Nate Write

“that she must leave the convent to teach seven children (The Sound of Music) or that he’s given a chance to fight the champion (Rocky). Although this type of catalyst isn’t as forceful as an event, in relationship-based stories it might be very appropriate.”
― Linda Seger, Making a Good Script Great

“The catalyst begins a story’s action. Something happens—a crime occurs, a letter arrives, Aunt Mary appears on the doorstep—and from that moment on the story is defined. Until the catalyst kicks off the story, the only information the audience has is where and when the film takes place. But once an event happens, the story suddenly has focus and direction.”
― Linda Seger, Making a Good Script Great

“Sometimes a catalyst is situational, made up of a series of incidents that add up over a period of time. This sort of catalyst is rare, because hinting at action is usually not a strong way to start a story. Three films that have situational catalysts are Tootsie, Back to the Future, and Some Like It Hot. Tootsie, for instance, introduces the New York theater world, showing how difficult it is to get a job.”
― Linda Seger, Making a Good Script Great

“Every story, in a sense, is a mystery. It asks a question in the setup that will be answered at the climax. Usually, a problem is introduced or a situation that needs to be resolved is presented. This situation or problem raises a question in our minds, such as “Will the detective find the murderer?,” “Will these two beautiful young people fall in love and get married?,” “Will the mountain climber reach the summit of Everest?,” “Will the woman get promoted?,” “Will the man get cured of his terrible disease?” Once it is raised, everything that happens in the story relates to that question, which keeps coming up throughout the story. With each turning point and each setback and each step forward, the question is repeated subconsciously. At the story’s climax, there’s an answer, which is almost always “yes.” Will the detective solve the crime? Yes. Will the lovers get together? Yes. Will the mountain climber reach the top? Yes. But since we don’t learn the answers until the end, we remain interested in what will happen along the way and how the objective built into the central question will be accomplished. Once the central question has been asked, the setup is complete, and the story is now ready to unfold.”
― Linda Seger, Making a Good Script Great