#1: The Overall Story Is Just…Boring

This may seem obvious, but the main culprit for this issue is that your concept may not be strong enough. Developing a strong concept that resonates with people is one half of the equation and executing that concept in a creative way is the other half. So, those are two pieces of a puzzle you will need to get right just to keep people awake while they read your script.

The concept is the core idea that runs throughout the entire screenplay. Your screenplay’s concept should get you excited just thinking about it and although it doesn’t have to be original — it has to feel original.

Solution #1

One way you can begin creating your concept is to start with a question such as “What if…?” What if aliens invaded our planet on Independence Day? What if a mercenary robot was sent from the future to kill a woman before she gave birth to a boy who grows up to be the world’s only savior? What if a spy was sent undercover to infiltrate a group of criminals and discovered he has been fighting for the wrong side of justice?

Solution #2

You can also think of movies you felt were pretty bad and use those as a starting point. That’s right — bad movies can serve as a jumping off point for your awesome concept. As a writer, you shouldn’t just think of a bad movie like the average consumer. Use it as an opportunity to exercise your brain on what YOU would have done to improve things. What would YOU have done differently that could have saved this story from being a flop? Would you have had a more interesting villain? How would you have changed the overall plot if you had total control? After you’ve answered some of those questions you just might find that you have a completely new storyline on your hands!

Solution #3

Once you’ve come up with a story concept, challenge yourself to go a step further by making sure the story actually says something. I’m not talking about the dialogue within the story — but the story itself. What’s the purpose of this story? Does it have a theme? If not, then think about what it is your hero will learn once he reaches his goal. He or she should not be the same person they started out as in the beginning of the story. The plot to your cool concept is really just a visual way of showing how your characters resolve their inner journey or flaw.

In the boxing drama Rocky — Sylvester Stallone didn’t just play a boxer who wanted to beat the champion. He played a small time boxer who got a rare chance to fight the heavy weight champion by the stroke of luck. Rocky didn’t believe in himself. He didn’t have any real self esteem and believed he was a loser. He took the fight to prove to himself that he wasn’t a bum — and he was willing to risk his life in the ring to prove it. The story’s concept is more of a love story and has a strong theme about self doubt. it wasn’t just a boxing movie. Get it?

If you’d like to dig into more ways of how to create a strong concept check out the eBook below.