Make Your Characters Distinct
In the outstanding film HIDDEN FIGURES, screenwriters Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi faced the formidable task of immediately…
Embracing Extreme Heroes
To add depth to the hero of your screenplay, novel, speech or marketing tool you must give that hero some fear to be confronted and overcome.
Changing Your Hero’s Goal
I’m sometimes challenged when I proclaim that the hero of a story must decide on his or her Outer Motivation during the New Situation…
Q&A: What Are My Chances?
I’m two months away from getting my BA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. Throughout the two and half years in this program…
Don’t Summarize!
A common weakness among all storytellers – screenwriters and novelists as well as marketers and presenters – is the tendency to summarize.
Q&A: How Do I Even Begin?
This is a letter from a 15-year old who wants to become a screenwriter, but who wonders how – or even if – she should begin pursuing this dream.
Q&A: Hero Needs and Wants
Q: I really enjoy your seminars and writings on story, but I’m still wrestling with this issue: Should the needs and wants of my protagonist arise from the circumstances of the story?
Q&A: Structuring Short Films and Email Stories
Q: I’ve read your article on the 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Stories, and watched your lecture on 6-stage plot structure that’s part of The Hero’s Two Journeys.
INTRODUCING YOUR HEROES: Julie & Julia
Arguably the most important portion of your story is the opening. This is where you must seduce your readers and audiences as you draw them…
Q&A: Naming Your Characters
Q: When I first introduce a character into a story, must I always give his or her last name? Is the first name enough? Must I name the character at all?