An important aspect to creating DRAMATIC CONFLICT for your screenwriting is to present a character, situation or belief that prevents the main character from achieving their goal. Pretty simple stuff. Let’s say your main character wants to cross the street to get to the dry cleaning store before it closes. Just as they approach the lights, they turn…
Tag: drama
Why Do Some Screenplays End Up On The Pass Pile?
Why Isn’t Your Screenplay In The Recommend Stack? 1) THE STORY IS TOO WORTHY Just because you’re covering sensitive, timely, important material, you still need to worry about the dramatic elements of your script. Audiences don’t like being preached to. Let them discover the message on their own. 2) PASSIVE PROTAGONIST The main character just hangs…
Types Of Antagonism
Robert McKee describes antagonist’s actions on a continuum ranging from positive to negative outcome. The four values below describe the degree of action an antagonist must take to create the most compelling and emotionally satisfying protagonist. POSITIVE This refers to what the main character ultimately desires, both internally and externally. These outcomes include love, justice,…
What Is An Origin Story?
Origin stories are the birthing stories of the main characters. Where their journeys began and why things turned out as they have? They give the audience an understanding of the characters’ psychology and helps us make sense of the choices they make in the story. The origin is the missing piece of the story puzzle…
The Role Of Orphans In Screenplays
The role of orphans has played a unique role in screenwriting. Orphans symbolize more than parentless children. They represent vulnerability, fear and strength because they are forced to make tough decisions regarding their futures. Good screenwriters understand this. Orphans are warriors, battlers and ultimately heroes. These are powerful human characters that resonate with film audiences….
Act II – Asking The Narrative Question
Robert Peluso from Script Magazine explains why one of the reasons that the second act sags in the the second act in many stories is that the writer loses sight of the narrative question and central theme the story explores. It’s a challenge, to prevent that notorious “Act II sag”—to generate enough obstacles, reversals, sub-plots,…
The Three Types Of Conflict In Script Writing
Conflict Drives All Stories Conflict is a vital component of drama and script writing. All stories basically explore the human struggle against various obstacles to ultimately succeed. So if you’re an aspiring screenwriter who wants to learn how to write a screenplay that hooks your audience, keep reading. There are three key levels of conflict that…
Secrets to Writing a Low-Budget Screenplay
The average budget for a Hollywood movie is well over 8o million dollars according to David Santo. But if you’re waiting for a producer with a Scrooge McDuck sized jack to come along and finance your film you’re begging. A bigshot producer that doesn’t personally know you is not going to trust you to write…
Effective Screenwriting
Corey Mandell speaks on how professional writers broach rewriting. The key problem with many early drafts is that readers often perceive a different story to what the writer intended. This often results from writers making too many assumptions about what the reader should know about the main character, their backstory and motivation. They have also not…
How To Succeed In The Film Business As A Screenwriter
The film and TV business is an industry both like any other, and like no other. It is mired in creative accounting, budget blowouts and rubbery box office figures. Despite these obstacles, we writers love it, because we have a story to tell. We want to share our life experiences with the world. However, professional…
4 Key Types Of Conflict In Film
All screenwriters are aware that conflict is a vital component of films. Audiences thrive on it. So what exactly is a conflict? Conflict is simply a diametrically opposed set of goals, attitudes, philosophies and actions between the main character and something else. The conflict forms the obstacles for the main character and allows the audience…
See The Irony?
Story consultant Daniel Manus discusses the use of irony in screenplays. Irony is a dramatic device that expresses an idea which is the antithesis of the underlying concept to draw attention to it such as the super fit Olympic athlete dying of a heart attack after a marathon. There are 3 major types of ironies used in…
Gideon's Screenwriting Tips: Now You're a Screenwriter 