Story. Screenplay. Sale.
The craft of telling a story starts with structure skills.
2013 was an excellent year for movies – perhaps the best in quite a few years. And there are many films that I would be very content with winning the Oscar. But for me, the best movie of the year is Her. And no one is more shocked about that than I am. by Danny … Read more
Conflict is the life’s blood of fiction. Conflict means something’s happening. Conflict brings change. And there’s also the little matter of human nature’s voyeuristic fascination with other people’s confrontations. by K.M. Weiland “No conflict, no story” is a rule of fiction familiar to even the noobiest of noob writers. We’re told to pack in the … Read more
My early training was as a playwright. Although most plays over the last forty years are two acts, historically plays were three acts. One of the first rules I learned was that if there were problems in Act 3 it meant that the real problem was in Act I. by D.B. Gilles Since the 3 … Read more
So, you’re a creative sod who new-year’s resolved to create something this year? Good. Here’s what I want you to do. by Ingrid Elkner Write it down. On paper preferably, and if you’re on your phone/tablet/laptop right now and tree-skinless, email it to yourself. Write down your goal, this thing you want to make. Now … Read more
The last thing someone remembers when they finish watching a movie is the ending. It can make or break every moment of screen time that happened before. by Jamie Campbell Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for American Hustle, Titanic, and the Divergent Series. If you don’t know how these end and don’t wish to, … Read more