Write for the Story, not the Production Manager
Introducing standard script formatting too early undercuts clear cinematic storytelling. You don't need formatting software. You need a pen and paper, ideas, and a clear idea of what the audience [...]
Write for the Screen, not the Mouth
Screenwriting is writing for the screen, not the mouths of the actors. Learn to write in the language of cinema, not the language of Shakespeare. [...]
The Originality Paradox
The harder you consciously strive to be original, the less likely you are to succeed. Don’t push it. Or sweat it. Striving is an act of [...]
The Politics of Script Development
Write cinema, not radio with pictures. Cinema is built on sequences, not scenes The basic unit of cinema is sequences built of shots, sounds, and [...]
‘Just,’ the word that steals power.
Watch out for ‘just ’in your work, in how you think about your work, and in how you discuss your work. It punctures everything. [...]
But What if my Mother Found Out?
For stories with depth, don’t keep your character’s choices within your personal fences. Dodge the inner censor. We all have an inner censor—the voice that [...]
Using Coincidence in Your Story
Coincidence is one of the writer’s most powerful tools. Don’t use it to cheat the audience. Coincidence and character agency If narrative is about the limits [...]
Goody-Two-Shoes Dialogue
If a scene only works when someone explains it, the problem started pages ago. Dialogue isn’t the solution you need Dialogue is the goody-two-shoes in [...]
