Every story is about a hero who changes. In rare cases, such as “Being There,” “Forest Gump,” and “WALL-E,” the hero remains largely the same from start to finish but their interaction with others drastically changes everyone around them for the better. In most stories, the hero must change and that involves forcing your hero […]
When writing a scene, use specific details that paint a distinct picture of the setting. Far too many writers settle for generic settings by simply describing slug lines like: INT. DINER – DAY First of all, focus on making a scene unique and memorable. Why would characters visit this particular diner? In “Thelma and Louise,” […]
We’ve all seen bad movies. Those movies simply show lots of action (“The 355”) or pretty set designs (“Don’t Worry, Darling”) but fail to tell a compelling story. A great story has nothing to do with special effects, A-list stars, or fight scenes. A compelling story has everything to do with forcing a hero into […]
Every story starts off innocent enough, but about halfway through, there’s a sudden twist. This twist reveals the real goal of the villain. In the first half of the story, there are plenty of hints of what the villain is doing, but it isn’t until the halfway point that we learn exactly what’s going on. […]
Stories don’t exist in a vacuum. When two characters fight, fall in love, or learn from each other, they have to do it in a specific location. Suppose your story involves two people who want to fight. Where would the best setting be to do that? You might think a battlefield might be best, and […]
Watch any popular James Cameron movie and you’ll notice a pattern. HI movies aren’t just about spectacular special effects although there re plenty in movies like “Avatar” and “Terminator 2.” While most directors would just be happy with more explosions, gunfire, and action, this is never the formula for a good story. Just look at […]
Every scene needs a purpose to provide new information to the story. However, far too many novices simply write scenes that dump information on the audience. Instead of focusing on giving the audience information, focus on giving at least one character in a scene a clear and distinct goal that he or she constantly strives […]