The Big Picture - Four Throughlines
After focusing the last two weeks on Act 1 and Act 2, I want to talk about the big picture.
If you've taken any of my classes, you know I emphasize simplifying the process whenever we can.
Character
How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Act 2
It is the last Tuesday of July and, therefore, the last entry in our unofficial series on character. Last week we covered character in the opening pages, and now I want to take you to one of my favorite topics... Act 2.
Define The Character Early
We are still on character and dialogue this month, but today it's just character.
And specifically, character in the first ten pages.
We all know how crucial the opening of our screenplay is. We hear it again and again.
How To Make Characters Distinguish Themselves
You've heard the note before, "All the characters sound the same!"
The idea here is that each character should have a different sound to their speech.
I think it's an easy note to make.
Most Important Aspect Of Supporting Characters
We can mistakenly think world-building is solely the domain of sci-fi and fantasy. It is not. It refers to the entire domain of our story, whether that's a far-away planet or the single-location home of an indie-comedy.
Why Subtext is Overrated.
Subtext is usually positioned as something evasive that requires talent and nuance to capture. Another one of those elusive things people like to wield as a weapon to make themselves feel better and writers feel worse.
When to describe the character in detail
This week I want to talk about when to describe a character you just introduced. How we describe them is an excellent topic, too, but well covered by others. I’ll save my take on it for another time. Today is about WHEN.
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.
A quick and dirty guide to managing too many characters
A student asked me about what to do with a script that had a lot of young kids running around as supporting players. Twelve to be exact. She wanted to know how to introduce them, how to help the reader keep track of them, etc…
Audiences Care About Relationships
I was frustrated with the fourth season of Stranger Things. It felt like the season spent most of its time getting out of Russian corners it painted itself into the season before. But I kept watching. And watching. And while I wondered why I kept watching, I really shouldn’t have. I knew the answer.
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 are.