Date

7-21-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Chair

Durrell Nelson

Keywords

Screenplay, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction

Disciplines

Creative Writing

Abstract

This thesis explores how fantasy and fantasy-related screenplays externalize the conflict between characters' desires (external goals) and their needs (internal transformation) through surreal imagery, symbolic worlds, and narrative design. While traditional screenwriting mainly emphasizes the difference between what a character wants and what they need, fantasy uniquely makes this tension visible by turning psychological struggles into physical settings, creatures, and story challenges. Through close analysis of Spirited Away (2001), Pan's Labyrinth (2010, and Black Swan (2006), this thesis argues that fantasy cinema not only portrays character transformation but also renders it materially and visually, translating the abstract tension between desire and need into embodied forms that reshape how audiences engage with and perceive psychological conflict. The project will also include Act I and Act II of my original creative screenplay, which dramatizes this tension, along with a critical reflection exploring how these craft elements are applied in practice.

Download

Share

COinS