In a post on the Stage 32 blog, Miquiel Banks offers tips for using beat sheets to track your protagonist’s character arc. “At their core, beat sheets break down a screenplay into individual ‘beats,’ or significant story events that affect, change, and turn the plot in a new direction,” Banks explains. “Each beat represents a point of emotional change, decision, or revelation that propels the Hero/Heroine forward.”
Beats are usually deployed in the planning stage, to ensure a coherent structure and adequate pace for your story. Monitoring your beats can help distribute dramatic highs and lows, build tension, and guide the audience across an emotional journey.
If you want to experiment with beats, start by identifying the key plot points that will define your story. For example, sketch out your opening scene, inciting incident, first turning point, midpoint, and various obstacles your protagonist will encounter. “Each beat is a building block, and when constructed correctly, these beats form a robust and compelling narrative,” Banks says.
Beats can also help you keep track of emotional highs and lows, from the more placid introduction of the story world to high tension moments at your turning points. Your midpoint generally offers a place for a peak emotional moment, while your resolution is the most intense. “By mapping these beats, you keep the audience’s emotions in sync with your story by controlling the story’s pacing,” Banks writes.
If you’re using the Hero’s Journey approach for your story, a beat sheet can help you align the journey with the emotional peaks. “Beats are stepping stones guiding the audience through the narrative river, each one strategically placed to support the weight of your story,” Banks says. “By planning these beats, you ensure the audience follows and the journey feels natural and compelling.”
