Many of the scripts I’m reading at the competition level are very unsophisticated in the plotting of their B stories. Many don’t have B stories at all. Your A story may be well plotted and the characters may be clearly and succinctly drawn, however, if there aren’t interesting B stories dense with subtext that inform […]
Tag Archives | Character
What, Technically, is a “Beat” in a Screenplay?
By Monica on June 29, 2009 in Beat Sheet, Character, Formatting, Genre, Location, Logical World, Process, Story, Uncategorized
A writer friend of mine emailed asking me to better describe what is a screenwriting “beat.” Here’s the skinny. This is actually a point of confusion for many people, and I recall it was very confusing to me when I started at film school because there are actually three kinds of beats, but people just […]
Screenplay Genre and Structure: Why the Beat Sheet?
The beat sheet is the best way to learn about screenplay structure, genre conventions and how to structure your script when you’re starting to outline. A beat sheet is basically what you should create for yourself as an outline before going to page, however even before you start beating out your own script it is […]
Romantic Comedy Beat Sheet: The Wedding Planner
Here is a breakdown I did on The Wedding Planner. First of all, I love this movie (love you, Shankman!). I think it’s funny, romantic, really charming and well written (go, Pam and Mike!). It is also very well structured, so it’s a good one to study. What is of notice is the major plot […]
The Screenplay Competition “Do Nots”
By Monica on June 22, 2009 in Character, Formatting, Genre, Location, Logical World, Process, Uncategorized
The basic “do nots” before you send your script to a competition. The following is a very basic list of items that do not impress me as a competition reader and, more often than not, will get your script a resounding pass. If your script contains any of these points, consider rewriting before submitting to […]
How To Make Your Script Stand Out: Character, Character, Character
I read two scripts this morning about which I seriously debated, “to recommend or not to recommend…” For me as a reader, it really comes down to whether or not I would fight for a script. If I’m on the fence, that’s not a resounding, “yes!” There are too many resounding yeses at this level, […]
Screenwriting Basics: The Logical World
The logical world may seem like an obvious point, however, I read enough scripts that have major breaks within the logic of their world that this is a topic of importance that I wanted to write about. Whatever rules you establish for your world must remain consistent throughout. Sometimes, in particular with younger or new […]
Screenwriting Basics: Character and Location Intros
By Monica on May 7, 2009 in Character, Formatting, Genre, Location, Logical World, Process, Story, Uncategorized
Many scripts I read don’t bother to establish location or introduce their characters appropriately. Do not forget that when I pick up your script, I’ve never been introduced to your screenplay world before. I have no idea if your script takes place in New Orleans or Boston, in today’s world or in 2055. I have […]