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? [...]
Having adapted a number of true stories for the screen, I found myself wondering, as I watched Argo, which moments might have been created for the movie. I guess I’m something of an apologist for Hollywood, in that I see a need to do more fictionalizing and authorial shaping of history than aspiring screenwriters usually [...]
The Save the Cat!® story structure software developed by Bob McFarlane helps writers create meaningful stories. A powerful logline and title, a genre with recognizable traits, a beat sheet with 15 key beats for every screenplay or novel and a board with moveable, color-coded scene cards, are just some of the elements included in the [...]
Story Analyst Dan Calvisi used to only reveal the inner workings of his method to his students and script consulting clients now but he’s sharing his template in his new eBook: Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay, available as a download purchase directly off his on his Act Four Screenplays website.
Lately, I get a lot of nervous questions from writers about the advice given in a certain popular screenwriting book. If you’re getting nervous too about which “rule book” you should follow, today’s blog may help you chill out.
In My Story Can Beat Up Your Story, Jeffrey Alan Schechter promises “Ten Ways to Toughen Up Your Screenplay From Opening Hook to Knockout Punch.”
Going to a coverage service is like flipping through the phone book to find a therapist. You MIGHT get the exact right person reading your script… but I wouldn’t put money on it.
In Emmy-winning writer-producer Erik Bork’s work as a consultant, the most frequent script problem he encounters is lack of a clear point-of-view. He feels a story must be experienced from inside a main character’s perspective, so readers will be emotionally invested enough to want to keep reading.
SAVE THE CAT has redefined how Erik Bork looks at types of movie stories, in a way that he thinks can be really helpful to writers. He believes Blake Snyder’s “genres” speak to the main question professional readers are asking: “Is the main character’s problem (and plan) big, compelling, and entertaining enough?”…
