Story. Screenplay. Sale.
Nothing appears more appealing to the beginning writer than to break rules. And nothing is more annoying than hearing “Do this; don’t do that!”
Some will say that rules are essential, because without them there is only anarchy. But are there really any hard rules in screenwriting? And if there are, who sets them?
And what is wrong with anarchy?
A powerful tool in creating distinctive characters is their language, using accent, dialogue and even foreign language. In the real world, everyone speaks in a way that is slightly different from everyone else. In sociolinguistics, this is called an idiolect. (from Greek idiōma ‘private property, peculiar phraseology’, and idios ‘own, private’) A few years ago I … Read more
One of the most effective ways to learn about screenwriting is – wait for it – reading screenplays. Duh! Yet, I’ve read so many rants about the quality of scripts, that it warrants a clear view on what is out there, and what we can learn from them. When Django Unchained won Best Original Screenplay, I … Read more
Isn’t it remarkable how a simple synopsis, a seemingly innocuous 1-page text, can give a writer a world of pain. If it’s such a drag, then why bother? Plain and simple: nobody wants to be bored reading 100 pages if we can bore them with only one. It makes sense to read 10 pages of … Read more
A great ending can save an otherwise problematic or difficult script – like The Muppet Man. Or have you seen Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood? Industry pros know that to go into profit, you need word of mouth – and repeat business. Great endings deliver just that.
Think about your favourite movies. Most will have an extraordinary ending. In this article I won’t give you the secret to writing a Muppet Man ending, but you may learn a few tricks to make yours more memorable.