocked Up, 2007, Universal Pictures

  Little Miss Sunshine, 2006, Fox Searchlight Pictures

  The Matrix, 1999, Warner Bros. Pictures

  Pulp Fiction, 1994, Miramax Films

  Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981, Paramount Pictures

  Scream, 1996, Dimension Films

  The Sixth Sense, 1999, Hollywood Pictures

  Skyfall, 2012, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Columbia Pictures

  Star Wars, 1977, 20th Century Fox

  Top Gun, 1988, Paramount Pictures

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Courtesy of Stephen Paley

  Todd Klick is the #1 bestselling author of Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know; The Screenwriter’s Fairy Tale; and a contributor to the #1 bestselling Tarcher-Penguin book, Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror: Speculative Genre Exercises from Today’s Best Writers and Teachers. His stories earned accolades with the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship and the PAGE International screenwriting competitions. Klick has sold and optioned numerous scripts for the stage and screen. He is also a contributor to The Huffington Post and MovieMaker Magazine. www.toddklick.com.

  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS

  THE 120 STORY BEATS EVERY WRITER NEEDS TO KNOW

  TODD KLICK

  Something Startling Happens reveals the 120 minute-by-minute story genome that unites all successful films. It shows you what makes a great movie tick.

  Get the structural skinny on what made these and over 40 other movies successful: Star Wars, Forrest Gump, Being John Malkovich, The Godfather, Rashomon, Halloween, Jaws, Juno, Knocked Up, The Matrix, Pulp Fiction, and Spider-Man.

  “Having sold over 100 scripts and written for virtually every network and studio, I learned early how vital structure was to crafting a successful script. This book can be an invaluable tool in building a professional career.”

  — Marc Scott Zicree, The Twilight Zone Companion, Star Trek - The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5

  “A dazzling new nuts-a-bolts story guide that reveals the extremely important
“in betweens” left out in other screenwriting books. The perfect companion to Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat.”

  — John Philip Dayton (Executive Producer, Director, Writer, The Waltons, Eight Is Enough, Matlock, The Ray Bradbury Theatre).

  Todd Klick demystifies how to approach the script-writing process. He will give you tons of “aha” thoughts, and will help you interpret story in a way that will give you answers.

  — Jen Grisanti, author of Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story, Writing Instructor for Writers on the Verge with NBC, blogger for The Huffington Post

  TODD KLICK is the #1 bestselling author of Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know and The Screenwriter’s Fairy Tale, which sell in over 11 countries. Todd’s stories earned accolades with the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship and the PAGE International screenwriting competitions. odd is a frequent speaker and panelist at writing conventions, contributor to The Huffington Post, MovieMaker Magazine, and the #1 bestselling Tarcher-Penguin book, Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror: Speculative Genre Exercises from Today’s Best Writers and Teachers.

  $24.95 | 250 PAGES | ORDER #170RL | ISBN 9781615930593

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  WWW.MWP.COM

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  Michael Wiese

  Publisher/Filmmaker