IT’S 130 PAGES LONG
FADE IN: V.O., MEET FLASHBACK
WHAT THE HELL IS SUBTEXT?
Writers of spec screenplays often make the mistake of explaining things to readers, as if there is no other way of being understood. Subtext is the opposite of that. Since the easiest way to demonstrate this is to write two scenes, one with subtext and one without, that is what I did. See if you…
Read moreFEEDBACK TRANSLATOR
Ideally, when you enter a competition, you win it. If you don’t, your consolation prize is some knowledgeable feedback about why someone else won. But when you’re reading for a competition, you aren’t a critic. We can’t be brutally honest about what doesn’t work in your script. Our function is to be as helpful as…
Read moreTHE MAP IS NOT THE TERRITORY
It is an illusion that a screenplay is a transcription of the movie in your head. It is as impossible to write a movie as it is to write a photograph. It is only possible to write a story. There is no spoon.
Read moreFIELD GUIDE TO CHEESY FEMALE CHARACTERS
THE HOT GIRLFRIEND PRIZE She waits, over there, until it is time for her to be awarded to the protagonist in recognition for his achievements. JUST THE WORLD’S BEST EVER MOMWIFE She cares so much. She gets concerned. She just wants to help. She has never needed a drink in her entire life. MISS READY,…
Read moreSPELL CHECK CAN’T HELP YOU
Double check these when you proof your spec. They pop up all the time. Loose/Lose Peek/Peak Chord/Cord Rein/Reign Bare/Bear Brake/Break
Read moreTHE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
My husband and I watched The Place Beyond the Pines on VOD yesterday after we came back from the US Open. When it broke into the third act for the third time, he said, “I think this movie is going into a fifth set.” That about covers it.
Read moreNEW MOST OVERUSED SPEC OPENING
EXT. THICK WOODS – NIGHT (or DAY, either one) PANTING. Feet RUNNING and STUMBLING. A GIRL (18-24) races for her life from an UNSEEN PURSUER. She DIES. With a SCREAM. And then we switch to somewhere else and meet the protagonist doing something mundane. If you have written this, you are NOT ALONE. Word to…
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