Story and Plot Weekly Email (Page 12)

You Must Direct On The Page

You Must Direct On The Page

Let's give a few folks the benefit of the doubt, and maybe they don't understand what they're saying. What they actually mean is, “Don’t use camera angles” and they’re just kind of repeating what they’re told as, "don't direct the script."

The Ordinary World Does Not Mean Boring

The Ordinary World Does Not Mean Boring

Do not let “ordinary” fool you. We do not want to see someone’s alarm go off and a character wake up to an “ordinary day.”

Character-focused stories are easier with plot-focused dramatic questions.

Character-focused stories are easier with plot-focused dramatic questions.

I want to dive a little deeper into the dramatic question and the importance of how we frame it.

It's Never Too Late To Do The Most Important Thing

It's Never Too Late To Do The Most Important Thing

One of the benefits of being a practitioner and not an academic is that the definitions I’ve sculpted over twenty years of teaching seek less to classify things and more to help us execute them properly.

Don’t start with theme. Let it come to you.

Don’t start with theme. Let it come to you.

Writers love to talk about theme. Academics, too. It comes up often. A story’s themes can unify and deepen the emotional reaction and those layers can make the work feel “elevated.” For writers and other artists, this is awfully seductive. It really does inflate our self-importance.

Small Things That Make A Difference

Small Things That Make A Difference

Small things matter, because the small things add up. I am a strong believer in writing's cumulative effect over any kind of duration.

90s Action and Why Speed’s Weird Third Act Works

90s Action and Why Speed’s Weird Third Act Works

I’ve been watching 90s action movies with my mom for the last few weeks. I’ll drive up to visit, and suddenly a movie I’ve seen at least ten times but unwatched in 15 years is playing, and we have the surround sound turned UP.

An option for midpoint problems

An option for midpoint problems

A big bottle-neck for many as they first try to structure their story is the midpoint. This is often the third big structural decision I make on a project. I credit realizing the importance of the midpoint as one of my first big breakthroughs toward being a professional.

This Might Be What’s Wrong With Your Spec Pilot

This Might Be What’s Wrong With Your Spec Pilot

I’ve been able to read a lot of spec sitcom pilots over the years. Mostly from friends and acquaintances within the Los Angeles improv/comedy scene. The shortcomings of these projects have been surprisingly consistent.

Why Story Matters: Act 1 and Act 3

Why Story Matters: Act 1 and Act 3

I am working with a fellow screenwriter, and we are struggling with a third act. We both LOVE the ending. The ending is unique, making me fall in love with the project. Having the ending before you have much else is not all that uncommon, but it’s a unique challenge.

TÁR and Remaining Teachable

The Mental Battle

TÁR and Remaining Teachable

The first page of Todd Field’s screenplay for Tár made the rounds on Twitter over the weekend. It has the look and feel of a 30-year-old script. Confident and masterful, but tough to read. You have to be patient with it. It demands your concentration.

It’s Not About The Plot

It’s Not About The Plot

Too often, the new writer thinks MORE plot will save them. This is rarely, if ever, true. One of my biggest realizations from breaking down the structure of screenplays was seeing just how simple the plots actually were.