Today’s plot points are from the teen comedy classic, 10 Things I Hate About You. Here’s how to use this screenwriting tool:
- First, write down each plot beat onto an index card
- Second, arrange the cards into columns so that the card at the bottom of each column is either a major turning point or an Act break
- Finally, evaluate the (sub)plotting & pacing of the story: how did this movie weave together the A story with the B story? How did it alternate action sequences with slower ones? Comedic set pieces and sentimentality? Etc, etc.
This list of plot points is not just meant to help you master screenplay structure. You can also advance your repertoire of screenwriting techniques if you use these plot points along with the Screenplay vs Film analysis of 10 Things I Hate About You I posted on Tuesday. For quick access here is the link: Screenplay vs Film: 10 Screenwriting Tips from 10 Things I Hate About You (Part 1). (I’ll post the second part tomorrow.)
Screenwriting Structure & 10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The Bard had an exceptional grasp of story structure. If he had lived today, Hollywood would be paying him millions as a script doctor. Because of this, 10 Things has a standout plot-subplot structure. Balancing your main story (or A story) with your most important subplot (the B story) can be tricky. A lot of amateur screenplays especially fare poorly in this arena.
If subplots are especially daunting for you, (I know they are for me!), take special note of 10 Things’ screenwriting structure and examine how much time is given to Kat’s A-story and how much time is given to Bianca’s B-story. Secondly, look at how the B-story isn’t separate from the A-story. Both are woven together seamlessly. Doing this simple activity can really help you with writing subplots for your own screenplays.
Plot Points from Teen Comedy 10 Things I Hate About You
- Meet Kat Stratford: her music blares out preppy girls’ Bare Naked Ladies music. She also tears down prom posters.
- Patrick Verona, seasoned troublemaker of Padua High, and Cameron James, new kid, interrupt Miss Perky’s novel writing.
- Cameron gets a tour from Mike – and instantly falls for Bianca, Kat’s sister.
- Kat verbally spars with her English teacher and also with Joey Donner, who really dislikes her. She is also sent to Miss Perky’s.
- Joey makes plans to “nail” Bianca…for fun. Cameron, whose love is more pure, realizes Kat and Bianca are sisters.
- Mike has a motorbike incident.
- Mr Stratford makes a new rule: Bianca can date when Kat does.
- Cameron asks out Bianca, who hatches a plan to use him so she can date Joey.
- Cameron & Mike interview potential boyfriends for Kat. They eye Patrick as their best shot, and Joey to be the financial backer.
- Joey pays Patrick $50 to date Kat. Patrick asks her out — and strikes out.
- Kat and Bianca fight over their mother’s pearls.
- Patrick flirts with Kat outside a music store, where Kat backs into Joey’s car (on purpose).
- Kat fights with her dad & Bianca; Patrick ups his price to $100/date.
- Cameron and Mike offer to help Patrick woo Kat; they mention Bogie Lowenstein’s party is a good opportunity. Meanwhile, Joey views the party as an opportunity for him & Bianca.
- Bianca & Cameron do recon on Kat. Cameron & Mike share this info with Patrick and about Kat’s plan to go to Club Skunk.
- Kat is not pleased to see Patrick at Club Skunk, but eventually warms up to him. He asks her to Bogie’s party.
- Bianca begs Kat to go to the party. Kat finally relents. Bianca is ecstatic she can go — but before she leaves, she has to wear the pregnancy belly.
- Cameron and Mike get ready for the party.
- At the party, Kat warns Joey to stay away from her sister. She tries to warn Bianca too, but when she fails, she gets drunk.
- Joey puts the moves on Bianca. Cameron is crushed when he realizes Bianca was using him.
- Kat dances on a table and falls, but Patrick catches her. They bond on a swing set.
- Joey offers to take Bianca to an after-party. When she refuses, he takes her friend, Chastity.
- Patrick drives Kat home. He compliments her but refuses her kiss.
- Cameron drops off Bianca–she kisses him.
- Kat’s classmates tease her about her performance. Their teacher gives them a Shakespeare sonnet assignment.
- Kat hates Patrick and prom. Despite this, Joey tells Bianca he’ll make sure Kat goes. He gives Patrick more money to take Kat to the prom.
- Patrick and Kat spar at a bookstore. At school, he sings “can’t take my eyes off of you.”
- When he gets detention, Kat distracts the monitor so Patrick can escape.
- Patrick and Kat bond while paddle-boating and paintballing. But she still won’t go to prom with him and asks “what’s in it for you?”
- Bianca’s mad that Cameron hasn’t asked her to prom yet, but “William S.” has asked out Mandella, Kat’s best friend.
- Bianca fights with her dad about prom.
- Kat tells Bianca the truth about Joey and why she doesn’t follow other people’s expectations. Bianca resents Kat’s over-protection.
- Kat decides to go to prom and meets Patrick there. Joey comes to the Stratford house to pick up Bianca, but she’s already left with Cameron.
- Kat and Patrick dance. Chastity tells Bianca about Joey’s plan. Joey confronts Patrick and Kat is devastated that Patrick was paid to take her out. Bianca beats up Joey.
- Bianca thanks Kat for going to the prom. Mr Stratford lets Kat go to Sarah Lawrence college.
- Kat reads her “10 things I hate about you” sonnet to class and exits in tears.
- Pat buys Kat a guitar with the money he got from Joey. They make up.
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