How I Found My Story by Answering Five Questions
You know that feeling when you have what seems like an amazing idea for a film, but then you sit down to write and... nothing? The blank page just stares at you.
That was me a few months ago. I had this story brewing in my head called Milo. A widowed farmer, his son, and a pig that becomes something special. It felt important and meaningful when I thought about it, but every time I tried to write it down, I got lost in a mess of random scenes and scattered dialogue.
So I went back to basics and asked myself five simple questions about my story.
It worked. Here's what I figured out about Milo:
Who is the main character? Ed, a pig farmer who lost his wife, and is forced to raise a newborn on his own. Jacon turns seven and befriends a piglet on the farm.
What do they want? Ed just wants to keep the farm running and hold onto what's left of his pride.
What's in their way? Money problems. The bank is breathing down their necks. And the hard truth is that farms and livestock are becoming a culture of the past.
What do they do about it? Ed makes the tough choice to sell the pigs. Jacob can't accept this, so he sneaks Milo away, thinking he can save him.
How does it end? Jacob learns that sometimes you can't save what you love, but you can still love it. And for the first time since his wife died, Ed really connects with his son through their shared heartbreak.
That's it. Five questions, and suddenly I had a clear path through my story.
That’s how I got unstuck, and eventually, that’s how I finished the first draft of Milo.
And here’s the truth: I don’t just want to write this story - I want to direct it and operate the camera myself, the same way I did with my first feature, The Wild Dreamers. For me, being behind the lens is part of how I tell the story, how I stay close to the characters and the world they live in.
Now here’s the clincher for me: do I film it in Colorado or in NJ/Upstate NY? That’s for another newsletter.
Keep writing,
Roberto
P.P.S. My indie feature that I wrote and directed is now streaming on Amazon. If helps me tremendously if you can review/rate it.
Watch my film The Wild Dreamers → bit.ly/4lhwCD3
