ABSTRACT
Before switching to word processors and computers, most screenwriters wrote on the industry gold standard, the IBM Selectric II typewriter. The way most writers organized their screenplay structure was on index cards with a short description of each story beat and scene laid out on a table or thumb-tacked to a wall/cork board. This allowed the writer to see his or her story and screenplay structure, scene by scene, all at once and be able to switch cards around to place scenes in different order where they might have more impact, to remove scenes or replace them with another scene idea that might be more compelling or better advance the story, and/or introduce a plot twist element. This old-fashioned device allowed the writer to track and highlight plot points and character arcs from beginning to end. The ability to see the entire screenplay, linearly, scene by scene, allowed writers to better scrutinize their structure in a more cinematic way.
