story notes « Screenwriter-to-Screenwriter.com

How To Make Your Script Stand Out:<br>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 Homework: Beat Sheets

Screenplay is about structure. Structure isn’t a random fascist convention designed to sabotage and infuriate would-be screenwriters: it’s a means for the reader and audience to know where we are in the journey. Structure as it relates to screenplay is a tool to help writers develop and increase the dramatic stakes of their story.

Everything in [...]

Screenwriting Basics: Genre

One of the most sweeping and common mistakes I see in about 30% of the scripts I read is confusion of genre. And, by “genre,” I don’t mean “horror.” There are a variety of genres, and each specific genre and genre sub-set has its own conventions. By convention, I am not talking about overall structure. [...]

Screenwriting Basics: Subject Matter

For me as a reader, when I am evaluating projects – and especially in evaluating another writer – subject matter is very important. Quality of writing aside, the choice of what that writer has decided to invest a year’s time (or thereabout) into can tell me a lot about that individual – and whether or [...]

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:<br>Formatting & Proofreading

Basic Language Skills
Look, the reality is that basic – and, indeed, excellent – proficiency with the English language is our trade. Knowing whether the comma goes inside or outside the quotation mark isn’t incidental to this craft. It is actually fundamental. If you got a D in your sixth grade English grammar class and didn’t [...]

Story Notes: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The reality of being a screenwriter is that you’ll be getting notes from everyone on the planet and your mother about how to write your script – and ideally should smile in breezy congeniality while doing it, even if every ounce of your beingness wants to punch them in the face. The best way [...]

Screenwriting Basics: The Reader’s Perspective

So, you wrote a script. You’ve birthed the baby. You’re feeling awesome. You tell yourself repeatedly, “I rock!” – since nobody else is going to.

Then you send your script out – and that rock comes hurling back toward the earth faster than you can blink.

Following is a list of some things to [...]

About Me

Google Friends

How To Make Your Script Stand Out:<br>Character, Character, Character

Screenwriting Homework: Beat Sheets

Screenwriting Basics: Genre

Screenwriting Basics: Subject Matter

Screenwriting Basics: The Logical World

Screenwriting Basics:<br>Formatting & Proofreading

Story Notes: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Screenwriting Basics: The Reader’s Perspective

Latest Posts

Categories

Archives

Blogroll