Asking What and Why: Story Begins with Defining Desire
Understanding the external and the internal part of the desire, you create an action plan in steps that will lead you to your desired outcome. Jen Grisanti explains how it all comes down to defining want.
Understanding the external and the internal part of the desire, you create an action plan in steps that will lead you to your desired outcome. Jen Grisanti explains how it all comes down to defining want.
International speaker Jen Grisanti is an acclaimed Story/Career Consultant at Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc., a Writing Instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, a former twelve-year studio executive, and author of Story Line, TV Writing Tool Kit, and Change Your Story, Change Your Life. Keep track of Jen’s upcoming events on Facebook and Twitter, @jengrisanti, and listen to her Storywise Podcast. Read Jen's full bio and sign up for her Telling and Selling Your TV Pilot video series.
Desire defines want and need. I’ve found that one of the most challenging parts for writers with telling a strong story is defining the want of the central character. This is because so many people don’t know what they want in their own lives. As the author, Michael Nitti, writes in his book, The Trophy Effect, we react to what happens in our lives instead of going in with intention. I loved thinking of this concept in story and in life. Through defining the desire in story and in life, we can create a life of intention versus reaction. When the want is clear in fiction, every other part of the story connects to it. When the character defines what they want and why they want it, the outcome becomes something we root for.
When we know what your character wants and why they want it, we feel the emotion of your story and you give us a glimpse inside what you are trying to say to the world with your story. When we have clarity with what you want with writing your story and why you want to tell it, we feel your desire and think about how we can apply it to our own lives with regards to getting a desired outcome.
How do we get to the desired outcome in life and in story? Start with the question, “What do I want?” Think about this in your life and the life of your character. Now, the internal might be the first thing that appears. The answer could be love, health, abundance, success, truth, etc. Now, think about what is an external situation that could bring about the internal desire. If when you ask the question what do I want or what does my character want, you might find that the external appears. You or your character might want a job, a promotion, a marriage, a relationship, validation of your work, an answer to a problem, etc. If this is what comes through, then think about why you want this.
In the show, MR. ROBOT on USA, for the first season, we know that the lead, Elliot, wants to bring down the evil conglomerate. We learn that why he wants this is because he believes that Evil Corp stole his childhood by killing his father. When the desire is clear, the story works.
In the show, HAPPY VALLEY on Netflix, we know that in season 1, the lead, Catherine, wants justice to be fully served to a prisoner, Tommy Lee Royce, who gets out of prison early. Catherine’s why for wanting this is because she believes that Tommy Lee Royce killed her daughter.
When the internal and the external part of the desire are clear, the outcome becomes possible. Recently, I did a writers’ retreat in Spain with Rocaberti. It was a phenomenal experience on every level. The value of a writers’ retreat is that you get exposed to so much information that could take your life and your writing to the next level. Part of this retreat had to do with mentoring writers three hours a day. At the beginning of the week, I asked the writers to define what they wanted to accomplish by the end of the week and to write it down. Then, I asked them to think about why they wanted to accomplish this. When you understand the why, you have the emotional fuel to get you to the what. This is key when it comes to understanding how you get to the desired outcome. So, ask yourself the question, “What do I want?” Then, by understanding the external and the internal part of the desire, you create an action plan in steps that will lead you to your desired outcome. It all comes down to defining want.
Download Jen's on-demand webinar today!
Staying True to the Core Concept of Your Series
- During this webinar, you will learn tools to set up your concept and your season arcs.
- Discover how creating strong external and internal questions will bring your audience back.
- Jen will illustrate the significance of staying true to your core concept.
My story begins the way yours might; by working with someone who truly believed in me. Mentored by Aaron Spelling, one of the greatest executives and most prolific producers in the business, I learned early on how to develop a story and make a script the best it could be before it hit the air. I worked with the executive producers, showrunners and staff of over 15 primetime shows. I had the unique opportunity to give script notes on a daily basis and see them implemented weekly on shows like 90210, Melrose Place, Charmed, Medium, Numbers, NCIS, The 4400 and Girlfriends. As a three-year mentor in the CBS/Diversity Program and a panelist for the WGA and DGA, I helped other creative talents see the business through the eyes of an executive. For more information about me, click here. Twitter: @jengrisanti
