The Washington times., 1915-04-09
-. THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Advice From Sargent
AS To How To Find
Good Plots For
Scenarios.

One of the chief difficulties of
writing photoplay scenarios. those
who indulge themselves in the prac-
tice declare, is finding plots!
In fact, finding plots is rather a
difficult thing for any sort of writ
ing. although the average amateur
does not so imagine. There are hosts
of men and women who have a real
literary style and a wonderful way
of putting things in words. but who
haven't the faculty of finding plots
to serve as the groundwork for
their flights of authorship.
However. It Is with the scenario
writer's that we have to do. with
out retracting anything that has been
previously written about the busi-
ness of writing photoplays; still
convinced that person needs train
ing and practice and much native
ability to be able to write scenarios
that are worth the writing-at the
same time we intend to do our best
to help our own amateurs find plots.
Or better than that, we intend to
pass on to them some advice that
has been given by Epes winthrop
Sargent, than whom there Is PROB
ably nobody in the country better
qualified to speak on photoplay
writing technique. Besides being the
author of the most reliable book on
the subject and a writer of very
readable comment on photoplay mat
.ters in general, Mr.. Sargent Is one of
the editors OF the Moving Picture
World. and it is in his department
in that publication that we have
found his plot views. They are:
Have more than one way of get
ting q plot. Find out as many diff
ferent ways as you can. We know
one. man who gets all of his plots by
letting published synopses suggest
other and wholly different stories to
him. 1t is one good way, but not
if it is the only one, because some
times he has to read through several
bound volumes before he can hit an
idea that is sufficiently far from the
published plot to be safe to use.
Another writer waits for some in
cident in real life to suggest a plot.
Many suggestions come from actual
happenings, but not enough to keep
properly constructed author sup
piled.
NO one method can be developed
that is infallible. 1t Is necessary to
be able to work along any line in
order to suit the method to the
mood. There are times when the
mind seems full Of ideas That Is
the time to evolve plots from MEM
ory of happenings. There are other
times when 1t seems that nothing
that looks even remotely like a plot
can be evolved. That Is your cue to
read up and get the mind centered
on plots. You may not find much in
what you read. but merely getting
your mind into the plotting atmos-
phere may have the desired result.
Perhaps 1T is better to take a
newspaper and look for a hint in
Its columns. and there are times
when it is best not to do so. but
to think over happenings and try
to find either start or finish
. from which &c work
Too few authors realize that II
is possible to work either from a
beginning or an ending. yet the
author who always works from
the start is but partially equipped
for his work. You may go from
New York to London and come
back by way of Boston or Phila-
use the ending Of the first voyage
as the start Of the second and get
an entirely now trip.
"Flexibility in plot getting leads
to variety In the plots them selves,
and the more varied your product
the better chance you have to sell.
If you write always OF the tri-
angle or of the faithless wife edi-
tors will soon tira of your output
and yet it may be that one mode
OF plotting with you will bring
but a single result.
VERY often it is possible to take
story and by continuing the
story get brand new idea. Or a
parallel story NAV be developed.
A recent American. for instance,
told how a musician was forced to
sacrifice love to art. A similar
hut different theme might be the
story of the girl who sacrificed her
love that she might not clog her
sweetheart's progress. or with
either Of these endings 1t would
be possible to write another story
showing the emptiness of an art
lists life when he has sacrificed all
to his art.
Pilots are in the air. All you
have to do is TO reach out and
take them. At first You must learn
tn know what plots are and grab
plots and not the similar looking
but utterly different incident
germs. which are similar to plots
but which lack their soliditY."