My Films

Module 2 · Lesson 2 of 6

Idea door: grow one sentence into a story.

Only have an idea? Four short answers turn it into a story you can film.

The steps

  1. Start with your idea in one sentence. If you did Module 1, you already wrote it.

Answer four questions

  1. Who is this about? One person, with a name.

  2. What do they want? Something they want right now, not someday.

  3. What is in the way? A person, a secret, or time running out.

  4. What happens? How it ends, in a few words.

    For example: Rose, 72, a retired nurse. She wants to know why her grandson stopped visiting. He won’t say. Then a letter comes to her house and tells her.

Free tools for ideas

  1. Need a name? Try the free Character Name Generator.

  2. Need someone to build the story around? The free Character Generator makes three characters from a few words you type.

  3. Stuck on what happens? The free Book Plot Generator turns your idea into a few possible plots.

    Take what helps and change the rest. It’s your story.

Write your answers

  1. Write one line for each question in the boxes below.

Your film

My Films

Fill it in here. It saves as you type, and later lessons use it.

Do this now

Answer the four questions in one line each.

Check yourself

  • Does your story have one main person, with a name?
  • Is there one clear thing in their way?
  • Did you answer all four questions?

If any answer is no, go back over the steps, or look below.

Stuck?

My idea is too big for a minute.
Keep your four answers, but film only one moment from them: the moment the trouble hits.
The tool gave me ideas I don’t like.
Change the words you typed and try again. Or skip the tools; they’re only there to help.
I can’t think of what’s in the way.
Ask who would say no. Or ask what runs out: time, money or patience. Pick one.

Still stuck? Email info@bookwriter.vip and say which lesson you’re on. A person reads every message and writes back.