Chapter 11: the guide – Mariner Software Contour for Mac User Manual

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Chapter 11: The Guide

S

ometimes it's easier to think of your story in bigger moments and then

work your way down into the nitty-gritty.  Contour knows this and provides the
Guide as an alternate way of looking at your story.

The Guide is a series of 12 sequential text boxes, each with it's own
memorable title. These titles are actually defining statements that represent
what the general tone of your script should be as your story unfolds.

Even though each text box is linked to a specific plot point in the main part of
Contour, each text box actually represents a range of pages (1-6, 6-12, etc.)
For example, the very first text box in the Guide is titled I Don't Get No
Respect. Between pages 1-6 of most screenplays, the main character is
almost never shown any respect. The information you enter in this first text
box will automatically link back to Plot Point 3 in Act I because by the end of
Plot Point 3 we should have seen that your main character is disrespected.

In This Chapter:

Using the Guide

Accessing the Guide

Mnemonic Sayings

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