It is perfectly okay to write garbage, as long as you edit brilliantly. C. J. Cherryh (via maxkirin) File under – Rule #2
Read morecoffeeandraindrops: I got so much writing done on my script while my internet was down. File under – Rule #1
Read moreNotes from a Screenwriter: Entitlement
nywift: Photo via Go Into the Story. A good title tells a story for you, honing in on the theme and tone. When a reader scans a list of titles, a strong one puts them in an optimistic mood. Keep it short. A short title suggests that you know exactly what your story is. A…
Read moreSo I start my Intro. to Screenwriting class late next week. Any pointers you would like to shell out to this newb?
freelance-anthem: oh um gosh good luck that sounds very exciting! I’d just say take advantage of your professor and his/her experience and availability, take in all the scripts that you can because you’re going to learn a lot from , and stick to screenplay structure, because there’s a reason it’s stayed around so long and…
Read moreGIVE ME A FLASHBACK, STAT
Not every flashback is as suspicious as an uneven mole. Not every flashback pegs you as a cheater. What are the rules for a good flashback? Excellent question. Firefly, pilot episode. Jams an entire catastrophic interstellar civil war into one quick, action packed sequence with suspense and disaster. It’s a whole story in itself. It…
Read moreWHY DIVERSITY BELONGS IN YOUR SCRIPT
Because of EVERYTHING. The fault of white people in my artistic community is that they, through no active deficiency of their own, take it for granted that the story is about them. The goal is actually to ensure that EVERYONE can take it for granted that the story is about them. As gifted, thoughtful and…
Read moreNow’s the time to ask. What’s going on with your story that you know isn’t quite right?
Read moreThe moments in my life that I have this kind of absolute clarity are awesome.
Read moreYOUR SPEC IS NOT A SOAP OPERA
I was stuck at my doctor’s today for half an hour, and a soap opera was on the television. It immediately struck me that most spec features are written exactly this way. Talking. Doing massive exposition. No visuals, just people saying “dramatic” things. Explaining things to each other. Watch a soap opera for an hour….
Read moreME LISTENING TO CONVOLUTED BACKSTORY
Convoluted backstory feels right to the writer, but it’s bad. Good backstory is concise, gaspworthy gossip. Not then-he-said, but-she-thought stuff that could barely keep a therapist awake.
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