DZ-126: Secrets and Clues

How can Secrets and Clues motivate characters? "Getting information puts your character in danger. And danger rewards your character with information." — One of three ideas we steal from game design in this episode. In this two part series, we talk about how secrets, clues and hidden information motivate characters and may (or may not) help you plot from a character perspective. Part One (this episode) looks at WAKE UP DEAD MAN; while Part Two looks at SIDE EFFECTS, and the pilot episode of SHRINKING. The other two (related) ideas are: Landmark information (characters just have it), Secret (they know it's there, need to unlock it), and Hidden (invisible until they pay the cost) Narrative velocity — are characters pushed forward or are they pulled forward? To that end, in this episode Stu, Chas and Mel start with the murder mystery (ostensibly the easier deep-dive): Rian Johnson's WAKE UP DEAD MAN. But this is a complex film made even more complex by being a dual-protagonist film. Uhuh. Benoit Blanc is pulled through the story by his need to solve the case; Father Judd pushed through, against his will, to prove his innocence. Breaking down how that plays out — and why it matters for the kind of escalation each character can sustain — is the heart of the episode. And inevitably we go on some tangents: pointers, plants, and underpinnings (from our Everything Everywhere All At Once episode) fair play in locked-room mysteries, Narrative POV (as always) and node-based plotting and what dungeon-crawl game design has to do with writing a web of clues. "The way those secrets were hidden, revealed, and discovered were all rooted in the characterization." — Mel Killingsworth Like this episode? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon. Or on Reddit! Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.   Chapters 00:00:00 – Cold Open 00:00:18 – What do we mean by Secrets and Clues? 00:13:22 – Wake Up Dead Man 01:22:50 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up Links Read: 'Wake Up Dead Man' Script: Read Rian Johnson's Screenplay Read: DIY & dragons: Landmark, Hidden, Secret Read: The Alexandrian » Advanced Node-Based Design Read: Ascii Dreams: The Quest for Quests (Part 1) Read: Ascii Dreams: The Quest for Quests (Part 2) Read: Mel's KNIVES OUT: A Rose by Any Other Name Would Not Clue Us In Related Episodes DZ-90: Setups & Payoffs in Everything Everywhere All At Once More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

What craft tools make a low-budget, contained, period drama riveting? Explore how narrative POV, interweaving relationships, hooky dialogue, and even the screenplay format itself make the script for BLUE MOON - that runs largely in real time about an obscure songwriter in the 1940s - one that attracts world class talent and Academy Award nominations. While Stu is still on show and we are between the 2026 Oscar nominations and the actual ceremony, our patreons selected BLUE MOON for this one-shot and boy are Mel and Chas glad they did. They dive into many lessons learned in previous episodes, like our character-driven episode… or analysis of French scenes in Adolescence… or the story-telling power that comes from the audience knowing the ending from biopics. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - BLUE MOON 00:02:19 - Summary of Key Learnings 00:13:34 - Controlling narrative POV 00:27:49 - Using screenplay FORMAT to reflect the emotional story 00:39:27 - Interweaving relationships 00:56:46 - Repetition and pop culture references in dialogue 01:07:54 - Key learnings in full 01:16:02 - Patreon thanks! LINKS Read the script for BLUE MOON on Script Slug See the slug line breakdown at https://melkillingsworth.substack.com/p/blue-moon-scene-headings-breakdown  RELATED EPISODES DZ-01: Do screenplay gurus win you Oscars? DZ-68: Using narrative POV to structure KNIVES OUT DZ-118: Adolescence and tension through questions DZ-90: Raising (a different kind of) Stakes DZ-35: Driving Characters or Character-Driven? DZ-63: Tools for Better Dialogue - Hook and Eye More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

How does Film Noir show us terrible people doing terrible things without endorsing it? Mel and Chas continue to explore what Noir (the genre) can teach writers of all other genres. In particular: how to keep the audience on side of characters doing reprehensible things how to control your audience understanding of those reprehensible actions distinguishing between characters undergoing transformative arcs against discovering their true natures In finding the common craft tools of Noir over 100 years, this Part 2 looks at two modern noirs - DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) and WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) - after Part 1 looked at the classic DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done. Thanks Chris.   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Using noir as a lens 00:01:56 - DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS 00:31:33 - WOMAN OF THE HOUR 01:04:30 - Key Learnings  01:08:50 - Thank you Patreons!   LINKS Shot Zero on the noir-set of noir shots in WOMAN OF THE HOUR   RELATED EPISODES DZ-123: Flawed characters & noir DZ-03: Making unlikeable protagonists compelling DZ-110: Voiceover   More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

What can Film Noir teach us about character arcs and audience engagement? In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn't endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures? Part 1 focuses on two (now classic) noirs: DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE. While Part 2 looks at two more contemporary examples DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESs and WOMAN OF THE HOUR. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Cold Open 00:00:17 - Flawed Characters and Noir 00:16:40 - Double Indemnity 00:53:38 - The Long Goodbye 01:21:15 - End of Part 1 LINKS Mel's A Brief History of Queer Coding in Film: Part 1 - https://melkillingsworth.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-queer-coding-in-film-part-1  More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.  

What happens when a group of filmmakers play a ragtag group of filmmakers in a gritty sci-fi horror? "Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory" - Werner Herzog. This episode is unusual, even by Draft Zero standards. It's an "Actual Play Podcast" where Chas, Stu, & Mel are joined by Kim Ho and Luke Clark to play MOTHERSHIP, the sci-fi horror game we talked about in episodes DZ-121 and DZ-122. Stu is the GM while everyone else is a ragtag crew of freelance filmmakers. We debrief the experience (so far) at the end of the episode) Mel plays Zara, the glamorous face of the operation. Chas plays Winston, the cynical and egoistical "photojournalist". Kim is Cal, the scrappy scrounger and sound recordists, while Luke is Tarsos the steadfast producer of the group. The crew are enlisted to record a sensationalist report on a missing corporate president before the mercenary retrieval team arrives. And yeah, this means we're soft-launching yet another project that's called 1d0, which looks at how we can use tools from ttrpgs in screenwriting… and vice versa. To get future episodes go to: http://www.1d-zero.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00:11 - Intro for DZ Listeners 00:01:51 - Meet the Snortin' Betsy 00:06:22 - A Mansion Most Vile (Ep 1) 01:52:32 - Debrief through TOMBS RELATED EPISODES DZ-121: Escalating Antagonism 1: Sinners DZ-122: Escalating Antagonism 2: Rebel Ridge + Meet the Parents LINKS Tuesday Knight Games Joshua Kramer: A Mansion Most Vile Alewood Games: Arkyvr Nobody Wake the Bugbear Campaign Supplies More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack SUBSCRIBE TO 1DZERO via Substack ACKNOWLEDGES via our website: https://draft-zero.com/2025/1dz-01/  

How can you apply horror ideas to action and comedy? In this episode Chas, Stu and guest Kim Ho continue their exploration into the power(s) of antagonism and how focusing on them can develop story. While Part 1 looked at the horror film SINNERS, in Part 2 we venture into genres beyond horror with the action-thriller REBEL RIDGE, and the comedy classic  MEET THE PARENTS. To both these films we apply the generative story framework TOMBS* (Transgression - Omens - Manifestation - Banishment - Slumber)  and are surprised at just how well it maps. *TOMBS comes from the MOTHERSHIP sci-fi horror table-top role-playing game. Which we love. We explore how TOMBS, and thinking about antagonism in general, allows writers to deepen their understanding of their characters, their relationship of the heroes with the antagonists, and generate story fuel in a way that escalates the story. We discuss how thinking of your hero as the horror for your villains helps everything become more dynamic. Oh, and we talk about launching an actual play podcast. Which is happening. Stay tuned! As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. CHAPTERS 00:00:12 - Escalating Antagonism Part 2 00:03:29 - Rebel Ridge 00:45:30 - Meet the Parents 01:30:29 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up 01:41:38 - Thanks to our Patreons RELATED EPISODES DZ-121: Escalating Antagonism DZ-49: Antagonists! (Part 1) - vs Humans LINKS Kim Ho on IMBD Mothership The Philosophy of Final Destination by the Morbid Zoo The Philosophy of Horror by Noel Carroll GinnyDI: "This Game used 5 steps to scare the crap out of me" - https://youtube.com/watch?v=AUXc8hjaBQw More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack  

How do the antagonistic forces in your story escalate distinctly from the protagonists' journey? We often struggle to develop the middle stages of a story. Could this be because we focus  on our protagonists' journeys and plot structure more than on how the antagonistic powers are awakened, wronged, discovered, gathering strength and revealing themselves? In this episode, Chas and Stu are joined by professional screenwriter and playwright Kim Ho to explore how a generative story cycle (from tabletop role-playing game MOTHERSHIP) can be used to develop stories, not just write them better. This cycle is TOMBS: Transgression - Omens - Manifestation - Banishment - Slumber. Kim also contrasts this cycle with the Onset, Discovery, Confirmation, Confrontation cycle identified by horror philosopher Noel Carroll, as well as the philosophy of the FINAL DESTINATION franchise as analysed by The Morbid Zoo. By applying the TOMBS cycle to Ryan Coogler's amazing 2025 original feature SINNERS, we discover how focusing on the rising power of the various sources of antagonism can generate narrative fuel (and make your second Act sing); force your protagonists to Survive, Solve or Save (pick one); and how this escalation in antagonism can be mapped quite separately from your protagonists' character arcs.  To prove that TOMBS does not just work for horror stories, we polled our patreons for which other genres to explore. Stay turned for our next episode where we apply the TOMBS cycle to thriller REBEL RIDGE and comedy classic MEET THE PARENTS. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. CHAPTERS 00:00:18 – What is TOMBS? 00:31:04 – SINNERS 01:17:51 – Key learnings & wrap up 01:23:51 – Patreon thanks RELATED EPISODES DZ-49: Antagonists! (Part 1) - vs Humans LINKS Kim Ho on IMBD Mothership The Philosophy of Final Destination by the Morbid Zoo The Philosophy of Horror by Noel Carroll More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

Or, how focusing on good drama will result in good subtext. We often hear how subtext is important for good screenwriting. We're here to tell you it isn't. Good subtext is a result of good drama, and your focus should be on creating that good drama. But how? In this episode, Chas Fisher and Stu Willis are joined by screenwriter+teacher, Tom Vaughn (Winchester) to delve into the world of subtext.  We kick off the discussion by talking through Tom's article "Why Subtext is Overrated" and break down his core idea that subtext is a byproduct of character goals, tactics and fears.  We explore this further through close examination of "the other way" scene from MICHAEL CLAYTON, "the strudel" scene INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (both known for their subtext) and the "new years" sequence from THE SUBSTANCE. Inevitably discussion also terms to the relationship of subtext to emotional truth, theme, symbolism, dramatic irony and filmmakers subtext (?!). As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. CHAPTERS 00:00:20 - Intro: What is Subtext? 00:00:21 - Cold Open 00:18:59 - Michael Clayton 00:42:59 - Inglorious Basterds 01:13:48 - The Substance 01:46:13 - Wrap up & Key Learnings RELATED EPISODES DZ-40: Tactics and Scenes DZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston DZ-119: Final character choices & great endings LINKS The New Literalism Plaguing Today's Biggest Movies: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/the-new-literalism-plaguing-todays-biggest-movies Emotional Truth Over Subtext: Unlocking Compelling Scenes in Your Screenwriting: https://blog.storyandplot.com/why-subtext-is-overrated-8502a501aff8 Story and Plot - https://storyandplot.com/ Raising the Stakes - "What is subtext?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jILeLdfEw More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

How does your protagonist's final choice resolve the plot, character arc and theme? In this episode, Stu and Chas focus solely on the final choices made by protagonists and how that reflects their character journey and successfully, or not, dramatises the internal. We compare and contrast different uses of narrative POV in respect to these final choices, in particular whether and when the audience is made aware of the options available to the character, the act of making the choice, and the consequences of the choice. We breakdown examples from DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES, FINDING NEMO, MICHAEL CLAYTON, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN and TALK TO ME. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.  CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Opening 00:00:18 - Why Final Choices? 00:10:45 - DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES 00:19:09 - FINDING NEMO 00:28:45 - MICHAEL CLAYTON 00:53:11 - PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN 01:16:38 - TALK TO ME 01:41:45 - Key Learnings 01:50:13 - Thanks awesome patreons! RELATED EPISODES DZ-04: Catharsis and the Poist-coital Cigarette DZ-84: Choices & Decisions DZ-87: Keeping Genre Fresh DZ-33: Protagonist vs Hero DZ-58: Game of Thrones - Character Exposition DZ-34: Game of Choices LINKS MICHAEL CLAYTON by Tony Gilroy PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN by Emerald Fennell TALK TO ME by Danny Philippou & Bills Hinzman based on a concept by Daley Pearson Michael Arndt: What makes an insanely good ending Every Frame a Painting: Snowpiercer - Look Left or Right   RELATED EPISODES DZ-04: Catharsis and the Poist-coital Cigarette DZ-84: Choices & Decisions DZ-87: Keeping Genre Fresh DZ-33: Protagonist vs Hero DZ-58: Game of Thrones - Character Exposition DZ-34: Game of Choices More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

How do dramatic questions create tension?  In this episode, Stu and Chas delve into the cultural phenomenon of ADOLESCENCE. We try to find the craft tools that have made the show so compelling and such a catalyst for conversation.  In particular, we breakdown how the show's emphasis on questions creates tension: not just tension through plot, but tension through character, and ultimately tension through theme. We analsyse the show episode-by-episode, and discuss how the overall structure skilfully shifts from a plot-heavy police procedural towards a thematic-heavy melodrama and the impact that has on our experience. We discuss how the decision to shoot the show in a series of "oners" affects the writing and what tools we can take from that to apply to our own writing (even if we're not writing it to be a one-shot): POV characters, handovers, French scenes, emotional events, and more. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Cold Open 00:00:10 - Why Adolescence? 00:09:32 - Episode One 00:32:03 - Episode Two 00:46:59 - Episode Three 00:57:47 - Episode Four 01:19:19 - Melodrama 01:23:32 - Scene-level tools 01:52:57 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up 01:58:33 - Thanks to our Patreons RELATED EPISODES DZ-67: Writing "Passive" Protagonists & Melodrama DZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston DZ-101: Oners - Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the Page DZ-70: Joker & Melodrama LINKS Watch: Crafting Adolescence's Tense One-Take Episodes with Stephen Graham | BAFTA Watch: The Making Of Adolescence - The One-Shot Explained | Netflix More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack