No sir. For starters one begins with an ‘s’ and the other with a ‘p’. Story has five letters and plot has four. Enough frivolities. Your screenplay is a delicate, finely-tuned literary instrument. Screenwriters must be well aware of these two terms to ensure the integrity of their screenwriting. Although both terms are inextricably linked,…
Tag: story
The Art Of Writing Better Scene Description To Really Rock Your Screenwriting
Film making is a visual medium. Screenwriters are always told that less dialogue is more. Does this axiom also apply to scene description too? Well… kinda sorta… Dialog constitutes the primary colors of your film or TV script. The scene description is the shading. It is more than simply describing physical action. It needs to…
Why Stories Are So Important
Storytelling has been an integral part of the human experience since we began socializing as a species. The value of story has been studied extensively by anthropologists, sociologists and psychologists alike. There is something about stories that binds humans and allows us to thrive. Stories are an expression of a sequence of connected events to…
Why Evil Characters Make Great Stories
The concept of good and evil is a mythological one that ultimately relates to morality. It’s especially prevalent in biblical works and resonates strongly within stories and screenplays. Terms such as Satan, Devil and Fallen Angels illustrate various depiction of evil characters which are conflict with what is good and wholesome to our spiritual, intellectual, social,…
The Layers Of The Creative Process (And How They Can Elevate Your Screenwriting)
Writers are always on the lookout for story ideas to develop into films and TV series. Where do these ideas come from? How do you brainstorm? How does a film or TV idea sprout from an original concept? How do you know which ideas are worth keeping and which to discard? So many things to…
15 Surefire Techniques To Add Complexity To Your Screenplays
Add layers to your screenwriting cake Stories have been told since time immemorial. And screenwriters have always enjoyed writing them. They inform the human experience and strive to invoke our curiosity, engagement and understanding of both our environment and ourselves. They are designed to activate our two most primal emotional responses; love and fear. They represent a world view and…
Five Types Of Plot Twists
Twist endings are story beats that divert the story logic trajectory and assumptions originally set up in the story. They usually occur towards the end of the story to surprise and entertain audiences by subverting and challenging their expectations of story outcome. According to Alec Worley there are five key types of such endings: 1) REVERSAL OF…
Why Lies Create Interesting Characters
Should the characters in your screenplay lie? Does lying make you a bad screenwriter? What is a lie? Quite simply it’s statement that isn’t entirely true. This can be deliberate or unintended. Malicious or frivolous. Psychologists argue that people consciously tell lie to protect themselves. It’s a social and physical defence mechanism. It may mean that…
What To Think About When Deciding On Your Story Universe
Ever wondered how to write a screenplay? Where do you begin? After the initial concept you need to start thinking about your story world. Where is your screenplay set? There are countless ways for screenwriters to approach their story. Let’s start with these four key elements: character theme concept plot There is no correct way…
Story Clinic
Later this year I’ll be launching my story clinic service called Script Firm. Until I get myself organised, I’m taking a few story questions from my readers. Hopefully, I’ll be able to answer them.
Do You Really Need A Main Character?
Screenwriting 101: Main Characters Provide The Point Of View From Which Stories Are Told. It might seem like an obvious question. But do you really need them? The short answer is yes. But not always. Not having a main character may generate tantalising stories, but will ultimately disorientate your audience. Consider “Resurrection”, a TV series…
Are You The Kind Of Screenplay Reader Screenwriters Love (or Hate)?
There are script notes and there are script notes in the screenwriting world. The same goes for the people that write them. Few appreciate the difficulty of deep story analysis. Screenplays contain elements of mythology, sociology and anthropology. They help define what makes us human. What kind of script reader are you? When a story is…
Gideon's Screenwriting Tips: Now You're a Screenwriter 