ABSTRACT
Development is about generating ideas and keeping track of those thoughts. It is important to get the ideas down on paper and into categories—gags, setups/payoffs, characters traits, etc. To keep these organized, there are various approaches: notebooks, software, outlines, flowcharts, beat sheets—Linda Seger suggests using index cards or an updated version—sticky notes in different colors. Development takes place in stages. It starts with brainstorming, then moves on to fleshing out ideas, refining ideas, which stimulates other ideas—it's an iterative process. The key to developing story is iteration… doing it over, again, and again, and again. Writing is rewriting is a fundamental truism in development. Screenwriting software programs often have their own broad checklists built in. Many writers keep a running checklist to help them stay focused on what matters most in the story. Planting information works by taking an idea from the end of the story and planting the opposite idea at the beginning.
