Losing the Plot

Does every scene in your script need to advance the plot?

Nothing makes me feel more like a detective in a whodunit mystery than trying to pinpoint the origin of Screenwriter Twitter Drama.

This central question of this weekend’s debate was, “Does every scene need to advance the plot of your story?” so I grabbed my magnifying glass and houndstooth cap and got to digging.

Based on my extensive investigation, I concluded that this topic seemed to spur from a parallel discourse about the Oppenheimer sex scene debate.

Here’s its evolution:

Were the Oppenheimer sex scenes gratuitous or were they necessary? > What makes a scene necessary? > Are scenes only necessary if they advance the plot?

According to most people on Screenwriting Twitter, the answer to that last question is a resounding “No.”

The tweet that tipped me off about the drama in the first place was this one one from actor/writer, Lee Shorten.

And I agree! (As would, I believe, most professional, working writers.)

But… I had a caveat, so against my better judgement—and on a holiday weekend at that—I dipped a toe into the discourse.

I often talk about “real estate on the page.” Real estate is expensive these days! But your real estate on the page is an even more precious commodity.

You only have about 100 pages for a feature (or 55 for an hour-long pilot or 30 for a half-hour) to tell your characters’ story.

So, does every scene, every beat, every moment need to be spend advancing the plot? No!

But every scene, every beat, every moment should serve a purpose in your script.

I really liked Adam Mallinger, aka Bitter Script Reader’s contribution to the conversation.

In the age of Save the Cat hate, “plot” seems to have become a dirty word. But the goal of any script is to tell a story… so make sure that’s how you’re utilizing your prime real estate!