Beatsheets… A Love Story

When writing a screenplay, a “beat sheet” is an invaluable tool. After you’ve come up with your concept, characters, beginning, middle and end of your story, a beat sheet enables you to put it all together and take a 30,000-ft view of your story.

A beat sheet allows you to check your work. It allows you to step back and view your story in its entirety. It gives you a perspective from which you can experiment with moving scenes around and deciding what is the most dynamic way to present your story.

So, how do we create a working beat sheet…?

Context and Content

When constructing your beatsheet, you are basically plugging the structured beats from your plot exercise into the schematic outline of a beatsheet, then figuring out where to insert the emotional beats of the story so that your audience can understand and identify with your main character’s plight.

Your main character is always the agent of their own destiny.

It’s your main character’s story. It’s your main character’s wants and needs that are driving them forward. You want them to be at the center of the plot at all times. When they’re on screen, they are the ones making choices and taking actions.

Know your big steps first.