How to Write a Script Outline the Easy Way: With the 8 Essential Plot Points

Script outlines.

If you’ve landed on this page, you want to know how to write one of your own.

Smart move, scribe.

That’s because outlining a script in advance comes with many benefits (like writing screenplays faster). So that’s what we’ll discuss first.

But if you want to skip ahead to the key plot points to include in a script outline, scroll down until you reach the subhead “How to Write a Script Outline with the 8 Essential Plot Points.”

A couple more introductory matters:

Although you’re curious about how to write a script outline, you might not actually be that keen on outlining. To you, it might feel overly restrictive.

Don’t worry. We’ll talk about that too. And with the method I’ll show you, you can enjoy the benefits of outlining—while still having the joy of discovering your story as you go along.

Also, I’ve created a free worksheet that will help you write a script outline using story structure (it’s a really popular resource that’s been downloaded over 37,000 times from writers around the world).

There’s a link to download it at the very end of this article, but if you want to grab it now, you can.

Click on this link to access my free 18-page story structure worksheet.

Last thing: this article is geared toward screenwriters. (You knew that already; the title gave it away *smile*).

But, whether you’re a screenwriter or a novelist, the benefits of outlining are the same. Plus, a well-structured novel is built on the same essential plot points as a screenplay.

So if you’re a novelist, I encourage you to stick around. Just ignore the parts where I talk about studio executives, and you’ll be all set.

Okay, with that introductory material taken care of, I’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of writing a script outline, right after the jump—so stay with me!

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Why Take the Time to Write a Script Outline?

Outlining a script in advance comes with multiple benefits.

Although it might take a little time to write your script outline, you’ll save much more time in the long run.

How?

For starters, when you sit down to write your screenplay, you won’t waste hours staring at a blank computer screen wondering what happens next.

You’ll know. Through your outline, you’ll have a general sense of where your story is headed.

Without an outline, you might hit a wall halfway through your movie script. But with an outline, you won’t get stuck like that.

That’s because your outline will give you markers to reach—destinations to write toward.

Writing a screenplay becomes so much easier because it’s no longer you versus 120 blank pages.

You’re writing toward a goal—instead of blindly.

That’s not all. When you write a script outline, you’ll be able to troubleshoot plot problems quickly. Once you identify an issue and generate an appropriate solution, you can just pop the solution into your outline.

As a result, the screenplay draft you produce based on your outline will be largely problem-free.

Which means that you’ll save time (and be less stressed) during the revision stage of writing.

To fix your script, you won’t have to spend months rewriting your entire screenplay from scratch, starting with page 1. Instead, you might be looking at a quick polish, something you can finish in a couple of weeks.

Basically, when you create a script outline in advance, you’ll save time:

AS you write

AFTER you write

In fact, with all the time you save, you might even be able to write an additional screenplay! Or, at the very least, you can use that time to create more script outlines. *fun*

As you can see, there’s a lot of benefits to writing a script outline. So let’s take a look at the basics of creating one…

What You Need to Understand to Create Script Outlines Like a Pro (And How to Embrace Outlining Even Though You Prefer to Write by the Seat of Your Pants)

Plot is the driving force of your screenplay.

Not character, not theme.

But plot.

To illustrate, let’s visit Charlie Sheen’s 2011 self-destructive spiral. (This may seem like a completely random choice. But it’s not—the first edition of this article was published in 2011, and since the example still works, it’s staying. *wink*)

Anyway, back to Charlie boy.

He’s an interesting character, that’s for sure. He’s someone people like to read and gossip about.

But would they want to spend 90 minutes of their lives watching him swill alcohol, do drugs, and oogle women?

I think not.

But give Charlie a goal—perhaps to rejoin Two and a Half Men, the successful sitcom he was kicked off of, while dealing with his addiction to alcohol, drugs, and women—that’s something people might actually watch.

They’d want to see whether or not he could pull it off.

Granted, maybe this isn’t something they’d pay $10 to see at the movie theater…but to stream on Netflix, why not?

Basically, with Charlie (character) and his flaws (theme), you’ve got material for a gossip column.

With Charlie (character + theme) and a goal (plot), you’ve got a story.

That’s why plot is the driving force of your screenplay. Having accepted that, you’ll want to know the dirty little secret about plot:

Yes, you heard that correctly. A thriller like The Bourne Identity has the same structure as a family comedy like Toy Story.

What do I mean by structure?

By structure, I’m taking about the critical turning points within your story. The load-bearing scenes.

There are eight of them. And if you use them as the foundation of your outline, you know that the plot of your screenplay will feel like an actual movie.

Plus—no matter your writing style—you will be in a hugely advantageous position.

If you’re a pantser, (someone who likes to write on the fly, by the seat of your pants), you’ll have structural markers to guide your path as you write. You won’t hit a wall halfway through your story. (And you won’t be looking at a major structural overhaul once you’ve finished your draft.)

At the same time, between your structural markers, there’s still plenty of unknown territory—plenty of your story left to discover.

Put another way, if you’re willing to make this compromise and figure out the structure of your story in advance…

You can enjoy the freedom of pantsing as well as the efficiency of outlining.

What if you’re a plotter, someone who already outlines your stories in advance? Then you can use the essential plot points to figure out the rest of your story (and really maximize your writing time). For instance, you could:

write down on index cards the events that have to happen in order for each essential plot point to occur

shuffle around your index cards to determine the best chronology of your scenes

troubleshoot any problems you detect (at a time when it’s relatively painless to fix them)

Here’s the best part: if the essential plot points are in the right place, and if you execute them well, your story will have the roller-coaster rhythm that keeps readers hooked.

In sum, whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, with a loose outline (based on story structure), you can make out like a bandit.

Knowing how valuable story structure is to writing a script outline, you’ll probably want to take a closer look at these eight oh-so-crucial plot points.

I’m going to get to that soon. But first, we need to discuss something important. You see, before you can outline your script, you have to make sure your story is ready for that.

We’re going to talk about that next.

The Preliminary Step You Absolutely Must Take Before Writing Your Script Outline

Before you outline your script, you need to take a preliminary step.

You need to double-check that your idea has the six components that all compelling stories share.

This will make it easier for you to figure out the structural turning points that will make up your outline. Additionally, doing this now makes it far more likely that you’ll be investing your time in a strong, marketable concept.

What are these six components? Check them out (as well as quickie definitions), below:

protagonist (the main character of your screenplay)

(the main character of your screenplay) goal (what your protagonist is trying to achieve)

(what your protagonist is trying to achieve) stakes (the bad thing that will happen if your protagonist fails)

(the bad thing that will happen if your protagonist fails) antagonist (the force that repeatedly thwarts the protagonist from achieving his goal; for best results, the antagonist should be a person—not nature, a flaw, or society)

(the force that repeatedly thwarts the protagonist from achieving his goal; for best results, the antagonist should be a person—not nature, a flaw, or society) genre (the way your movie would be categorized; e.g. action, romance, comedy, fantasy, etc.)

(the way your movie would be categorized; e.g. action, romance, comedy, fantasy, etc.) hook (elements that would convince an agent, studio executive, or moviegoer to invest time and/or money in your story)

Although I’d love to go into more detail about these, this article was getting plenty long already. I figured you’d prefer for me to dwell on the individual steps of creating a script outline based on story structure, so that’s what I did.

If you are interested in learning more about the six compelling components, that’s what Part I of my writing guide Sizzling Story Outlines is all about. (More details at the end of the article.)

By the way, in the first part of my Ultimate Story Structure Worksheet, you’ll work on refining your story idea. (Then, in the second part, you’ll build your story structure, the foundation of your script outline.)

There’ll be a chance to download this 18-page worksheet at the end of this article, but if you can’t just wait, you can grab it—for free—here.

How to Write a Script Outline with the 8 Essential Plot Points

To quickly recap, you’re going to build your script outline using story structure.

To get more specific, you’ll build your outline with these eight essential plot points:

opening and closing images

inciting incident

first-act break

midpoint

fork in the road

“all is lost” moment

climax

resolution

In other words, think of figuring out each structural turning point as an individual step in the process of creating an outline.

By doing this in advance, you’ll have markers to write toward, which should

enhance your writing speed

help you circumvent common structural plot problems

Ready to build a script outline together, step by step? Let’s do this!

Step #1: Pick images to begin and end your screenplay.

The opening image introduces your story to audiences, so make it a good one! Ideally, the first image is a visual representation of your entire screenplay.

Your closing image is your last contact with audiences. A strong closing image, like the spinning top in Inception, can even change the way audiences interpret the ending of your script.

Picking opening and closing images now, before you write your screenplay, will give you focus as you work on your draft. But, truth be told, this is one of the least essential plot points. So if you don’t know what to pick for your opening and closing images, don’t sweat it.

Keep in mind, even if you have a clear idea of what these images will be, you should re-examine them after you’ve got a solid draft under your belt.

Finalize your choices then, when you have a clear understanding of the theme you’re trying to convey in your script.

I must give credit where credit is due: I didn’t spend too much time thinking about opening and closing images until Blake Snyder mentioned them in his screenwriting book Save the Cat.

Step #2: Choose how your protagonist becomes embroiled in the plot with the inciting incident.

The inciting incident is the event that changes the course of your main character’s life.

If the inciting incident didn’t occur, your main character would’ve taken another path…and you’d have an entirely different screenplay.

As an example, at the inciting incident of Kung Fu Panda, Po is chosen to be Dragon Warrior.

The inciting incident tends to be:

passive

disruptive

personal

causally linked to the first-act break (more on that essential plot point in a sec)

For more info about these four characteristics, as well as examples of the inciting incident and how to use it to fix sluggish pacing, read this article on the inciting incident.

For a story structure worksheet that will help you pick a suitable inciting incident for your script outline (as well as the other essential plot points), click here.

Step #3: Send your protagonist on his journey at the first-act break.

The first-act break marks the end of your setup (i.e. groundwork). At this point, audiences know:

who your protagonist is

what goal he’s trying to achieve

why this goal matters (i.e. the stakes)

the antagonistic force that he’s up against

Now, at the first-act break, your protagonist will go on the journey that will help him achieve his goal (and, potentially, overcome his character flaw).

Oftentimes, the first-act break will involve a change in geographical location. For example:

Axel Foley journeys from Detroit to Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills Cop).

Margaret and Andrew journey to Sitka, Alaska from New York City (The Proposal).

Elle Woods journeys from Southern California to Harvard (Legally Blonde).

See the first-act break in action in this clip from Beverly Hills Cop. (The money moment is at 2:03.)

Need extra help figuring out the first-act break for your screenplay? Preview (for free) Lesson 1.1. from my online course on story structure.

Note: In the method I teach in my course, you’ll actually figure out your first-act break before the inciting incident. But for this article, I decided to arrange the steps according to the order that the eight essential plot points typically occur in a screenplay.

A tip to file away for future reference: amateur screenplays are notorious for elaborate first acts that are simply too long.

When you revise your script, double-check to see where your first-act break landed. It should occur somewhere between pages 25–30 (possibly even earlier, around page 18).

Step #4: Shake up the plot with the midpoint.

The midpoint, as its name implies, occurs at the middle of:

your screenplay, as a whole

Act Two, in specific

The midpoint changes the entire direction of your story.

For example, in a “good vs. evil” type of story, the good forces have experienced setback after setback. But at the midpoint, something happens that changes their fortunes for the better. For the first time, success seems like a possibility.

In a romance, comedy, or drama where people of different personalities are thrown together, the midpoint marks the moment where they stop seeing each other as enemies, usually by accomplishing an important goal together.

If you’d like eight ready-made options to choose from for your midpoint, check out my writing guide Midpoint Magic.

Would you like to learn about two (of the eight) midpoints right now? No problem. Click here (or on the image below) to preview Lesson 2.1 from my online course on story structure.

Step #5: Highlight your protagonist’s commitment with the fork in the road.

The fork in the road is where your main character reaffirms or escalates commitment to his goal.

Before we get to examples, I must confess I didn’t think much about this plot point until I read Viki King’s screenwriting guide How to Write a Movie in 21 Days. According to King, this point of commitment happens around page 60 of a screenplay.

At first I was skeptical, but then I started looking for it–and lo and behold!–it was there, just as she said…usually clocking in 60 minutes into the movie.

In a movie with a romance, the commitment might be literal, i.e. this could be when the hero proposes to the heroine. In Crazy Rich Asians, you can find an interesting variation of this.

Nick doesn’t propose to his girlfriend, Rachel. Instead, he declares his intention to do so (and shows off the fancy engagement ring he’s bought) to his best friend. Part of this scene is featured in the movie’s official trailer. Check it out below. (It’s cued to right before the fork-in-the-road clip.)

But you don’t have to take the idea of commitment so literally. Honestly, the fork in the road can play out in many different ways.

One of my favorites is when the protagonist has to choose between two ideals or character traits, like:

career and love

duty and love

selfishness and sacrifice

Similar to opening and closing images, the fork in the road is one of the least essential plot points. The structure of your story will still be quite sound if you don’t come up with one now.

In fact, after you finish your screenplay draft, you might discover that you included a fork in the road in the middle of your story without consciously intending to do so.

That said, depending on the type you use, the fork in the road can lend a layer of sophistication to your plot. It’s definitely a plot point you want to have in your toolbox if you want to achieve the holy grail of screenwriting: a screenplay that’s plot-driven and character-driven.

If that’s something that interests you, you can find more details about the fork in the road in:

chapters 5 and 6 in my writing guide Midpoint Magic

Lesson 4.3 in my online course Smarter Story Structure

Step #6: Bring your protagonist to his knees at the “all is lost” moment.

At the “all is lost” moment, your protagonist experiences an extreme setback. He’s the furthest he can possibly be from his goal. It seems impossible for him to accomplish it.

This moment usually marks the end of Act Two.

A lot of writers struggle with this part of their script. They have no clue what to put here. If that sounds like you, below are some resources to help you out:

This writing article describes the 3 keys to crafting the perfect “all is lost” moment.

Page 12 of the Ultimate Story Structure Worksheet (which is free) will give you 7 options to choose for your “all is lost” moment.

This writing guide is full of tips on how to make sure you end the middle of your story with maximum impact.

Step #7: Have your protagonist engage in his final attempt to achieve his goal at the climax.

At the climax of a screenplay, your main character will test his mettle against the antagonistic forces that have thwarted him from achieving his goal.

This is the final showdown between them. To emerge victorious, your protagonist must gather his resources (both internal and external).

If your protagonist has a tragic flaw, this is where he’ll demonstrate that he has overcome it. This is also where all the lessons he learned during Act Two will pay off.

The key to writing an amazing story climax is to prolong the tension for as long as possible. For tips on how to do that, click here.

Also, you want to make sure that you don’t resort to deus ex machina to give your protagonist victory at the end of the climax. Why? It’s a plot device that audiences loathe.

Naturally, the climactic showdown will vary according to genre. To illustrate the difference, I’ve posted two clips below.

The first is from the climax of the action fantasy Return of the King (the third film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy).

The second clip is from the climax of the romance Pride and Prejudice (the film adaptation starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen).

By the way, if you’re struggling to avoid the “race to the airport” cliché that plagues the ending of so many rom-coms, you can find tips to overcome that in my writing guide Story Climax.

The setting can make or break your story climax. That’s why, as you put the finishing touches on your script outline, it’s worth it to spend a little time reflecting on where your climax will take place.

The setting of Mount Rushmore adds extra pizzazz to the climax of North by Northwest, as you can see from the clip below.

Step #8: Show what your protagonist’s life is like after his journey at the resolution.

Ah, you’re almost done with your outline!

Last step: to choose the resolution, the depiction of the final outcome of your protagonist’s journey.

Resolutions come in three types:

happy

tragic

bittersweet

If your screenplay has a happy ending, the resolution is the best part for your main character. He gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor. His world is in balance again.

Below is a scene from the resolution of A Beautiful Mind. It is a happy ending that illustrates Nash has (a) conquered his mental illness, (b) reconciled with his wife, and (c) achieved recognition (after years of striving for it).

If your screenplay has, shall we say, a more European ending, the resolution will be either tragic or bittersweet. If tragic, he won’t accomplish his goal. If bittersweet, he might accomplish it—but at great cost.

If you want to make money, though, opt for a happy ending because happy endings are more commercial. For other considerations to reflect on to pick the perfect resolution for your story, read this.

And now you really are done. You have a loose outline for your screenplay that will help you save time as and after you write.

Can you stop here and dive into writing your draft? Or do you have to add more details to your outline?

The answer depends on your writing style and—equally important—where you are on your screenwriting journey.

More specifics in the next section.

Do You Have to Write a Script Outline…Or Can You Wing It?

Short answer: it depends.

If you’re just starting out (or if you’re only writing for yourself)…

You can use whatever process you like.

You can write out an entire draft to discover your story and what it’s really about. You can write on the fly, by the seat of your pants.

That said, if you decide to wing it 100%, then you won’t be able to enjoy the benefits (i.e. faster, easier writing) discussed earlier.

You can get a taste of those benefits, however, if you’re amenable to a compromise: you don’t have to figure out all the plot points in your screenplay—just its basic structure. To get help with that, download my (free) Ultimate Story Structure Worksheet.

If you’re not averse to outlining, then the real question is: What degree of detail should you go into in your script outline?

If your outline is for your eyes only, then that’s completely up to you. Keep in mind, there is a correlation between the volume of detail and the benefits you’ll enjoy.

The more detailed your outline, the more time you will save in the long run.

This is how screenwriters Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon put it in Writing Movies for Fun and Profit:

The longer your outline is, the more problems you’ve worked out in advance and the less likely you’ll hit a wall while you’re writing the actual screenplay…if you have an outline, there should be NO WRITER’S BLOCK. You know exactly where you’re going and what the next scene is, and you never have to slow down (except to watch funny cat videos).

Their outlines run about 20 pages, by the way.

When you eventually become a working screenwriter in Hollywood…

The choice is out of your hands.

Decision-makers don’t have time to read full-length screenplay drafts. At the same time, they need something that will enable them to accurately assess the merits of the project.

Enter the script outline.

With it, they can gauge whether your story will fall apart, go off the rails, or stagnate—without having to invest time reading the whole script.

Which means that you need to cultivate the skill of writing a script outline at some point. Might as well start now, right?

As for the level of detail…that’s, likewise, out of your hands.

It’s entirely up to the studio executives.

Ask them what kind of length they’re looking for, and use that to gauge how detailed your outline should be.

If they say that your script outline would ideally be 3 pages (at the max)—and yours is 10 pages, then you know that you went into too much detail. You have to cut back.

If they say the ideal is 5 pages, and yours is 3 pages…well, as long as you hit the highlights, you might be able to keep things just as they are. For someone as pressed for time as a studio executive, shorter is generally better.

Going Further With Your Script Outline

If you need more help with outlining a script, follow one of the suggestions, below:

Download the Ultimate Story Structure Worksheet.

This worksheet contains questions and checklists designed to help you easily construct a script outline of your own. (Remember, you can use it to outline a novel, too.)

Best of all, it’s absolutely free! Instantly access the story structure worksheet here.

Read Sizzling Story Outlines.

With this writing guide, you’ll learn a practical, step-by-step method to outline your entire screenplay or novel and take your characters from A to B.

Here’s an overview of the process:

First, you’ll make sure that your story idea has the 6 components that all compelling stories share.

that all compelling stories share. After summarizing these 6 components in a logline (a one-sentence summary of your story), you’ll use this logline to crack your story’s structure (including the midpoint—which is where many writers get stuck).

(a one-sentence summary of your story), you’ll use this logline to (including the midpoint—which is where many writers get stuck). Finally—in as little as 2 hours—you can use a technique that Stanford researchers have concluded can make you 60% more creative (on average) to discover the remaining plot points in your story. *pantsers, this is optional*

Buy now and stop hitting a wall when you write!

Download the ebook instantly:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (international)

Buy the paperback (free shipping with Amazon Prime):

Amazon (US) | Amazon (international)

Enroll in my online course Smarter Story Structure.

Story structure is the key to creating the up-and-down rhythm that audiences find so addictive. This course is your shortcut to wielding story structure like a pro.

With this multimedia course, you’ll learn practical tips for overcoming plot problems like these in your screenplay or novel:

the story starts too slowly (according to a Goodreads survey, 46.4% of readers abandon novels for this reason)

(according to a Goodreads survey, 46.4% of readers abandon novels for this reason) the story doesn’t get going until halfway through (this happened in almost a quarter of scripts read by a studio reader in a year)

(this happened in almost a quarter of scripts read by a studio reader in a year) the middle “runs out of gas” (even John Grisham admits this is a tricky issue)

(even John Grisham admits this is a tricky issue) the climax doesn’t deliver fireworks , merely sparklers

, merely sparklers the story is the right length…but isn’t a good read (uh-oh)

Enroll today and learn (from the comfort of your own home!) how to use the essential plot points to give audiences a roller-coaster ride.

* * *

What do you think? If you were writing a TV movie based on Charlie Sheen, what would your script outline look like?

Script outline posted to a glass wall by Irfan Simsar