We all have different ways of working, of getting what we
need to get done, of going from something to nothing. Some of us pants, some of
us plot, all of us make excuses. Sometimes, as in any business, the gatekeepers
want to know what we're going to create before we actually do it – particularly
if there's money involved. At times like that, insisting that we need six
months to bash out a shitty first draft with accompanying esoteric rituals
before we can answer isn't going to cut it – we're going to have to produce.
But how can we possibly know what we're going to write before we even write it?
The answer is a treatment.
Used correctly a treatment isn't just a statement of intent
– it's a means of establishing some story and character fundamentals up front.
And I don't care who you are, this is never a bad thing.
So what exactly is a 'treatment'? Well, different
establishments expect different things so you need to pay attention if asked
for one - but essentially they must contain three things: a character list with
character descriptions, a brief synopsis, and an outline. The synopsis is
basically a short prose description of the story, while the outline is a scene
by scene breakdown of the whole thing.
To some writers that sounds like a nightmare. But it doesn't
have to be. Here's six reasons why it should be fun – and why it will make your
story and characters stronger and your opus easier to write. And why, if you
use them properly, you'll end up producing treatments because you want to, not
because you have to.
You can develop your characters without restrictions
We all know that true character is revealed through action
but that doesn't mean there's no advantage in working out that character before
the big events occur. It's amazing how liberating it can be to develop a
character free from the confines of the story. You also have an opportunity to
ensure that they are complex and fascinating enough to maintain reader interest
for the duration of the piece. You can create backstory, interesting quirks,
childhood traumas – stuff that may never end up being addressed in the main
narrative but will certainly build up complex and convincing characters.
You can develop your story without restrictions
Once you let yourself go, it's actually equally liberating
to write a synopsis of a work you haven't yet written because you can make the
story as exciting as you like - rather than trying to make an exciting story
out of something you've already written. Which, let's face it, may not actually
be that exciting...
If you haven't tried it, you really should – and if you're a
storyteller worth your salt, it won't be that hard. And the great thing is, you
know your story is going to be good before you start writing. You'll also find
that the work you've done developing your characters will spark ideas for your
story, and your story ideas will start to feed into your character development.
This is really the dream we all aspire to, a compelling story about essential
and complex characters – where the two – character and story – become
inseparable. The story is the characters and the characters are the story.
You can take risks
It's far easier to change or cut a flippant sentence in a
story synopsis than it is to change or cut six chapters of carefully crafted
prose. Therefore it's easier to try a story twist on for size when writing a
synopsis up front because you can dump it with impunity. Think you're writing a
romance but your synopsis turns into an action thriller half-way through? No
problem – just change it to suit – in seconds.
It's a lot easier to spot structural problems
When you're looking at a distilled story, it's far, far
easier to see something that doesn't work when it's not draped in acres of prose
- a story development that just doesn't make sense in the context of the
preceding events; a character event that wouldn't be a believable response to
what has happened before. It's just so much easier to see the story – or lack
of it – when the story is all you have written down.
It's a lot easier to fix structural problems
Because you don't have to ditch all those words you spent
months writing to change the story – you just have to change a couple of
sentences, without the emotional and time investment that you would have in a
full draft.
You'll end up with a better text more quickly.
Because you can de-risk the project before you even start –
you're characters won't be lame and your story structure will be robust – and
you won't have to write fifteen drafts to get them right. Then you can just
concentrate on the fun bit – telling the story.
