Every writer needs inspiration. I’m known for getting mine as a voyeur at my Panera office. However it is you get inspired, there are tools that can help you organize your ideas and keep them at your fingertips for easy reference. 1. Inspiration Software: Inspiration makes it easy to create webs, idea maps, mind maps, concept [...]
For those who’ve followed my writing on Balls of Steel, you know how I love crawling into my characters’ heads. This week, I want to share with you a FREE download to help you find plot points that fit with your characters’ story arcs! Get your FREE Structure Grid of Character Development and Plot as [...]
When Story Analyst Dan Calvisi published Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay a few years ago, he presented screenwriters with a detailed look inside his own personalized method for breaking down a story. His unique approach to constructing a story in the grand tradition of Syd Field, Blake Snyder, and others, allowed any [...]
There’s no question, writing is rewriting. Quitting too early is the death of a script’s potential sale. Here are some tools I use to help me get my scripts to a polish as close to perfect as my imperfect self can accomplish: 1. Rewrite by Paul Chitlik If you’re writing a spec, you don’t want [...]
Happy Monday! The start of a week can be much like the start of a script. I can play on the rewrite playground forever, but starting a project is always the most difficult part for me. Over the years, I’ve asked my writer friends for advice on tools to help me not only get past my [...]
One of the biggest problems a script writer has is keeping track of all the elements in the story. Think about it; there are usually multiple characters, several locations, and if that weren’t enough, there needs to be a convincing arc for each character to follow as the story progresses. What should happen and where? [...]
Last night, I had the good fortune of being a fly on the wall at the sort of event most aspiring writers would give plenty to attend: An afternoon for Madhouse represented writers as well as executives with the one and only Michael Hauge. Having done some work with the indelible Hauge, I had the [...]
To celebrate the launch of Jen Grisanti’s new column Story Structure, I’m sharing my top picks for screenwriting structure and writing style products at The Writers Store: 1. The Screenwriter’s Bible by Dave Trottier – Dave’s book was one of my very first screenwriting resources, and is still one I turn to when I have [...]
Hot off the presses for spring 2013 is a brand-new edition of The Hollywood Screenwriting Directory, featuring more than 2,500 listings (up from last edition’s 1,500). You’ll also find updates on more than 40% of the contacts, including verified information, like phone numbers, and street and email addresses. But as I often say, you only [...]
