TODAY'S NUGGET: Black Moon Rising (1986) - Part 1: Three Story Lines

[Quick Summary: Quint steals and stashes evidence in Black Moon, a prototype car which has been stolen, and must break into a chop shop fortress to retrieve it.]

TWO THOUGHTS:

1) 3 STORY LINES. In my list of the "most difficult writing skills,"* I put three separate story lines near the top.**

This script has three story lines that will intersect, which is a more common structure:

- Quint's story - He needs to find the Black Moon to retrieve the evidence.
- Nina's story - She's a car thief who has stolen Black Moon.
- Black Moon builders - They want their car back.

Everyone has a different motive, but everyone wants Black Moon, i.e., the point of intersection.  This puts them in direct conflict with each other.

Also, it keeps the tension keeps rising.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: When story lines intersect, it is often over a common object or person.  This ensures that the characters continue to directly conflict.

Black Moon Rising (1986)(2nd draft, dated  12/19/84)
by John Carpenter and William Gray
Story by John Carpenter

*Also on the list: Rom-coms (for striking the right tone).

**Best Years of Our Lives (1946) is the only script that I've found so far that handled three separate story lines in a satisfying way.  Even there, I considered it 2 1/2 story lines because two stories crossed a little.