From Conflict to Narrative
The displayed diagram is not based on a formula. Its purpose is to assist screenwriters in examining their story's attributes. To guarantee that the story they're portraying is authentic. To assure that the character's true story has not been unintentionally omitted from the plot.
"A" Scenes are the heart of the story: they feature the character's internal obstacles. The inciting incident (the first time that the character confronts its innermost fears as a result of the inciting incident’s manifestation) and the principal sequence in the film or TV series - the main conflict sequence.
It's immaterial if it's a short script, a full-length feature film, or a particular season of a TV series – these are the dramatic anchors, and as such, they must appear in every document related to the screenplay – in the premise/logline, in the short synopsis, the extended synopsis, and obviously in the script itself.
The conflict sequence consists of three sequential events:
*The moment of revelation when the character realizes that he/she is facing a climactic conflict (a shift from lack of awareness to full awareness) and then wavers with an internal dilemma, weighing both alternatives (self-deception versus inner honesty).
*A moral dilemma in an extreme situation, or in other words: an inner struggle between surrendering to fears and satisfying a genuine need.
*The process of self-discovery (which is also the theme of the script).
The conflict's resolution exposes the true nature of the character, and just as significant - reveals to the character its true nature. Why is this important? This is because the conflict often occurs so that an identity crisis can potentially transform one's identity. At times it can cause one to undermine their own identify or even to a loss of self-identity.
It's essential to note that one's identity can be undermined even with the absence of conflict. In fact, self-identity continuously tackles with tests, since it is a perception of character (self-assessment of our own character). Like any sensation, identity is composed of thoughts, emotions and actions, but identity is affected, for the most part, by our focused attention to its unique components.
Therefore, the character's self-realization will essentially effect its self-perception.
Since the identity components have been altered, the scales tilt in favor of a renewed self-perception. This will assist us in devising the character's potential future.
I constructed a diagram in table format for the last sessions of my workshop that I'm currently running, and I recommend that you do the same.
Good luck