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 [...]
Every once in a while I get an opportunity to help a fellow writer or colleague. Whenever my schedule permits, and even when it doesn’t, I do my best to say, “yes.” Why would I offer up my time, even when I’m busy? To learn. I don’t care how many scripts you’ve written or how [...]
This week’s Screenwriter Website of the Week is Chris Jones’ Make Film, Teach Film: Get A Camera, Get Some Actors, and Go Shoot a Movie. Chris posts information about indie filmmaking, offering tips on how to succeed while taking control over your career. Bookmark it. Push yourself to new limits, and follow Chris on Twitter [...]
Success. We dream about it. We lust for it. We wake in the wee hours before our day jobs, as well as burn the midnight oil, to find time to write. Some days, the amount of hours we clock seem endless, but we keep putting ink on paper, believing in our destiny to be writers. [...]
This week’s Screenwriter Website of the Week is Xander Bennett’s Screenwriting Tips, You Hack on The Black List site. Xander posts a new screenwriting tip each day. The beauty is, it takes just seconds to read. Everyone has time for that kind of speed learning. Bookmark it. Learn something new every day, and follow Xander [...]
The Myth of the 3-Act Structure: Why Am I Lost in the Second Act? At a Glance This webinar includes a free 20 minute one-on-one consultation. You’ll also have your questions answered by Award-Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger! Stop imposing rigid formulas from the outside, and learn how to grow your screenplay organically, from character, to [...]
If you make your career as a comedy writer, it’s a good idea to learn how to write funny in a variety of different mediums. That’s especially true these days with new media popping up faster than you can say, “tweet.” Taking as my inspirations such multi-hyphenates as Woody Allen and Steve Martin, I’ve always [...]
Question: What is the proper use of parentheticals? They are to be enclosed in parenthesis, non-capitalized and used very sparingly and pertain only to the character speaking. Their right margin is 3 inches in from the right side and their left margin is 3 inches from the left side of the paper. Keep them short and sweet, no [...]
This week’s highlighted screenwriter website belongs to Robert Dillon. His Feedback Friday blog hosts pages written by screenwriters looking for feedback. Each Friday, he posts the pages along with notes. Be brave. Be daring. Shoot some pages over to Robert and let the feedback shape your script to a new level! But that’s not all… [...]
