EVERYTHING I KNOW IN 100 WORDS OR LESS
Q: Can you describe some of the things writers need to think about in writing a salable story?
STORY MISDEMEANOR: NO DESCRIPTION
Your job as a screenwriter is to create a movie in the mind of your readers. You must draw us into your story by providing a clear picture of what we’ll see on the screen when we watch your film.
Q&A: WRITER’S BLOCK
Writer’s block grows out of fear – of never finishing, of your work not being good enough, of leaving your comfort zone, of putting yourself above others.
REMEMBERING SYD
Back in the Dark Ages, when I was just a movie lover fresh from Oregon with Hollywood dreams, I attended Sherwood Oaks Experimental College.
STORY MISDEMEANOR: I FEEL VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS ONE
One of the most frequent criticisms of novel and screenplay dialogue is that it’s on the nose. Anything on the nose is too obvious.
WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR? The King’s Speech
Stories are built on a foundation of desire and conflict. To create an emotionally involving and commercially successful screenplay, you must give your hero…
Q&A: MOVIES AREN’T NOVELS FOLLOW UP
When it comes to writing style, a screenwriter’s goal must be to create a movie in the reader’s mind that is as fast, easy and enjoyable to read as possible…
STORY MISDEMEANOR: HOW ABOUT A ROLL IN THE HAY?
In your romantic comedy, don’t have the hero and romance character jump into bed right away, just because you want something sexy to move the story along.
THE #1 QUALITY OF SUCCESSFUL STORYTELLERS
Every successful screenwriter or novelist I know possesses one outstanding quality: tenacity. The difference between working writers and wannabes isn’t talent or age.