Our reading from Screenplays: How to Write and Sell Them by Craig Batty has inspired me to apply the questioning of the author to my own construction of world. This is part one of four, in which I dissect my ideas and develop answers to Batty’s questions in Structuring the world.

Does the world have a specific, tangible hold on the plot – things that literally can or can’t happen?

My world, which for the sake of these blog posts I will call “the World of Ink”, is as much of the plot as it sets up. The World of Ink is one in which a person is born a blank canvas to be painted by their experiences in life, quite literally. The internal logic of this world determine that facets of a person’s character may also appear on their skin alongside significant moments, people and feelings they encounter. In The World of Ink, a person can get their ink removed, however it is painful and expensive (much more so than in our world so that only the elite can afford the procedure) and generally frowned upon as it insinuates that you have something to hide. Removing a tattoo also removes the emotional memory of an event. For example if a person cheated on their wife and got the tattoo removed, they would still remember the event but not feel the shame or embarrassment it caused. A person cannot go and get a tattoo like they do in our world. In The World of Ink, tattoos are a part of life, not an optional luxury or decoration like they are for us.

Does the world suggest – or demand – a specific type of emotional movement or arc? 

The cause and effect of this natural “inking” process in The World of Ink suggests that people be wary of their decisions, as it could develop as a mark on their skin forever. The result of the constant threat of everyone knowing about your faults causes most people to abide by laws, act overly polite, suppress feelings of anger or hurt and generally avoid new experiences. There are several character arcs that could develop from this, such as a person ashamed of their past attempting to hide something and eventually learning that it is part of what makes them who they are.

What’s the pace or feel of the world, and how does that play out in the sequences and scenes you write?

The pace is much slower than our world. The World of Ink is one in which people must think before they act, or they risk ruining their reputation forever. People are afraid to try new things, relationships blossom at a much slower pace and with less success, everything is slow and painful.

Are actions affected by the world? What do characters feel they can and can’t do?

I feel like this question has been answered, as it is the question on which the premise of the film is made!

What different varieties or versions of the world exist, and how do they play out through the plot?

Within The World of Ink, several characters are experiencing the one world as vastly different from each other. For example, I was contemplating having one character develop a tattoo depicting a girl he has never met before. He asks Doctors but flees as he learns they alert the authorities who are now after him. The man goes on a journey to find the girl, and discovers she is his daughter, who had been forcibly removed from his memory and skin. Other ideas include a woman who attempts to change the depictions of her ink and thus faces a warped reality when her history is altered and a mysterious woman who doesn’t appear to have any ink at all.

Wow, those questions were actually super helpful! Thanks Craig 🙂

That’s all from the think tank for now.