(Updated Sept. 13, 2022)

It’s been said, most recently by Christopher Booker, that there are just seven basic plotlines in all of the storytelling. Booker’s book, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, was written in 2004 – an exploit that reportedly took him 34 years to write! To put that in perspective, the No. 1 movie in America when he started was M*A*S*H in 1970!

If only someone had told him about Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, who broached the same subject a century ago, although he couched it as seven basic themes. The first five pit man against man, nature, himself, God, and society. The last two deal with man caught in the middle and man and woman.

Gender equity wasn’t really a thing in the early 1900s. So maybe it was a good thing Booker updated the list. There’s Comedy, The Quest, Tragedy, Rebirth, Rags to Riches, Voyage and Return, and Overcoming the Monster. Whichever list you adhere to, there are still many original movie ideas to cultivate.

So what does all of that mean? It means, some would say, that there’s no such thing as an original plot when it comes to books, plays, or movies. Which doesn’t mean there are no great original movie ideas. Look at The Quest plot: movies range from the Lord of The Rings trilogy to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

And, in Run Lola Run, The Quest is seen in three different 20-minute vignettes. That’s one movie plot and three different ways to tell a story. All of this is to answer the question: is your original movie idea good enough to be a movie? Yes–biut it all depends on how it’s written.

Boy Meets Girl

There’s nothing new about a love story. The earliest rom-coms were probably written on cave walls ten thousand years ago. What is your love story about, who is the pursuer/pursued, are they teenagers or septuagenarians? Or is it an animated tale about two dogs, one a pampered pooch, the other a conniving canine?

There are plenty of good movies that use this familiar theme – how is yours different? Why should an audience care about the love affair in your movie? Taking a well-worn idea and making it new again isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. The most important thing about writing a screenplay is to start writing.

Original Movie Ideas: Nobody’s Perfekt

It’s a terrible answer to an interview question:

“I’m too much of a perfectionist.”

It’s a cliche, it’s not quantifiable, and it’s probably a lie. Except for writers, who feel that every verb, noun, and turn of phrase has to be just so. Take Booker for example–34 years?! That’s more than three decades of best-adapted screenplay, best original screenplay, and best movie Academy Awards.

But it’s the way of the writer… except for you. Starting now, stop trying to be Shakespeare and just be yourself. Write what you know, research what you don’t, and take a stab at everything else. When you’re done with that first page, move on to the second.

Then the third, fourth, and so on. Push through mental blocks, brain locks, and every other obstacle. Let your idea bloom, your characters grow, and your story unfolds. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike, but when it does, be ready–you may find yourself at a different ending than you originally hoped for.

Because that first draft isn’t going to be the final draft. Not by a long shot. It’s been reported that it wasn’t until his fifth draft that M. Night Shyamalan finally hit upon the idea for the ending of The Sixth Sense. That idea shocked audiences and immediately catapulted Shyamalan to fame.

So it’s okay if you need to take a couple of stabs at it–get feedback from friends, family, even someone you know in the industry. There are even people you can hire to read your work for this very reason. Is your idea good enough to be a movie? You’ll have a better understanding at this point.

Course Correction

After a few edits and rewrites, it may not be the original movie idea you meant to write. There may be nuggets here and there, but if your heroes and villains change, if the genders change, if the setting changes organically, it’s still your idea – you just went where the creative waves took you.

Which, as a writer, you need to be able to do. If things aren’t working, change direction. Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Mix it up: Change the setting from the Old West to a base station on the moon (or at least hypothesize about it).

Did that jump-start the brain? Is changing Roy Rogers into Buck Rogers the edit you needed? Does it fundamentally change the underlying theme, plot, or idea? Take it all into consideration and decide what direction you need to go.

Soon, you’ll be done. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be done. Now it’s time to start shopping your title around–is anyone biting? This might be the most difficult part of getting your screenplay made into a movie, but Film Connection has a way to help.

Is Your Original Movie Idea High Concept or Low Brow?

How do you breathe fresh air into an old idea? Airplane! took the disaster movie trope for a ride with slapstick, puns, and juxtapositions throughout its 87-minute run time. Maybe adopting an older movie and making it your own through the technology of today.

Perhaps a driven TV news reporter is hot on the trail of a serial killer, using an array of social media platforms to gather clues or information on each victim. In Searching, John Cho’s character searches for his missing daughter using social media posts, text messages, and computer files found on her laptop.

Getting Your Original Movie Idea in Front of the Right People

With the Film Connection Screenwriting course, you’ll be paired with an industry professional to help with every facet of turning your idea into a screenplay. From character development, writing drafts, polishing, and rewrites. Then the scary (fun?) part begins.

Film Connection mentors have worked on screenplays for movies, TV series, film shorts, and more. They know what makes a “Killer Script,” how to work past problematic obstacles, and how to craft a complete a three-act arc. You’ll get your questions answered, feedback on your work, and guidance about how to get your original movie idea into circulation.

What sets Film Connection apart from many traditional schools is the ability to get your script in front of decision-makers. We’ll show you how to get an agent, how to sell your script, and even how to become a member of the Writers Guild of America.

The best part? You won’t need to move across the country to get this high-quality education. Film Connection has locations all over the U.S. and offers remote-learning courses so you don’t have to completely upend your life. The best part about being a screenwriter? It’s not a 9-to-5 job, so you can work with your mentor and Academic facilitator to set a schedule that works.

And it all starts with your idea. Is it good enough to be made into a movie? There’s only one way to find out – and Film Connection is ready to find out with you.