Five Questions For Every Scene
Screenwriting is scene work. Scenes and sequences are at the heart of what we do. But how do we write great scenes, and how do we REwrite them?
It's The Intention That Matters
We ask ourselves: what is the emotion we want to evoke? What information do we want to impart, or what visual do we want to reveal?
Put simply, what is the intention?
The Concept Is King
This is a concept-driven industry now. For better or for worse. The concept should be unique but just as important: the unique thing should be what generates conceptually unified scenes.
It's your movie. Put the reader in the audience
If we can get the reader to see the images and feel the emotions, we can transmit our enthusiasm and excitement for the project to them.
Finding The Core Belief: The Impact of the Flat-Arc Protagonist
Stories where the protagonist remains steadfast in their beliefs and, in doing so, changes everyone around them.
This is called in some circles... "The flat-arc protagonist."
How To Incorporate Screenplay Notes From Friends, Writers Groups, and Others.
This week is a different kind of development challenge. What to do with notes from friends, family, other writers, coverage, contests, and any other input you get from the various sources.
Navigating Screenplay Development Without Getting Fired.
Early in my screenwriting career, I was insecure, combative, and a pain to work with.
Here is how I turned that around.
Exposition: Find The Emotional Connection In Your Screenwriting
The early challenges of sloppy exposition are due mainly to a lack of confidence and trust. Which is also kind of the bad news. It takes time to develop those two things.
Make Your Screenplay More Readable: Write Vertically
Put simply, writing vertically refers to making choices that push the reader's eyes DOWN the page more often than they go ACROSS the page.
Navigating the Rewrite Process: Finding New Perspectives
There's nothing magical about the rewrite.
It's the same as writing. So don't overcomplicate it, and don't let it intimidate you.
Five Phases of Feature Development
I left my last agents at Paradigm over a disagreement about two spec scripts.
I liked them. They didn't.
The Protagonist's Most Important Trait: Resilience.
By the end of your story, your protagonist should demonstrate resilience.
I know, I know.
How interesting could it be if every protagonist had this exact same trait?
It turns out, it's very interesting.