The next time you get lost in a shopping mall, take a moment and realize that if you don’t know where you are, you also have no idea how to get where you want to go. That’s why you need a map to orient yourself. Stories are no different. At all times, stories must make […]
What makes an interesting story are interesting people, but don’t focus just on the people in your story whether they’re real people or talking toys like in “Toy Story.” One huge character that’s too easily overlooked is the setting of your story. Your setting needs a character all its own that reflects the hero’s emotions […]
There’s an interesting book called “Three Christs of Ypsilanti,” which is about an actual event where a psychiatrist attempted to treat three mental patients who all claimed to be Jesus Christ. If you watch the trailer for this film, it appears to focus on how these three mental patients will react when confronted by other […]
Some movies are dull because you feel as if you’re just an observer, watching a shadow puppet play from a distance. Other movies are the opposite. They engage you and make you feel like you’re in the hero’s shoes. Think of the difference between a hero in a dull movie like “Mortal Engines” where the […]
In fiction writing, many people write stories based on existing novels. Known as fan fiction, these fan fiction stories aren’t meant to be published. Instead, they serve to motivate and inspire the writer to create a story using existing worlds and characters. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for a screenplay, create your […]
Every screenwriter wants to see their stories turned into am movie. However, novice screenwriters often have unrealistic dreams. As a general rule, the first screenplay you write won’t be produced. There are exceptions, of course, (think of “The Post”), but for the most part, your first screenplay probably won’t be turned into a movie for […]
The best stories are more than what you think they are. “Ford vs. Ferrari” appears to be a movie about car racing, but it’s actually about the real-life challenges one man overcame to help Ford develop a winning race car that could defeat a Ferrari in the LeMans race. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” […]
The biggest mistake you can make in writing a scene is making it one-dimensional and focused on performing a single task. For example, many novices write a scene that serves no purpose other than to move their hero from one place to another. Because that scene has no conflict, tension, or drama whatsoever, it turns […]
Nothing’s more boring than seeing the ordinary. People don’t go to movies to watch ordinary life. People go to movies to see something different. While it’s easy to show drastically different scenes such as tanks plowing into shopping malls or spaceships shooting lasers at each other, even the most ordinary scenes need to surprise audiences […]
A hero in any story can never succeed on his or her own. Instead, heroes always need a mentor who can help show the hero how to become a better person. At its heart, every story is about a mentor helping a hero become a better person. “Star Wars” isn’t just a science fiction action […]