Cull. Whittle. Refine. Don’t waste a minute on a stale, usual, boring premise. The general problem with early scripts is that they are way too conservative in character and payoff.
Read moreNotes from a Screenreader: Texas Hold ‘Em
Notes from a Screenreader: Texas Hold ‘Em nywift: Photo via Go Into the Story. The difference between a yes and a no in the first round of a screenplay competition can be summed up by a hand of Texas hold ‘em. You fold early, you didn’t post a blind, and your cards were bad enough…
Read moreOVER-WRITTEN DIALOGUE
@theblcklst @TheBlackBoard #whatiseewheniwrite pic.twitter.com/hEAbsYUyAU — Milan Cucuk (@MDCisME) January 8, 2014
Read moreNotes from a Screenreader: Why Now?
Notes from a Screenreader: Why Now? nywift: Photo via Go Into the Story. To perform well in a competition, your script has to be able to answer the critical question, “Why now?” Successful, readable scripts hinge on an event, the outcome of which has the power to change the life of the protagonist. A showdown,…
Read moreMAKE IT VISUAL
If you create an image like this instead of a talking scene at a BBQ where people gossip about how the neighbors don’t get along, AN ANGEL GETS ITS WINGS.
Read moreHOW TO LAUNCH ACT TWO
Notes from a Screenreader: Start by Finishing
Notes from a Screenreader: Start by Finishing nywift: Photo via Go Into the Story. In the same way that a recipe is not a batch of warm cookies on a baking sheet, an unfinished draft is merely an intention — and like raw dough, a story won’t show its shape until it comes out of…
Read moreIf we can’t write diversity into sci-fi, then what’s the point? You don’t create new worlds to give them all the same limits of the old ones. Jane Espenson (from interview with Advocate.com)
Read moreBy their nature, indie films disseminate the voices of people who are not commonly heard— women, queer people, people of color. These are pieces of our culture that attempt to dismantle the straight white male perspective. Jill Soloway, Flavorwire (x)
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