Story Structure

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The Midpoint and the Twist

February 20, 2017

In every story, the hero pursues a straightforward goal and gets it at the midpoint. Then suddenly everything falls apart because the story gets twisted...

The Ending of “Dr. Strange”

February 17, 2017

The ending of any movie must be appropriate. If the ending of “Thelma and Louise” ending with Thelma and Louise engaging in a massive shootout...

Keep Making the Promise Bigger

February 14, 2017

Every movie promises something to the audience. An action film promises hand to hand combat, gunfire, and sometimes car chases and explosions. Whatever promise a...

Avoiding On-the-Nose Dialogue

February 11, 2017

The surest sign of a novice screenwriter is dialogue where characters say exactly what’s on their mind. Imagine a love scene between two people where...

Emotion + Story

February 8, 2017

There’s an interesting book called “The Impact Equation” that focuses on helping people refine their ideas. While the book isn’t about screenwriting, you can still...

Subtext Makes a Scene More Compelling

February 3, 2017

The dullest scene is one where nothing happens. Imagine two people driving in a car and not saying a word. Static action, like sitting in...

Why “Passengers” Failed

February 1, 2017

“Passengers” is the latest example of a disappointing movie. While it can be inspiring to watch great movies, it can also be educational to watch...

Conflict Must Involve People

January 29, 2017

Imagine watching a movie where two rocks are fighting each other, but because they’re actual rocks and not animated rocks, the two rocks just sit...

The Climax Must Keep Raising the Stakes

January 26, 2017

The ending of any movie must be the finale that provides a satisfying conclusion. If the movie is great but the ending is disappointing, the...

Every Story is An Emotional Victory

January 23, 2017

The biggest mistake many movies make is that they focus solely on the action, yet that’s the least satisfying part of any story. Every story...

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.