Read screenplays and you’ll notice one thing. Every scene typically has two things going on at once. If a scene fails to include two stories, then it’s often flat, dull, and ultimately boring. Think of every great scene and you’ll notice what’s happening. There’s the scene goal itself but there’s almost always setups involving other […]
When many people start writing a story, they quickly lose focus and wind up writing themselves into a dead end where they have no idea what should happen next. If they do finish the rest of their story, it’s often disjointed and unrelated to the beginning of the story. The solution is to clearly identify […]
The purpose of a scene is to move the story along. However, the only way a scene can move the story along is if it also brings the audience along, and audiences won’t follow along if a scene is predictable. So if you want to keep your story moving, make sure every scene surprises the […]
The hardest part about writing a screenplay is that you have to write a script and come up with a story. Far too many people try to write a script without knowing their story. The end result is either a half completed screenplay or a weak screenplay that lacks character development and interest. When writing […]
Watch any silent movie and you can figure out the story just by seeing the action alone. That’s the way all screenplays work. Action is about what characters do, how they look, and where they are. For example, consider the opening scene in “Fargo” where Jerry first meets the two men he’s hired to kidnap […]
If you remember watching Saturday morning cartoons, occasionally a character would face a dilemma and that’s when an angel and a devil would pop up on their shoulder. The angel would tell the character what’s the right thing to do while the devil would tempt the character with a greedy and selfish solution. That’s exactly […]
In real life, people rarely say exactly what’s on their mind. Imagine the following scene in a romance: MAN: I love you. WOMAN: I love you too. If you saw this scene, it would likely be fairly dull and brief, making it forgettable. A far better solution is to have characters speak indirectly on what’s […]
Watch a stage play and the story is told mainly through dialogue with physical action secondary. Then watch a movie and the story is told mostly visually through action with dialogue secondary. So if you want to write a screenplay, focus first on action and dialogue second. Showing two people talking (known as “talking heads”) […]
What happens when most people write a scene? Ideally, the scene should contain two characters in conflict. One character wants one thing and the other character wants something else. This conflict can be as drastic as James Bond trying to kill the villain (and the villain trying to kill James Bond), or it can be […]
The weakest way to reveal any character is to have that character come right out and tell the audience, “I’m unhappy” or “I feel too fat.” Not only does this feel phony, but it also isn’t very convincing. A better way to reveal a character is to let the audience figure out that character on […]