Since I was contacted within the past couple of weeks about two new Internet screenwriting communities launching, I thought I would weigh in. So, what is the deal with online screenwriting communities? The online screenwriting community is sort of like a FaceBook for aspiring screenwriters. It’s an online virtual community where screenwriters can post their […]
Tag Archives | screenwriter
Free Screenplay Story Notes Giveaway to Oscar Picks Winner
I’m offering a free basic story notes package on a screenplay to any reader who can correctly predict the Oscar winners in the following categories: 1. Best Picture 2. Actor in a Leading Role 3. Actor in a Supporting Role 4. Actress in a Leading Role 5. Actress in a Supporting Role 6. Cinematography 7. […]
Another Online Screenwriting Community: Circalit.com
To all you enthusiasts of online screenwriting communities – here’s another one for you. Raoul Tawadey recently emailed me about the launch of his new site, Circalit.com. Raoul writes: I have been working with some fellow screenwriters to setup a website called Circalit, which allows writers to upload their screenplays in a safe and secure […]
Mypdfscripts.com
Cool resource for downloading screenplays http://www.mypdfscripts.com/ Check it out!
Q&A: On Screenplay Beats: Examples of Beats in Scenes
Dennis L. writes: I’m a screenwriting neophyte and if you could, please, give an example of a scene outline? I think I’m over-thinking what constitutes how a “beat” should read in a scene. This comment is in reference to my article on the types of screenplay beats. Monica says: Okay, so let’s discuss how a […]
Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition Now Open
12th Annual Scriptapalooza International Screenplay Competition Regular Deadline is March 5th www.scriptapalooza.com Why should you submit your script to Scriptapalooza? -Grand Prize: $10,000 -All the reading is done by 90 production companies -Entertainment Weekly Magazine calls us ‘One of the Best’ -We promote the winners, runners-up, finalists and semifinalists for a full year -We are […]
Trusting Your Gut: Writing Passion vs. Structure
I’m visiting with one of my best friends now whose son, my godson, tragically died in October. This is a part of why I haven’t been writing since that time. I’ve also been trying to prioritize my own creative writing, but I’ve not had an easy time getting those pages in, either. It’s cold and […]
CineStory: Screenwriting Mentorship at Its Best
CineStory is a non-profit that provides mentorship opportunities for screenwriters. This means they have a collection of working industry professionals (agents, producers, writers) and they offer non-professional screenwriters the opportunity to workshop their screenplays and ask questions in a personalized environment. Pam Pierce is the heart and soul behind CineStory. She started it, I believe, […]
Q&A: All Screenwriting Competitions Are Not Created Equal
Jamie asks: So, I’m just starting to get familiar with the world of screenwriting competitions, and I’m assuming they’re not all created equal. Are there any drawbacks to entering more than one (several even) with the same script? It seems like some contests might require that you don’t submit your script to any other contests? […]
Inside Out vs. Outside In
By Monica on November 14, 2009 in Character, Genre, Ideas, Logical World, Process, Story, Theme, Uncategorized
The great debate: character to story or concept to character. Face it: you’re either one or the other. If you think you’re both at the same time, I’d really love to hear from you and learn how you do it, because it seems to me there’s a huge canyon in between and I’m waiting for […]
When in a Draft: Re-Read Your Own Pages
I’ve been working on a draft these past couple of weeks, so I have the writing process on my mind. I was chatting with a couple of writer friends the other day and they both said when they’re drafting, they start the writing day by re-reading the previous day’s pages and editing them. This helps […]
2009 CineStory Screenwriting Awards: Enter Now!
The 2009 CineStory Screenwriting Awards are now accepting submissions. CineStory is a very unique non-profit that mentors writers to help them improve their craft and workshop their writing with industry professionals. This is a fantastic organization and worth entering the competition. Competition winners are invited to a special retreat in Idyllwild where they will work […]
We Write to our Weaknesses
I’m still in the stage wherein every time I embark upon a new project, I’m teaching myself something about the technical process of writing and also about the human experience. I think the greatest gift a writer can give is in illuminating the human experience in a fresh or unique way, and in the experience […]
Be Smart About When You Write What
This is intended as a follow up post to Write What You Love. I went to AFI for film school where, I imagine distinct from USC and UCLA, we didn’t really learn much, if anything, about the entertainment business. I learned a ton about writing and the writing process – but as far as the […]
Write the Movies You Really Want To See
This is intended as a follow up post to Write What You Love. Okay. This might sound ridiculous, but bear with me. Say a magic genie appeared tonight before you fell asleep, Shazam!, and gave you a magic ticket to the best movie ever the following day, what movie would you want to see? If […]