Q&A: Should I Write a Spec Script for a TV Series?
I find that the only reason to write TV specs these days is for the TV writing programs/fellowships. Otherwise, they rarely serve a purpose.
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?
STORY STRUCTURE: Superior Position, Foreshadowing and Ticking Clocks in AVATAR – Part One
James Cameron’s screenplay Avatar is an outstanding example of using many structural tools and devices successfully in one script.
STORY STRUCTURE: Structuring TV Episodes
Many of you have asked how effective the elements of my 6 Stage approach to plot structure are when applied to one-hour dramatic television series.
STORY STRUCTURE: The 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Screenplays
Though writing a successful Hollywood movie is certainly not easy, the stories for mainstream Hollywood films are all built on only three basic components: character, desire and conflict.
STORY STRUCTURE: 10 Simple Keys to Effective Plot Structure
Structure is something that every agent, editor, publisher, Hollywood executive, public speaker, marketer and story teller talks about, to the point that it can seem complicated.
PREPARING TO WRITE A SPEC TV SCRIPT
When you decide to write a spec script for television, you must first decide the series for which you want to write a sample episode.
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…
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.