How I learned screenplay structure.
Plots seem complicated when you're in the moment, but when you lay them out scene by scene it's clear how simple they really are.
Structure
How to structure a story with a relationship at the center.
Relationships are vital for every story. Audiences care deeply about relationships, perhaps more than anything else. But what about when the relationship is the story?
The key to a sensational inciting incident.
The most effective inciting incidents are personal, and the best ones evoke an emotional reaction from the protagonists and from us.
The want drives everything.
Without a want, the narrative is stagnant. But with it, we can map out the entire story structure.
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.
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 Midpoint
An event at the midpoint of the movie that reverses what was previously believed to be true, changes the stakes, or otherwise creates a new environment or given circumstances for the protagonist
Tools For Character-Driven Dramatic Questions
Last week, I wrote about plot-focused dramatic questions and how they can make your job much easier.
But not every story wants one...
The Dramatic Question
The dramatic question is one of your best tools for your story structure.
So much so, that two of my three primary goals in the "pre-outline" phase of any project.
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.
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.
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.”