How to Turn a Spark of an Idea Into a Screenplay Worth Writing
A writer recently shared this struggle:
“I feel like I spin my wheels on half-baked concepts. I can come up with a decent setup, but I can’t figure out a twist that floors me and makes me think, ‘Wow, I need to see this movie!’ Even if I write a logline, I later realize everything after the setup is too vague to mean much in story terms. And then I’m stuck.”
Sound familiar?
Sometimes a screenplay idea sounds promising, but when you try to dig deeper and develop the story, you hit a wall. That’s a sign your concept might be missing some essential ingredients. And it’s better to figure that out before you outline, write 30 pages, or commit to a draft that ends up going nowhere.
So what do you do when you have a concept spark, but not a fully baked idea?
The real issue usually isn’t a missing twist
It’s tempting to think a great twist will save a fuzzy idea. But twists only work when there’s already a solid story foundation in place.
Instead of chasing a killer twist too early, zoom out and focus on the story essentials. If your concept doesn’t yet include a clear protagonist, goal, stakes, and conflict… then there’s no engine to drive the story forward, twist or not.
Even if all you have right now is a theme, a setting, or a vague idea, these essentials give you something solid to build from.
These four elements are your core ingredients:
Protagonist – Who’s the main character we’re following?
Goal – What are they trying to achieve?
Stakes – Why does it matter? What happens if they fail?
Conflict / Opposition – What stands in their way?
A “half-baked” concept often has a situation that involves some of the elements, but not the whole foundation.
What are we actually watching?
And once you've identified those four, there's a fifth element that can help determine whether you really have a movie — the method. That’s the how of the story. What the protagonist actually does for most of the movie.
I talk about this in Logline Shortcuts, and it basically comes down to: What does the protagonist have to do in order to pursue that story goal?
Identifying the method forces you to think about what's happening in Act 2, and about what makes your movie special and uniquely entertaining. Because it asks you to get clear on what kinds of things we're going to see in this movie.
Think of the method as a distinctive feature or defining characteristic of your movie. Different movies might be built around the same story goal but different methods, and they'd be entirely different movies.
For example, if the goal is to catch a serial killer, the method could be "to befriend and work with a notorious incarcerated serial killer" (Silence of the Lambs), or it could be "to work with an eager young detective to decipher the killer's use of the seven deadly sins" (Se7en).
Two strategies to help you develop a stronger concept
Once you've identified what's missing or weak, how do you fix it? And more importantly, how do you make sure the pieces you add are actually good?
Here are two strategies to help you move forward:
1. Add Irony
Irony often creates a sense of fun, tension, or curiosity, and it helps push a concept toward something fresh and specific.
So look at what you already have, and ask:
What’s the expected version of this idea?
How can I create a gap between that expectation and what actually happens?
For example:
If you’re starting with a character, what’s the last situation we'd expect to find them in?
Or, what's the last method they'd want to engage in?
If you’re starting with a situation, who’s the worst person to have to deal with it?
Or, what's the least likely combination of characters we'd expect to see in this situation?
Let’s say your concept is: “What if a guy finds out Santa is his dad?”
Start with expectation. What do we know about Santa? He’s jolly, he delivers gifts to kids, he only works one day a year.
And then create a gap between expectation and story reality:
Santa’s jolly personality is all an act, and his son has to help him take down a rival or nobody gets presents this year.
Santa’s bored with only working one day a year and moves in with his adult son’s family, wreaking havoc as an over-the-top, ultra-permissive grandparent.
Santa has a plan to use his gift-delivery route to steal from some high-security houses, and his newly discovered son becomes his reluctant getaway driver.
Each version adds conflict, surprise, and irony. They take a “what if” and start turning it into a story.
And note: these concepts are just initial sparks, and still may not be complete. You’d want to keep finessing them to make sure that each of the essentials is in place and as strong as possible.
Remember, even if a version doesn’t work long-term, the process of playing with irony helps you generate possibilities, and those possibilities are fuel for building a better concept.
2. Use familiar story types to expand the idea
Another way to develop a concept is to filter it through different story types. Think about common "types" of movies, like:
Buddy comedy
Heist
Road trip
Haunted house
Wish fulfillment
Revenge tale
Mystery
Contest or competition
Applying your concept to one of these frameworks can help you imagine what kind of story it could become.
That original “What if a guy finds out Santa is his dad?” idea could be:
Heist – Santa’s newly discovered son must help his dad steal back a family heirloom from a greedy billionaire.
Buddy comedy – A successful businessman learns the father he never knew needs his help saving the family business... only to discover the "business" is the North Pole and his long-lost dad is Santa Claus.
Haunted house – Santa and his reluctant son get trapped in a house haunted by ghost children who never got presents, and must escape before Christmas is ruined.
You’re not committing to any one version yet. You’re just testing options, exploring genres, and seeing where the energy is.
Make a good concept even better
Once you land on a version that's solid, see if you can push it just a little further.
Ask yourself:
Can I add a twist or surprise? Focus on subverting expectations. If this story type usually goes one way, what’s an unexpected variation?
Can I make it more relevant? Is there a way to reflect something timely, topical, or universal? Even a small tweak can make the concept feel more “right now.”
Can I escalate the core elements? Make the goal harder. Raise the stakes. Add tension to the conflict. Find irony between elements.
Play with possibilities. Don’t settle for the first version that works – push for the one that excites you.
A screenplay concept that sets you up for success
A promising "what if" is a great place to start, but you need all the core elements to have a story that works and holds up past page 15.
When you find yourself stuck in your story development process, try this list of jumping-off points to get moving again:
Check for the four essentials: protagonist, goal, stakes, conflict
Brainstorm irony: Where can you subvert expectations?
Test story types: Try plugging your setup into familiar genres or templates
Explore freshness: Add a twist, make it relevant, or turn up the volume
Most great concepts don’t start fully formed — they’re built layer by layer. Keep shaping yours until it clicks.