Story and Plot Screenwriting
A weekly screenwriting lesson from a professional screenwriter of 28 years who has been teaching the subject for almost as long.
How changes can affect narrative momentum.
To read online click here. How changes can affect narrative momentum. This week is some real inside baseball stuff on screenwriting. I am going to dive into a challenge I encountered and the solution I came up with. That said, the real lesson here is not so much the solution, but the challenge, and how it needs more attention than most give it. It is the challenge of narrative momentum from scene to scene. There are two primary ways to keep narrative momentum going. A dramatic question. This...
The three wants of a character.
To read online click here. Story and Plot Pro Hey, [COPY_NAME GOES HERE]! There are three spots remaining for the August live sessions of Story and Plot Pro. One spot remains for Tuesday nights. Two spots left for Saturday afternoons. The processes within Story and Plot Pro have given me the single most significant jump-start to my productivity in 20 years. Seriously. They have absolutely shifted the creative direction of my year and I couldn't be happier about it. You are fully eligible for...
What is the audience rooting for?
To read this online click HERE. What is the audience rooting for? A member of the Story and Plot Pro community was stuck this week on choosing a midpoint for their story. They had two ideas, one a victory and the other a defeat. It's a story of a woman who leaves her old life, hoping for something more satisfying. The two possible midpoints were: A victory, where she really falls in love with her new life. A defeat, where her old life invades her new life, and she swears she will never go...
What story are you telling?
Want to read this online? Click HERE. Hey, [COPY_NAME GOES HERE]! If you think you're ready for next steps with me, here is my personalized recommendation for you: Mastering Structure. This is the Story and Plot flagship course. It all starts here. Learn to attack your structure by making strong choices that generate great scenes that advance your story. Stop floundering, wondering if you're making the right move. Write with pupose instead. There is no better story structure course out there....
Sequence 4 and how to attack it.
Want to read this online? Click HERE. Story and Plot Pro. A new cohort for the Story and Plot Pro community begins in August. This is the community designed just for those who have enrolled in Mastering Structure and Idea To Outline. We meet eight times in the quarter for group coaching and planned lessons, along with seperate masterminds and writing groups, co-working sessions (they're amazing!), and personal help to guide you through whatever stage of your project you're working on. It is...
The why behind the rule is what matters.
Want to read this online? Click HERE. The why behind the rule is what matters. A screenwriting "rule" is something someone repeats when they don't fully understand the WHY behind it. Because if they did, they would know it's not a rule at all, but a tool to achieve a specific intent. The important thing for the screenwriter is to know their intent. When they do, they can make whatever choice and use whatever tool they need to accomplish it. To be honest, I have never heard anyone call...
Does each scene advance the story?
Want to read this online? Click HERE. Does each scene advance the story? I define story in my courses as "the transformational journey of a human being." A character starts the story one way, and they change over the course of the narrative. That transformation is the story itself. It can be the protagonist that transforms, or it can be a protagonist that remains steadfast to a core belief and, in doing so, changes those around them. Either way, it's all about change. Something is different...
The Idea Matters
Want to read this online? Click HERE. The Idea Matters The first screenplays I ever wrote were never going to go anywhere. And not because I was a bad writer, even though I was at the time. Those screenplays were doomed because they were bad ideas for screenplays. And if you think this only applies to my earlier work, I once sold a screenplay to Warner Bros. for six figures with an A-list actor (at the time) attached, and that wasn't going anywhere either. While it was more cinematic than my...
Our skill goes where our attention goes.
Want to read this online? Click HERE. An update on Story and Plot. I am under the weather after a week of travel and have not quite recovered. The trip, however, was worth it. I was in Boise and got to meet some people I have only known online. It was a great reminder of just how important the human connection is to all of this. We were all online creators trying to make the economics work for what we do. When I refer to myself as a creator, I am referring to this Weekly Email and what I...
How does the character solve problems?
Want to read this online? Click HERE. Hey Reader! I am in Idaho with a crew of creators, discussing how to improve our businesses. I am having fun, learning a lot, and thrilled to meet offline so many people I know only online. So far the biggest moment for me is when a speaker said, "You're a creator. You got into this business to create." A little bell went off and I realized, that's NOT why I got into this business. My creative juices are pretty well satisfied with my screenwriting. This...
A weekly screenwriting lesson from a professional screenwriter of 28 years who has been teaching the subject for almost as long.