The Inciting Incident

When the script and story gurus speak

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Most ‘gurus’ each have their own area of expertise and angle of attack, they each follow their own agenda. And with every new light shed on the craft, different people may see that light. Don’t they ever contradict each other? And if they do, which truth do YOU choose? Screenwriting is a dynamic craft. What … Read more

Structure: Juno

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At the time of release, much of the attention surrounding JUNO went to the screenwriter rather than the script. Now the dust around Diablo Cody has settled, some voices have questioned the quality of the script. by Karel Segers I still believe it is a wonderful independent film, well-structured and beautifully written. Usually I am … Read more

Structure: Thelma & Louise

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I am a fan of Ridley Scott’s flamboyant visual style of filmmaking. Although he has had numerous box office successes, in my view he has never equalled the overall excellence of THELMA & LOUISE (1991). It is a fabulous movie and an outstanding debut script by first-timer Callie Khouri. Here is an attempt to analyse … Read more

Structure: A Room With a View

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A structural overview of A Room with a View (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, 1985). Without any doubt, this is one of the finest literary adaptations and a timeless romantic movie. The film launched the careers of actors Daniel Day Lewis and Helena Bonham Carter, while it was a first major hit in a string of successful … Read more

Inciting Incident: Planting the Bomb

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Keeping the audience interested throughout the ‘setup’ is a major challenge as professional readers won’t last until the Inciting Incident if the first ten or twelve pages don’t deliver. The ‘setup’ is often a complete sequence in which we see the ‘Ordinary World’, the protagonist’s ‘normal life’, an area of the story that by its … Read more