I can’t count the times an aspiring writer complained to me, “But I read a script by So-and-So Famous Writer and they did that! And now you’re telling me I can’t?” Yes, they did break so-called sacrosanct screenwriting rules. But you can't break conventions until you...
Ernest Hemingway is credited with saying, “The only kind of writing is rewriting,” although countless writers have expressed a variation on “Writing is rewriting.” While this conventional wisdom is solid, in screenwriting, continually doing a traditional Page-One...
I ask Screenwriting Elevated seminar A-List Guest Speakers one question: “What themes are you drawn to, again and again, in your writing?” Love their answers! Think you will too.
Autodidactic is a fancy word for someone who is self-taught. When it comes to how to write a screenplay, many aspiring screenwriters believe that they can be self-taught, and acquire all the skills that they need. In my mentorship sessions with consulting clients, I...
Throughout your career as a writer, you will get notes. Hopefully you will receive some excellent notes that help elevate your material by offering news eyes and a fresh perspective. But I guarantee that you will get notes that you do not agree with. You will get...
I have publicly admitted that I am a storyaholic. Actually, I have proclaimed it proudly. What I have not been as forthcoming about is that I don’t just adore great storytelling. I fall in love with great writers. Literally. I relish those times when I have read a...
I’m ready to tear my hair out. Script notes are going to leave me bald and bitter! I put in a ton of work into the latest draft of my screenplay before sending it out to get feedback from fellow writers and from contest readers. The notes were completely in conflict...
When learning how to write a screenplay, there is a lot of focus on structure. But if you want to create a truly strong script, craft a story foundation first. As I worked with seminar students during their mentorship, I wanted them to have an effective way to...