Dilemma Is The Source Of A Story - Alan Watt [Founder of L.A. Writers' Lab] 

“You can’t solve a problem on the same level of consciousness that created the problem.” Thank you for this wonderful interview.

Dilemma: You're a cat that needs attention, but your owner is busy being interviewed.

"when we lose ourselves in the process, the results can take care of themselves" LOVE IT And yes we all saw Captain 😁😸

A Dilemma is a situation where every option you choose will have a negative impact ..so the character have to choose which “negative impact “he(she)can live with

''Are you happy with the dilemma in the story you are writing?'' No, because that's where I got stuck. BUT, now after watching this (and pretty much transcribing the entire video lol) and probably the next one, Stakes and Dilemma, I'm confident that I can get unstuck. Alan explained everything so clearly I felt like slapping my forehead in a ''Duh me'' moment. I so appreciate the examples as well, they make everything so concrete. Thank you Alan Watt and Film Courage.

The book is brilliant.

I really like this guy. I think the way he views things make a lot of sense.

Finally, word of mouth about Alan Watt has reached this little village of Bedford in South Africa. So there's hope for the release of those stories bumping around in our heads. Thank you for this interview. More intellectual gold.

Wow. This one video has profoundly changed my mindset as a writer. Especially the part about not being able to solve the protagonists transformation while thinking at the level of the protagonist.

perception, process, progress, dilemma, problem, solution, resolution, desire, surrender, transformation

Dilemma is THE driving force of any story. Without a problem to solve, there's really no story being written.

Another piece of gold from Film Courage. Thanks for the millionth time.

Love the cat in the bg

Great perspective! Dilemma versus problem. A character facing a dilemma is certainly intriguing. But to be honest, there are lots of great movies where the protagonist has a problem, not a dilemma: Die Hard, Pretty Woman, As Good As It Gets, Citizen Cane, Witness, Risky Business, etc, etc. And yes, as Einstein said, you can't solve a problem with the same mindset that created it. You have to learn new things, bro, change, become a better (wiser) person. That happens after the ALL IS LOST moment and before the Climax. It applies to problems as much as dilemmas. Why didn't he cite a few great movies to prove his point? The hero in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (a film he mentioned) faces a problem, not a dilemma. In some movies the hero runs into a dilemma as he tries to solve the Dramatic Question. If the Dramatic Question is presented as a dilemma, that might work well for certain genres. I think Alan Watt has great ideas, and I'm going to buy his book. But too many of these story doctors/gurus ask us to forget everything that's been taught about screenwriting before their book or seminars. They need to stop it.

Thanks for this channel so much great content and teachers!Its film and writing school for free!!

Another very interesting video, thanks Film Courage. I'm really happy with the dilemma in my story. I think perhaps it is the sign of a good premise. In my story the protagonist has the opportunity to solve his problem but the dilemma he faces is that one solution - the easy/quick one - is filled with profound danger. The other solution will mean he has to work a lot harder and it will take a lot longer to achieve, but as humans we usually look for the easy route. Which option should, or does, he choose......? Oh and about Captain.......I'm sure I heard Blake Snyder shout "Save the cat!" :-)

I'm so happy I found someone that thinks like me. Thanks you Alan Watt for breaking down 'It's a wonderful life.' and Story in general.. I watch old films trying to figure out why I can watch certain films over and over with the same fulfillment. That's they type of writing I want to learn. I think you have the key to this. I could never figure out Plot although it had been staring me in the face thanks to your explanation. That Einstein quote also, I can relate to. As far as Premise, I think the premise can be what prompts a writer to write. I have several writings, some are scripts and some stories. How they are born or conceived is quite different. A title may come first, an Idea or premise, an experience, or a word or problem that someone else may have, or trying to find a solution.. the list goes on. Love this video Film courage 'keep them coming! Looking forward to purchasing the 90-Day Screenplay and taking Alan's courses.

I always love the ending questions! I'd say that this video made me aware that I need a more abstract problem to bounce off from -- currently hashing out a plot. Can't say I'm too thrilled about my current "dilemma", but I'm enroute to uncovering one. This and character transformation were great to hear; splendid interview!

Great video. There, another book on my to read pile!

Thank you, very illuminating! Yes, I am satisfied with "my" dilemma! :)

These vids give so much food for thought. I'm still trying to figure out my dilemma for my story. But this helps greatly! Thanks for your posting!

wow this helped! " All I want is my rug, ..maan." love this channel

Awesome thank you for another great video

Good stuff.

this is a very helpful interview

I reverse-engineered this concept for a lot of my favorite movies and was happy to see that it applies to nearly all of them "The Producers" - Conflict: Max Bialystock is a washed-up producer who's reduced to being a gigolo for rich old ladies just to live out of his office. Solution: Commit tax fraud by over-selling stock in a Broadway show, then putting on a show that he knows won't profit so he can make off with the unaccounted investment. Dilemma: the show ends up being a hit and now he and his partner have to figure out how to avoid going to jail. "The Brave Little Toaster" - Conflict: the appliances in a summer cottage want to see their owner again, but the cottage and everything in it has just been put up for sale. Solution: they travel to the city on their own and reunite with him. Dilemma: they have to survive an environment they literally were not designed for. "Duck Soup" - Conflict: two neighboring countries are on the brink of war, with one plotting a takeover of the other. Solution: have the two leaders meet to discuss the matter peacefully. Dilemma: the leader for the country in danger of being taken over is literally Groucho Marx. "Clerks" - Conflict: Dante hates his job and his aimless life. Solution: As Randall tells him, he needs to "Shit or get off the pot," ie put in the work to improve his life or accept it for what it is. Dilemma: Dante is a spineless whiner who blames everyone else for his problems instead of taking responsibility. "Airplane!" (technically inherited from the movie it's a direct parody of) - Conflict: several passengers and even the flight crew of a passenger flight have are in danger of dying of food poisoning from the in-flight meal. Solution: there's one passenger who can not only fly the plane but who didn't have fish for dinner. Dilemma: he doesn't want too.

I will buy his book eventually.

That cat is a star baby!

Good distinction between problems and dilemma. :)

His cat wanted some camera time 😂

Anybody else seeing the glitch in the Matrix?

Did you saw the glitch in the matrix with that cat in the background?

He is like me :) thnx

Silco's story and character fits to a t

Freud on dilemma vs problem: Sometimes a flat tire is just a cigar.

essentially than dilemma should be a catalyst for a growth arc...

3:44

Dilemmas are just incredibly helpful to create an interesting story....

What's the lexicon's definition of a dilemma?

Hello kitty, he'll be there in a few.

What's the dilemma in "Rocky?"

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏👍🙏

Meow! 🐈🤣🥰

What about a movie like Kill Bill? How does it work in that persepctive?

So is the dilemma the character arc?

Are you happy with the dilemma in your life?

What if i dont want a story? What if i want immersion? Such a thing do not needs a narative - it needs atmosphere. Interestning world or environment. Something to explore or to enjoy. In fact we have 2 types of content - story based and immersion based. Can you guys explore the immersion aspect more?

He could not be more wrong. Even more wrong are people who say there must be a dilemma in every scene. There must be a crisis in every scene, but it does not necessarily imply a difficult choice, 95% of the time, or possibly much more than that. Most decisions in life and in fiction in the realm of realism are no-brainers, and a protag solving a dilemma has really no more effect than them deciding on what the obvious decision might be, which is what leads to the climax of the scene, and that climax will be the same regardless how difficult the choice might have been. It does not need to be a dilemma to imply high stakes or tension. Do it if it fits, sure. It might help raise the stakes or the drama level a bit, but there actually is no 'there' there, regardless what these idgits say. it really won't raise the characterization at all. And the stakes are the stakes, regardless how much the protagonist agonizes over them, which does not really raise the stakes much. The protagonist's actions in the climax of a scene, not how difficult the decision is, is what characterizes them and gets us to bond with them and root for them. How difficult a decision might be for them has absolutely no bearing on that. The crisis of a scene, which is needed, is not what makes a scene strong. It's the climax, the action they have decided to take and which is played out on screen. That's where the beef is. If we limit this to heroism, the definition of a hero is someone who makes a courageous decision, not necesssarily a difficult decision, and acts on that decision full well knowing that it could lead to either success or failure. They still do what the decision leads them to do, regardless how difficult it was for them to make, and regardless what the outcome might be. And there are plenty of other ways to raise the stakes and the drama level, but shoehorning in a dilemma where it isn't needed buys you exactly nothing, other than melodrama or over-sensationalization, neither of which will help the story. It will hurt the story, because it's an attempt at a shortcut, and there are no shortcuts to creativity-you have to do the hard work. And a dilemma in every scene? That will dull the viewer's mind, have no variety (which viewers crave), create monotony, appear not realistic or reflective of real life, and will simply exhaust them by Act II. Your wishful thinking is to likely not want to believe this. He gave you a tool, a shortcut. You want to believe it will be effective and the magic bullet you need. If only. But it won't, and there are countless examples of why: A legendary multi-million-dollar blockbuster without a dilemma in a key scene? Was there a dilemma when Indy Jones was faced with the big tough guy threatening him with a scimitar? Not in the least. He solved the problem by doing the obvious thing-he pulled his gun and shot him. Bang! Problem solved. How did the audience respond to there not being a dilemma facing him? They laughed. They applauded. They fist-pumped. They roared. They expected the yawn-inducing cliche of Indy having to defend himself against this guy who had a huge advantage over him. But Spielberg and Ford (it was his idea) turned that on its head, and proved how worthless a dilemma would have been in that situation. Indy simply made the obvious decision against a guy who had the stupidity to bring a knife to a gunfight. Kind of Darwinian, isn't it? Famous author Raymond Chandler wrote 7 novels, all of them are revered and in the canon. There is not one single crisis that Philip Marlowe faced, in any scene in the entire 7 novels, that was a difficult decision for him. He just always did what was the obvious thing, based on who he was and what he knew. That is why we loved him. Marlowe never agonized or found himself having to choose between two good solutions or two 'best bad choices'. Sometimes what he chose was a mistake and got him in deeper trouble, but not very often at all. So eschewing dilemmas, completely, caused Chandler no problem as an author. His work is beloved, and his books are classics. So I'll say it again-this idgit could not be more wrong. Do the work, instead.

I think something was changed in the matrix.

Dilemma!- first minutes aimed cat behind him and at the end of interview Tigre bounce and eat him ! MORALITY feed your cat or cat will turn Tigre like small problem growing up if you don't do thing properly on time😀

I really loved the concept of dilemma..problem can be solved by creating another problem..but I didn't get when he says dielmma is false belief about my flat tyre means.i felt like he is trying to fit his theory to the scenario..can anyone help what he actually means.

My Protag's dilemma is that he wants to abolish slavery, but his (very strong) father owns the plantation and is pushing the son in that same direction in life.

This is how Breaking Bad was written.

Solving a problem doesn’t change a character. To solve a dilemma a character must change. Problem: Jessie must shoot Gail to save his and Walt’s lives. Dilemma: To do so, Jessie must give up any innocents he has left and become a cold blooded killer.

I have learned nothing

Utter drivel. He's all over the place. His dilemma example is ridiculous. Why not give us some dilemmas from a bunch of films if his "formula" is so good. Come on guys let's not be gullible. Useless video honestly!