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What does it mean to “break story” on a screenplay?

Tagged: dramatic theory, outlines, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, structure, terms, writing

Breaking story basically means figuring out the screenplay’s blueprint — mapping out a story and coming up with a logically and dramatically consistent beginning, middle, and end, and the major checkpoints therein.

ROBIN

I finally broke story on that period family-horror-comedy idea I’ve been wrestling with.

BRAD

Nice!

It’s cause for a small celebration.

### More from johnaugust.com
* [Outlines, treatments and numbered pages](http://johnaugust.com/2011/outlines-treatments-and-numbered-pages “Outlines, treatments, and numbered pages”)
* [WTF is a beat sheet?](http://johnaugust.com/2010/wtf-is-a-beat-sheet “WTF is a beat sheet?”)
* [Setting is not story](http://johnaugust.com/2009/setting-is-not-story “Setting is not story”)
* [Selling a story if you’re not a screenwriter](http://johnaugust.com/2004/selling-a-story-if-youre-not-a-screenwriter “Selling a story if you’re not a screenwriter”)

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