GENRES:

Genres are important for marketing considerations because at different times some genres will be more popular than others-Teen Flicks are very popular at the moment. Other genres to consider are action/adventure, comedies, Horror, and of course romantic stories. Associating your story ideas with one of these traditional genres will help greatly when writing your script because you are familiar with the forms and conventions of each genre. This doesn't mean that you have to follow strictly these conventions, instead, knowing them gives you creative freedom to play around with them.

Story Themes:

If you can't situate your story within a genre, maybe you should consider themes from basic human interest. "The likeable underdog is a consistently popular theme. We like to see a deserving character come through in the last reel. Another human tendency is to enjoy getting an "inside look" at some operation or adventure. Surely you can think of many films that use this idea. Stories with friendship themes are also very popular and highly acceptable. But perhaps the most popular theme is the "fish out of water," in which a likable character is trust into a strange territory and must confront a threatening new reality.

Story Sources:

Now that you are familiar with promising formulas and conventions, where do you get your ideas? Check out newspapers, magazines, the Internet, your immediate environment, and places you travel. Observe people and place them in uncomfortable situations, and image their reactions. Historical events have given rise to excellent films. Classic Literature is another source of great stories. But primarily things that you care deeply about are generally a good choice, your unique way to introduce those topics could lead to wonderful and compelling stories.

Fundamental Elements of Story Telling:

How do you tell a story well told? Consider the following: