In classical storytelling, protagonists are the first actors that enter the stage. They represent the point of view the audience should follow. This often holds true for the main character in your screenplay. Who Is Your Antagonist? Antagonists are depicted as negative, bad or outright evil. However, they do have a positive aspect to every story….
Tag: storytelling
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…
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…
Writing For Comics And Graphic Novels
Comic books and graphic novels have spawned a plethora of material adaptable to screenplays. Despite their similarities with screenplays, they have marked differences in story and writing conventions. The relative explosion of comic book creations is related to their low cost in relation to film and TV. Their distribution mechanism ranges from print to online media,…
Choosing Your Next Screenplay
Scriptwriters should always be working on multiple screenwriting ideas. Hopefully not all at once. You’d be amazed at how you can come up with story ideas for one screenplay while working on another. This is the beauty of being a screenwriter. Having many projects in development. At some point we need to decide which screenplay…
Inter Connecting Your Characters
Nothing exists in a vacuum in the universe. Everything is inter connected with each other. Everything is inter dependent. If not, the universe expels it. This mantra also applies to efficient storytelling. Every story element (characters, plot, dialogue and action) should bear some relationship to the main story narrative. Each element must either be a cause or…
10 Super Scary Steps To Writing A Horror Screenplay
A horror movie has certain rules. If you break too many the audience will be disappointed according to Henrik Holmberg. Here is a template that any horror screenwriter can use. 1) THE HOOK Start with a bang. Step right into a suspense scene. “Scream” opens with a terrifying sequence with Drew Barrymore on the phone…
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…
When Is It Time To Pass On A Screenplay?
A PASS grade on a screenplay is not like a pass grade in school. Screenwriters want a RECOMMEND. Or at least a CONSIDER. 1) YOU CAN’T FIGURE OUT THE TYPE OF STORY IT IS Oftentimes these appear as a series of loosely connected scenes or ideas without a clear through line. The genre, tone, premise…
Writing For Video Games
Do video games need writers as well as programmers? Traditionally, video games have been a linear experience based on skill and entertainment rather than storytelling. They are firmly steeped in the realm of fantasy and were once a simple matter of killing gremlins or shooting things before they killed you. Video games are becoming increasingly more…
Types Of Change In Your Screenplay
In the global scheme of the universe, life is based on a transference of energy. Storytelling, which seeks to explain life, is about change. Nothing is ever stagnant, even if the rate of change is slow. A change can be of state, attitude, belief, physicality or situation. Main characters typically undergo internal and external changes;…
Gideon's Screenwriting Tips: Now You're a Screenwriter 