What makes a story more interesting is that the hero must gradually face the worst fears possible. Initially the hero is trying to solve a problem as painlessly as possible. Then when he or she fails, the hero must keep getting closer and closer to his or her biggest fears to solve the problem. Consider […]
One of the biggest problems with movies based on true stories is that they tend to parade a bunch of facts without allowing us to experience the emotions behind those facts. Back in 1987 I was an extra in a bad Vietnam War movie called “The Hanoi Hilton.” The basic story was about the first […]
Look at the differences between movies geared for women towards those geared for men. That can help you see how different movies handle villains. In a typical guy-movie, there’s always a bad guy who has no reason to exist other than to do something evil so the hero can be the good guy and save […]
All the action in the world means nothing if you don’t care about the hero. Therefore the first and most crucial part of any screenplay is to introduce an underdog hero with a clear and relatable problem. The problem must be clear so we know what the hero wants, and the problem must be relatable so […]
One way to write any story is to think of your story world. George Lucas didn’t just write a screenplay about a Death Star. Instead he created a world for his story to fit in. “Avatar” wasn’t just a science fiction movie, but a world of alien animals and spiritual natives. Even “Fargo” isn’t just […]
One of the more common writing rules is “Show, don’t tell.” That means let the audience experience the emotions of a scene rather than just tell them about that scene. In novels, this occurs when the text simply tells you, “Jane was unhappy because as a little kid, her father forgot to come to her […]
In the old days, stage plays used to provide exposition by having a maid and a butler set a table and chat about the main characters, their desires, and their dreams. Then the maid and butler would never be seen again. Such clumsy exposition simply tells people what they need to know in a dull, […]
Every scene must be interesting but it must also do more by providing us with new information. When you combine interest with new information, each scene constantly moves the story forward. In “The Hateful Eight,” an early scene explains how a black bounty hunter has a letter from Abraham Lincoln. A white bounty hunter asks […]
Take any screenplay turned into a great movie and rip a scene out at random. Then study that scene. Chances are good that simple scene will be interesting in some way. Now do the same with your own screenplay. If your screenplay hasn’t been getting the attention you think it deserves, chances are good not […]
Nothing makes a scene more interesting to watch than something that stirs up the emotions. The simplest emotion to stir up is the threat of physical death. The opening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” highlights this by introducing us to Indiana Jones as he defeats a man about to kill him with a gun, gets […]