If you like Dave Trottier’s dialogue advice, you might also enjoy The Writers Store article on scriptwriting. After decades in the biz, these are the dialogue errors I see over and over again: 1. Obvious exposition. Husband: “Darling, how long have we been married now?” Wife: “Silly, it’s been 20 years.  Remember Hawaii—the North Shore?” [...]

Question: When I’m writing scenes in one location, say hotel or a house, how do I format the sluglines properly? You’ve often heard the terms slug, slug line, and mini-slug in reference to screenwriting.  Understanding these terms is paramount, so let’s explore the slug family. Most common formatting error I have no quarrel with the [...]

Round out your education by viewing these movies about writers and/or the movie industry.  Here are ten must-see movies worth seeing.  They are not listed in any particular order. The Player.  Director Robert Altman likes to make movies that recreate a place or time.  MASH, Nashville, and Gosford Park are a few.  Although much of [...]

Last month, Dave’s article about how to fail as a writer got such a reaction he wanted to share more thoughts on success and failure… If you want to succeed as a writer, decide right now that you are going to move towards that goal. The following 3 keys will unlock the door to that [...]

Question: What are the biggest mistakes you think writers make? If you’re going to fail as a writer, then you might as well get it over with now.  Then you can focus on your day job and watch television all night.  The following 3 keys are guaranteed to unlock the door to instant failure and [...]

QUESTION #1 – PHONE CONVERSATIONS What is the best way to cross cut a telephone conversation that cuts back and forth between two characters. ANSWER Simply establish the two locations and write out the telephone conversation as follows: INT. MARY’S KITCHEN – NIGHT Mary paces nervously, then punches numbers on her phone. INT. DARIN’S CAR [...]

QUESTION: Are there any special format rules for writing a flashback? ANSWER: Since the FLASHBACK is often abused by developing writers, make sure that your use of it pays off dramatically.  In terms of formatting, there are numerous correct methods.  The overriding principle is to be clear. Method 1 In the example below, we label [...]

I never set out to become Dr. Format. Oh, no. In the mid to late 80s, I was a marketing executive and doing good work. One day, my Muse Betty whispered to me, “Teach. Write.” I whispered back, “Let me think about it.” So I thought about how much I enjoyed teaching marketing to employees [...]

Virtually all screenwriters seek feedback on their work before they begin marketing it.  Whether that feedback comes from a writer’s group, a fellow writer, a story analyst, or a paid script consultant, it’s important to maximize the benefits of that feedback. Evaluating the evaluation First of all, the feedback you receive is not the final [...]