Telling a great story can feel a bit like fighting the fearsome Greek mythical creature, the Lernaean Hydra. Like Heracles, you may need help to find a compelling solution.
The Lernaean Hydra was a water beast possessing so many heads that it is said vase painters couldn’t fit them all on. It’s breath was so poisonous that even it’s tracks became deadly. Cut off one head and two would grow in its place. Truly a test of heroic qualities, to find yourself face to face with such a creature and come out the winner.
Hercules is helped; Iolaus cauterises each neck stump to prevent two new heads growing back
Heracles was just the hero for the job. As penance for having slain his own six sons he was advised by the Pythoness oracle at Delphi to serve king Eurystheus and complete any tasks the king set for him. In exchange he would receive immortality – and perhaps forgiveness too?.
Although he was a true mythic hero, Heracles realised he would need help.
He called on his charioteer, Iolaus, who was also his nephew, and Iolaus came up with the bright idea of cauterising each stump to prevent the two new heads growing back in it’s place. They had realised the key; that all except one of the heads were immortal. So they could cut them off and no longer worry about them posing a danger.
In this way, and with some rapid arm work, plenty of stamina and no screen breaks, Heracles and Iolaus managed to defeat the Hydra.
Thoughtful teamwork really counts.
Thankfully, as with the challenges of writing a script, the key is to tackle the mortal heads first and then get creative about how to deal with the immortal one.
Henry IV poses as Hercules, triumphant over the Hydra. But where's Iolaus?
In the Heracles case, the immortal head was placed under a huge stone, where it still lies to this day. Maybe.
In the case of script-writing, I suggest the immortal challenge is when to stop tinkering. For that you need to do what Heracles did; bury it.
Fine. but how do we tackle the mortal heads in our script? How do we get to be ‘The Victor’ like this guy? Without the smug look, though. Here are my two pence worth.
1) take one small step at a time and resist the temptation to jump ahead
2) stay in the overview as long as possible.
3) work fast and light. Don’t bog yourself down with dialogue, action descriptions, page formatting and all the other little tricks that every good procrastinator has up their sleeve.
If you get really, really desperate to write something that looks like a script, just treat yourself to a little scene. Keep the scene writing as something fun to do when you have dealt with:
• genre
• audience
• themes
• character
• story structure
• plot
Hot tip: Mind Maps
4) work with a mind map so you’re not even tempted to start writing dialogue.
Even a couple of years of mind-mapping to get those elements right will be time well spent.
Mind mapping allows you to literally keep an overview of the project until you are convinced you’ve worked out who is doing what to whom when, why and where.
5) write your character bibles early on and remember what you’ve written when you’re plotting what happens to them.
6) work out an enneagram for the characters, if it helps. Enneagrams help you to know how people who are not like you would choose to act or react.
Apologies for the bad hand-writing. It is much better on proper paper, apparently.
It may take a little while for you to decide which of the mind-mapping packages you like and can afford. It may take time to learn the software. But the gains are terrific.
All the branches you see can be dragged around the page, repositioned, cut and pasted onto other bits, coded by colour or other means. In other words, you can make this a true overview of your project, and as you get to know it you’ll begin to see the scenes in your head.
I am convinced that by holding out until I am satisfied I’ve answered all the questions, that the story is as good as it is ever going to get and the characters are real human beings of my own creation (steady on, you’re not God – Ed); then and only then is the time right to get the script out. As you breathe life into it (there we go again – Ed) you may need to deviate a little, but the path is well defined and you’ll be back on it quite soon.