Story Structure

Showing 1401 - 1410 of 1516 results

Don’t Be One-Dimensional

August 6, 2010

It’s easy to create a story. The hard part is making your story last for 90 – 120 minutes. The secret isn’t to stretch a...

The Superhero Sequel Syndrome

August 1, 2010

Some superhero movies can be surprisingly good (“The Dark Knight”) while others are astoundingly bad (“Elektra”). When a superhero movies does well, watch out for...

Double the Danger

July 28, 2010

Your villain’s goal needs to threaten the hero and the hero’s loved ones. Not only does this ratchet up the suspense, but it also makes...

Through the Looking Glass

July 21, 2010

Rather than try to write a coherent story divided into three monolithic acts, break your story into eight separate 15-minute segments. Then link them together...

Fighting the Mirror

July 15, 2010

Think of any story’s villain and you think of someone frightening like Hannibal Lecter from “Silence of the Lambs” or Darth Vader from “Star Wars.”...

Four Complete Stories

July 8, 2010

There are four phases of every story. First, the hero has a problem and a goal. Second, the hero achieves initial success. Third, the hero...

“Stripes” vs. “On the Waterfront”

July 2, 2010

What makes a movie capable of still being entertaining despite the passage of time? Classics such as “Citizen Kane” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” are...

Flashbacks Revisited

June 28, 2010

A flashback is meant to move a story forward by going back to the past. If this sounds like a contradiction of terms, that partially...

The Purpose of a Goal

June 21, 2010

Imagine being stuck in a car and not knowing where you’re going, how long it will take, or when the trip will ever end. Now...

The Opening Mystery

June 9, 2010

The opening of your story needs to intrigue and draw an audience in. The way to do that is to start off with a mystery....

About Wallace Wang

First place winner in Scriptapalooza’s 2023 screenwriting competition for the supernatural horror screenplay titled “Nightmares From a Past Life”. Author of “The 15 Minute Movie Method”, “Story Starter”, and “Writing Scenes for Screenplays” in addition to over 50 computer books. Writer of “Three of a Kind”, a situation comedy produced by San Diego State University’s film class that won a student Emmy award. Designer of the board game “Orbit War”, published by Steve Jackson Games, that simulates satellite warfare in the near future.