What’s Your Next Script?

Some screenwriters face the dreaded writer’s block, while others have far too many story ideas to write. Both cause untold distress to the screenwriting species. The latter may not be as much of a problem as you previously thought. Having too many screenplay concepts means you have choices. Then comes the big question. What screenplay…

What Motivates Antagonists To Act?

The antagonist in your screenplay places obstacles to your main character’s goal. They need to provide formidable opposition to your protagonist rather than being an inconvenience to make these obstacles meaningful. But what drives your antagonists? Most of the time they have a specific goal in mind, but other times, their motivations are less clear. Let’s…

Comedy vs Humor. Is There A Difference?

The terms comedy and humor are often used interchangeably in screenwriting. Is there a difference between the two? Actually, there is. And screenwriters should know them. COMEDY Comedy is the premeditated act designed to cause an audience to laugh. Comedy relies on jokes, visual gags, and physical acts to amuse and entertain an audience. It…

12 Types Of Character Intelligence

Richly layered characters form the basis of every quality screenplay. Characters have distinct learning and processing styles which influences their knowledge. Their knowledge also informs their moral codes and personality types. Intelligence is both a function of what someone knows, but also how they can best learn it. There is a distinct difference between intelligence…

How Do Single-Cam TV Shows Differ From Multi-Cam Ones?

Television shows are often referred to as being single-cam or multi-cam.  This directly relates to the style of filming. Back in the day when TV production was more straightforward, mutli-cam referred to 30-minute sitcoms and single-cam to hour-long dramas. This general rule of thumb isn’t always the case any longer. It most closely correlates with…

Why You Must Kill Your Screenplay Darlings

Screenwriting is hard. Really hard. No surprises here. Shaping and telling a story takes a long time. It’s a long process of trial and error. You must write many permutations and combinations of your story during the outlining, writing and rewriting process. This process of creating, destroying and recreating your screenplay is something every screenwriter faces…

5 Ways To Add The WOW Factor To Your Screenwriting

There are tens of thousands of screenplays registered with the WGA each year. Many thousands more screenplays are written, but not registered. Even more screenplays than that are works in progress. That adds up to a hell of a lot of screenplays. All vying for attention. Screenwriters must be aware that this places an enormous…

What Types Of Scripts Should Screenwriters Focus On To Break In?

Screenwriting is a blessing because it requires so little equipment and expense to write a screenplay. It is also a curse because there are so many screenwriters out there clacking away at their computers. So much competition. But not all competition is created equal. Many scripts end up in the digital trash. That means you…

When Is A Genre Not Really A Genre

There are four main genres in film: action, drama, comedy and thriller (includes horror.) Scripted TV is generally broken down into drama and comedy. Sure, there are hybrids like action comedy and dramedy, but the main genres remain intact. Screenwriters should familiarize themselves with these terms. So when to these genres transcend their boundaries into…

What Format Should You Write In?

Screenwriters often wonder what format best suits their story. Is it a film, TV show or web series? So many questions. Screenwriting is such as versatile writing form, that stories can be told across multiple platforms. The key differential between them is time. FEATURE FILMS This is a full-length film typically spanning 90-120 minutes. Generally…

20 Emotions Found In Horror Films

Horror movies continue to be a staple on cinema screens and television on-demand queues. Audiences can’t seem to get enough of these films. So screenwriters continue to write them. Horror films must still follow the tropes of good screenplays in order to be successful. They need to take the audience on an emotional journey. By…

Are You Ready To Become A Screenwriter In Demand?

You’ve been clacking on your keyboard for years. Toiling. Churning out movie script after movie script. Your screenplays are piling up, but getting little traction. You start doubting your writing skills. Will you break through? In order to succeed, you need to embrace the screenwriting grind. There is no way around it. Athletes cannot skip…