Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot: A Guide for Screenwriters

by Peter Dunne

The leap from concept to final draft is great, and the task is filled with hard work and horrors. It is here that most writers struggle to get the plot right at the expense of the story's real power. The result is a script that is logical in every way, yet
unmoving. ""Emotional Structure,"" by Emmy- and Peabody-Award winning producer, writer, and teacher, Peter Dunne, is for these times, when the plot fits nicely into place like pieces in a puzzle, yet an elemental, terribly important something remains missing.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Film, Crafts

405 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a read. Not only for his in-depth treatment of how to write the emotional story that underlies the work, but also for his insight regarding the reasons we write, and the importance of that writing, as well as how we write. Dunne inspires me to keep working on my craft, and also to keep hoping that that work will result, sooner rather than later but still, over time nonetheless, in a body of works that will inspire hope and greater will in others to make this world a better place.

This was a book on writing which I am glad to have read, despite being for screenplays rather than novels. He talks of "a spiritual generosity" grows with serious writing, he says, turning knowledge into wisdom that "will refine your mercy and expand your heart."

I, too, hope that I learn to appreciate every thing and person, developing the writer's soul, and become a good writer.

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[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd recommend this book, with reservations, for novelists. It is aimed at screenwriters, and they'll likely see it differently, but the book is about two or three times longer than it needs to be, and much of that excess space is spent by the author talking about himself. The whole second half is a screenplay with some annotations, with some useful information about the three-act structure, but little about the emotional structure that was covered, often excellently and thoughtfully (although still with more words than were needed) in the first half.

The first half is where most of the meat is, including the difference between plot and story, as well as some good techniques for plotting the emotional content--good advice and food for thought for any writer, whether a screenwriter, novelist, or even a memoir writer.

If you're one of the many writers who struggles getting a character's emotions, motivations, and reactions on the page, this book is definitely worth picking up and reading. You'll likely skim parts, especially the second half, unless you are a student of screenplay structure. But I'm still glad I have it in my library, and will likely refer to parts again. I'll probably never try to read it cover to cover again, but that's OK. It's still useful.

[Carolyn Jourdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read as many books about how to write as I can -- because I'm a writer, and writing is hard!
This is the best book I've come across so far for people who are deeply serious about putting good work out into the world. Although this book is written by a commercially successful writer, it is valuable for people who use their writing as a tool for self-development (learning wisdom and moral development). An amazing piece of work. [And I do not know this author, his family, or his friends in any way.]

[Adam Heine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it's stupid, but I almost couldn't get past the fact that Peter Dunne got Superman's city wrong, or that he berated the Terminator for not exploring the morality behind his murders (Arny was a robot, dude; lack of morality was part of the point).

While the guy's opinions on what is and is not good drove me nuts, he's got a solid formula here and reminded me of some very important things that I always forget when planning a novel. I would definitely recommend this book for writers, but if you're a genre writer (like me), you might need to leave your own opinions at the door.

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned the difference between plot and story from this book. It's aimed at screenwriters, but as a novelist, I found it inspiring. Thanks to the ideas I picked up from Peter Dunne, my characters are going to have more gripping personal stories.

[Graeme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This taught me a great deal about telling stories in any medium. His formula may constrict more experienced writers, but it helps me.

[Susan Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was recommended by a friend (author). I highly recommend this book for writers who would like to have a firmer grasp on the emotional arc of their characters.

[Aleksandar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magisterial work by a Master, this is is one of those highly specialized books everybody should read. It contains condensed within it an immense amount of knowledge, with a great too many examples for case studies; it reads like a PhD. But it can teach you so much, no review can do it justice. Emotion is the reason why story works, and we can all benefit from learning more about stories are crafted to affect us emotionally, how scenes are built, how dialogue is executed and most importantly - why. On the other side, once you learn this , stories may largely loose some of their power to move you emotionally. But much like learning how a magi trick is done, you may find yourself more interested instead in learning the trick.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more of a 3.5

There were some good takeaways from this text.
My one concern is that it seemed like only one type of emotional structure (namely a relationship with a co-protagonist) was covered in depth, and I felt there were more structures that could've been discussed in addition to that one.
A large chunk of this book was a sample script, and I personally think it just took up space and wasn't nessecary to include.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was recommended as an every aspiring writer should read this book regardless of what they write and for me it fell flat. I would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t dislike his script so much.

[Deborah Biancotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me a new way to think about storytelling, & made the most useful distinction between 'plot' and 'story' I've come across so far. Told in a conversational style (some have called it long-winded, but I enjoyed the sense of the author I got from reading this book), it's an easy but lengthy read - definitely not one for the eReader, as novelists may want to skim-read the annotated screenplay at the end. Will put this book on my high-rotation list. Dunne recommends writers to aim for the 'inevitable surprise' style of ending - somehow, this book itself was an inevitable surprise: so much of it is *obvious* but only in hindsight.

[Sarai · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is big, really big and although I have nothing wrong with big books that are meant for teaching and instructions this one was overkill. Small print, advice that has been given before. It helped but I had to dig around for it. And Lord do not sit down and read every single thing in this book or you will want to jump out a window.
This book is made for screen writers more then authors.

[Stina Lindenblatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I write novels not screen plays, but the info in the book is perfect for the novelist. And even though I hadn't planned on reading the script, I started to and couldn't put the book down after that. It was the best of both worlds: fiction and nonfiction.

It's not for all fiction writers, but it's great for romances and stories with two key characters (protagonist and co-protagonist).

[Aaditya Mandalemula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me more confidence to proceed to write than any other book. It tells what most other books fear to tell because they themselves don't understand. The Emotional Structure of a story. If you don't understand this at least on your own, you are not a writer. Don't depend on your subconscious as it is. Analyze it and understand it and then use it.

[David Leroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep returning to this book over and over again, as I start to structure my next work. I know it is for screenwriters, but I have found it amazingly useful writing novels, and stories. The principles are very simple, and powerful. That might be why I keep returning to this book.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Carolyn Jourdan recommends it, I'm reading it.