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Genre is one of the most important elements to get right when it comes to writing and selling a screenplay.

So, today we’re going to take a look at how to increase the chances of selling your screenplay by nailing it’s genre to a particular emotion.

What exactly is genre?

As you know genre is a way of categorizing films into a “type” for marketability purposes. Audiences want to know what kind of film they are going to see. Hollywood wants to know what type of film they’re going to buy so they can package it to a particular audience.

Sci-Fi isn’t a genre!

Many screenwriting books, screenwriters and tutors classify sci-fi, western, gangster etc. as genres. We think, though, that it’s best to classify genre in terms of EMOTION.

Terms such as “Science Fiction”, “Western” or “Gangster” don’t tell you much about the emotion you feel when watching them. Rather, they are sub-genres that tell the audience about the setting or style of the film they are going to see.

Alien is first and foremost a Horror.

Blade Runner is a Thriller.

But both have Science Fiction as a sub-genre.

Genre = Emotion

Our recommendation is to think of genre purely in terms of emotion.

Choose one of the five main genres below and write to its extreme; i.e. write in order to illicit the maximum emotion within that particular genre.

Action / Adventure

Thriller

Comedy / Romantic Comedy

Horror

Drama

Ask yourself “What emotion am I trying to make the reader feel when they read this script?”

Fear? Laughter? Excitement?

If your comedy has been called “amusing,” it probably needs work satisfying its genre requirements. Make sure your protagonist finds him / herself in the most hilarious / awkward / painful etc. situations possible.

In that Thriller you’re writing ask yourself, “What’s the most dangerous thing that could happen to my protagonist?” And then write it! Make sure it’s on the page and not in your head—what you think is thrilling often isn’t to the reader.

Whatever the genre, make sure you’re putting your protagonist through the biggest tests which will really help get that emotion onto the page.

Thanks for reading!

For a full report on how your script satisfies its genre and much more, check out our writer friendly services at http://www.scriptreaderpro.com/script-coverage-services/

When writing a screenplay, one of the most important rules to master is the art of cause and effect screenwriting.

In screenwriting it’s essential to remember that:

Everything happens because of something else.

Writing is about making things happen because something else just happened.

Cause and effect.

It’s how life works, and it’s how screenwriting works.

Cause and Effect Screenwriting

As in our previous post on Macro to Micro reversals, this cause and effect action occurs at every level of the screenplay.

Act Three only happens because of Act Two. Sequence D only happens because of Sequence C. One scene only happens because of the previous scene, and one action in a scene only happens because of the previous action in that scene.

On the macro level it’s pretty obvious that one act or sequence leads to another, but what about on the micro level?

One great tip when writing scenes is to make things happen only because something else has just happened, rather than just writing it “straight” with no kinks in the road while getting there.

For example, in the scene in Little Miss Sunshine when the family get pulled over by a cop with Grandpa’s body in the back of the van, Michael Arndt could’ve just written the scene like this:

1. The family drive. 2. They get pulled by the cop. 3. He tells them a rear brake light isn’t working.

Instead, he made the family get pulled over through cause and effect screenwriting and wrote the scene like this:

1. The family drive. 2. They’re cut up by another driver. 3. Richard (Greg Kinnear) sounds the horn. 4. The horn won’t turn off. 4. They get pulled by the cop because their horn’s sounding.

Before Sunrise starts with a couple arguing on a train. Celine (Julie Delpy) is trying to read her book. The couple’s argument becomes so intrusive, she leaves for another section of the train and sits down opposite Jesse (Ethan Hawke).

Rather than just opening the script with Celine and Jesse meeting because they’re already sitting in the same section of the train, Richard Linklater gives their meeting a cause and effect, giving their random meeting on a train an even greater sense of irony and fate.

Whether it’s one sequence leading to another or one action leading to another within a scene, always utilize cause and effect screenwriting where possible.

It’ll tighten your scenes, make the script feel more organic and, ultimately, make it more likely to be bought.

To bullet-proof your script, please check out our screenplay coverage services at http://www.scriptreaderpro.com/script-coverage-services/

Want to know how to create a logline that sells? As you know, encapsulating your screenplay’s concept in a solid logline is essential before you start writing. Here are our top four screenwriting tips on how to create a great logline which succinctly sums up the core conflict and engages the reader.

1. Irony
What’s the most ironic situation your character could find themselves in, given their personality? In Private Benjamin, the most unlikely place you’d find a fussy, pampered woman like Judy is the army. In The King’s Speech, it’s ironic that the King, whose royal position involves public speaking, can’t talk without stammering.

Irony strengthens a logline immeasurably because it strengthens the core conflict by making it that much more surprising, intriguing and dramatic.

2. Pressure
By this we mean pressure on your character to act in a certain way and / or make a certain decision. If your character is just doing something in your logline because they want to, maybe try forcing them to do it instead. In Collateral, Max is forced to drive Vincent around town all night on his killing spree, rather than doing it because he wants the money. In Sideways, Miles is forced into a different kind of wine tour than he expected by Jack, rather than both of them agreeing to try and get laid.

Forcing your protagonist to act a certain way enhances the logline because it raises the stakes and the conflict. It’s always good to eliminate all possible escape routes for your protagonist, box them in a corner and then try and then try and get them out of it.

3. Ordinary Protagonist / Extraordinary World
Is your script set somewhere extraordinary, or involve extraordinary circumstances? If so, make sure it’s implicit in the logline where we are and what’s extraordinary about the world.

Then, make sure your protagonist is as ordinary as possible. Combine the two and, hey presto, you have a stronger logline!

Here’s some examples:

Wanted—loser office worker >> professional assassin
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—shy office worker >> memory catcher

4. Extraordinary Protagonist / Ordinary World
So, you have an extraordinary protagonist, where’s the best place to set your story? That’s right, in the most ordinary place possible compared to their world.

Coming to America—African prince >> New York
Enchanted—cartoon princess >> New York

Send us your logline and we’ll do an evaluation of your script’s core conflict, potentially saving countless rewrites before you start writing the screenplay. All for the price of a coffee and a muffin!

Go to http://www.scriptreaderpro.com/script-coverage-services/
and select Logline Evaluation on the PayPal drop down menu.

Following on from our blog writing a scene in three acts, today we’re discussing writing a scene in one and half acts. Shorter, sharper and more to the point, this structure is the most common found in scenes.

As we described in our previous blog, the scenes reserved for the three act structure are usually the big emotional and / or turning point scenes. When the boy meets or loses the girl, when the adventurer hears about the quest, when the murderer is revealed etc.

So, what is a one and half act scene? These are scenes that follow the three act structure but get out at the midpoint. They contain the same pattern of Establishing, Call to Action, Big Event, but then, right after an unexpected twist or reveal at the Midpoint, they skip the All is Lost moment and go straight to the Climax.

Here’s a couple of examples:

In Rocky, when Rocky’s told by the promoter that Apollo Creed wants to fight him:

Establishing—Rocky is shown in by the receptionist

Call to Action—The promoter says he has a proposition

Big Event—He tells Rocky Apollo Creed wants to fight him

Midpoint—“It’s the chance of a lifetime. You can’t pass it by.”

Climax—Rocky thinks…

In Wedding Crashers, when John realizes Gloria’s a virgin:

Establishing—John and Gloria in bed, post sex

Call to Action—Gloria says nonchalantly it was her first time

Big Event—John confirms she was a virgin

Midpoint—Gloria says “I love you.”

Climax—CU: John’s horrified face

Writing a scene using these beats, whether it’s the full three acts or one and a half acts, really helps tighten them up, focuses the action and makes for leaner read.

See you on our next screenwriting blog post!

In this blog post we are going to take a look at how scenes are constructed using beats.

The big important scenes in your screenplay are the ones that can be broken down into beats that closely follow the same three act structure as the overall screenplay.

As we know, strong scenes are composed of a protagonist locked in conflict with an antagonist. The tension rises as the protagonist (or antagonist) pursues their goal through rising conflict, followed by a midpoint twist, an all is lost moment, and then the climax.

These scene beats can be thought of in these terms:

Establishing

Call to Action

Big Event

Midpoint

All is Lost

Climax

Denouement

Each scene, therefore, is a mini movie in itself. For example, in Sideways the scene in which Miles and Jack meet Maya in the bar can be broken down like this:

Establishing—Miles and Jack enjoy a drink at the bar

Call to Action—Maya enters and Jack says hello

Big Event—Jack tells Maya they’re celebrating the publishing of Miles’s book

Midpoint—Maya asks them what they’re up to tonight

All is Lost—Miles says they’re going to crash

Climax—Maya leaves

Denouement—Jack berates Miles

In American Beauty, the scene in which Lester seduces Angela looks like this:

Establishing—Lester hears music coming from the family room

Call to Action—Lester finds Angela and they make small talk

Big Event—Angela says she had a fight with Jane… over him.

Midpoint—They kiss

All is Lost—Angela says “this is my first time.”

Climax—Lester can’t go through with it and covers her up

Denouement—Lester comforts her

Do your major scenes fit the three act beat structure? Re-watch the scenes in the above examples and / or read them in the actual screenplays to see how they work. Study your favorite scenes from your favorite movies to test the theory and then make sure your major scenes adhere to the same technique.

Okay, so you’ve completed a first draft of your screenplay. Now the fun begins editing and honing your scenes so we arrive as late as possible and get out as early as possible.

Imagine a scene in which a man arrives home and learns his wife is pregnant. It’s something they’ve both wanted for a long time and he’s happy when he finds out.

Let’s take a look at some ways the scene could be tackled:

• Perhaps the man enters and talks about his day without noticing his wife’s unusual demeanor. Then, he finally realizes, asks her what the matter is and she tells him.

• Maybe he arrives home and they discuss something unrelated. Then, out the blue, she tells him she’s pregnant.

• Or, what if he’s already in the room and she says she has good news, but he’s too distracted by something to listen. Then, she finally manages to tell him.

Let’s take a look at how this scene was tackled in the Young Victoria screenplay.

80 minutes in, Albert’s standing in the room opposite Victoria. He says “Are you sure?” She nods. He kneels and puts an ear to her belly. They embrace. End of scene.

The fact that Victoria is pregnant is conveyed by one line of dialogue and Albert’s silent actions.

This is a great example of how to arrive late and get out a scene early. The writer omits the conversation in which Victoria actually tells him she’s pregnant and starts as late as possible—with Albert asking “Are you sure?”

All his delight at the news is then expressed through action over words when he places his head at her stomach and they hug.

Think of all the times in a movie you’ve seen a husband or wife come home to find their partner in bed with someone else. How much dialogue can you remember in that scene? Chances are the writer left it as late as possible to show the partner being caught and then any anger was expressed through action.

It’s this kind of economical writing that creates a sense of intrigue, keeps the pace moving and gives a screenplay that professional feel.

Reversals are essential to every screenplay to help keep the reader’s interest by changing the fortunes of your protagonist from good to bad and vice-versa.

In an earlier blog we covered the type of reversals found in a scene. Now we’re going to show you how these reversals can be found throughout a screenplay, right from the macro to the micro.

A screenplay can be viewed as a series of reversals operating on all levels, from the screenplay as a whole, to within individual scenes. For example, the protagonist goes from a “down” at the start of a film to an “up” at the end, or vice-versa. The same is true of each act, sequence and scene. In each case, the protagonist starts on either an “up” or “down” and ends on the reverse charge.

These positive / negative moments are what many screenwriting gurus call “plot points.” They break down like this:

Whole Screenplay—starts on a “down” beat and ends on an “up” or vice versa.

Each Act—starts on a “down” beat and ends on an “up” or vice versa.

Each Sequence—starts on a “down” beat and ends on an “up” or vice versa.

Each Scene—starts on a “down” beat and ends on an “up” or vice versa.

By making each act, sequence and scene end on the opposite charge to which it started, you are making sure the protagonist’s fortunes are put through a sliding scale from good to bad and back again. It is this back and forth motion that gives a good screenplay it’s “rollercoaster ride of emotions” feeling, and helps eliminate reader boredom. One of the primary reasons a script is rejected is because the protagonist’s journey through the script is too even handed, without reversals changing his / her fortunes along the way, and so it’s imperative to keep the above in mind when writing.

One of the primary reasons spec screenplays are rejected is because their events happen haphazardly. Randomness is certain death to a script! It makes it feel contrived, false and ultimately hard to emotionally connect to.

Many screenplays we read suffer from this malaise—things thrown together with no particular link between them. This makes the script feel episodic, with events happening one after the other, rather than dramatic, with events happening one because of the other.

Solid screenplays on the other hand contain what we call “The Domino Effect.”

Imagine your script as a line of dominos, and each domino as a scene. When the first one is hit, at the Inciting Incident, it causes each domino to fall all the way through each Act to the Climax. There’s no room for filler here—every scene / domino has an important purpose as part of the chain, and without it the script / chain suffers.

What happens in one scene should have a direct cause and effect. In other words, each scene should only be in existence because of the previous scene.

In order for this to happen, the script needs a strong protagonist. This protagonist makes things happen rather than having things happen to them. It is their actions which cause each domino to fall as they pursue a specific goal.

Take a look at your script and think about your scenes in these terms: Is this scene a direct consequence of the previous scene? Has my protagonist done something or experienced something in the previous scene that causes them to act this scene? If the answer is no, there’s a good chance you could probably take that scene out the chain!

Just to let you know we will shortly be releasing a downloadable screenwriting book direct from the website!

The book will focus on the hidden structure behind many of the most successful screenplays ever written—sequences. We feel that knowledge of this often over-looked technique in many screenwriting books and classes will help a great many writers structure their stories to the Hollywood standard.

Going even deeper into sequence structure than Paul Joseph Gulino’s book—The Sequence Approach, we will show how successful films can be broken down further than the traditional three acts into sequences, segments and scenes and how each turns from a positive to a negative and vice-versa.

The book will contain breakdowns of about ten – fifteen films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, (500) Days of Summer, Fight Club etc. with each section focussing on a different genre or sub-genre and how it works structurally, using sequences.

As well as covering the major genres studios are looking for—Action, Comedy, Horror, Thriller and Drama—we’ll also throw in some sub-genres such as heist movie, mumblecore, dramedy and unique structural elements found in successful scripts such as non-linear and multi-strand.

We look forward to releasing the book and hope you’ll enjoy reading it when it comes out.

A screenplay’s theme can be expressed through the main actions of your protagonist, dialogue and imagery. But here’s a great way to really connect your protagonist to the theme and give it that added resonance.

This method is used in many great films: give your hero an object that they carry around or identify with which symbolizes themselves and / or their struggle through the movie. This object—a visual motif—whether it’s a Blackberry or a flower—can be highlighted in certain scenes as a symbol of their growth and therefore the theme.

For example, at the start of the film Lonesome Jim, Jim (Casey Affleck) arrives at his parent’s house depressed having run out of money and nowhere else to go. As they fuss around him, he tearfully asks for some water. Throughout the film there are a few key references to Jim and water as he rebuffs local nurse Anika (Liv Tyler) while waiting to leave town. Significantly, in the last scene, [spoiler alert!] having decided to stay and make a go of his relationship with Anika, her son gives him a bottle of water and we see him, for the first time, drinking heartily.

In other words, the thematic object for Jim in this film is water, which represents his “life force” or “spiritual energy.” At the beginning of the film, his dehydration symbolizes his “emotional de-hydration.” He’s worn out, physically, mentally and emotionally. When he drinks the water at the end, thematically this is saying he’s been “revitalized” by making the right choice in life.

Adding a symbolic object to your protagonist’s world, like Jim’s water, or Ryan Bingham’s (George Clooney) suitcase in Up in the Air, adds an extra thematic layer to your script. Few non-professionals writers utilize it, but it can be an extremely powerful tool.

Of course, these kind of thematic details are usually added after a few drafts when your screenplay is beginning to really take shape. Try it out. Give your protagonist a visual motif which can represent their emotional state throughout the course of the film and watch your script pull away from the pack!

So, another writing year draws to a close… As an aspiring screenwriter, this may be a good time to take stock of your writing goals, achievements from the year gone and aspirations for the year ahead.

Writing, as I’m sure you know, can be tough. It can be hard to stay motivated and put in those four to six hours every day without the strict deadlines professional writers are forced to adhere to.

But it can be done, and the New Year is as good a time as any to re-define just what exactly you hope to achieve. Most New Year’s resolutions are forgotten within a couple of weeks, but if you’re serious about pursuing a career in scriptwriting, we strongly suggest you whip up some screenwriting goals for 2011.

So, what are they? Write them down; from an overall career goal, to monthly goals, to smaller day-to-day goals. It’ll help focus and structure your writing immeasurably.

Some writers like to give themselves “page count goals”—they won’t stop writing until they’ve completed five pages a day. Others prefer to stick to the clock—three hours and that’s it. While others prefer not to place any restrictions on themselves but simply write as much as they feel comfortable with. Of course, there are no rules when it comes to setting yourself daily goals. The most important thing is that you sit down to write every day. Even if it’s only for half an hour.

You may want to also give yourself short term monthly goals—“I will finish an outline within two months.” But if you’re not getting paid, who’s there to make sure you actually do it? One good way to force yourself to adhere to a goal is to enter an upcoming screenwriting competition before you’ve finished the screenplay. Another is to book and pay for an appointment for a face-to-face session with a script consultant a few months in advance of finishing the draft or the script.

What about longer term goals? Be realistic in your choices. Instead of focussing on one script and aiming to sell it within a year, aim to write four. By the end of the year you’ll be in a hell of a much better position with four specs than one. (And a better writer.)

When Michael Arndt was an aspiring screenwriter he made a life changing decision and set himself a goal. He saved up $25,000, quit his day job, and gave himself a year to write as many screenplays as possible. One year later, he had finished six scripts, one of which was called Little Miss Sunshine. So, if you’re as dedicated as Michael to becoming a professional screenwriter, maybe you could set yourself a similar goal and launch your writing career in 2011.

Happy writing to you all and may the new year be your most productive yet!

If you want to sell a screenplay you have to make sure it contains that vital ingredient in all movies—its characters don’t talk and behave as we do in real life.

We all know realism is essential in a film or else it loses credibility and, eventually, the audience. However, it’s also important to remember film represents an alternate reality, not the humdrum day to day reality of every day existence.

Characters in film give the illusion of talking and acting like people in real life, but in fact their words and actions are heightened versions of our own. If everyone talked and acted in film as they do in real life, going to the movie theater would be an extremely dull experience.

One difference between real people and characters in film is that characters in film exaggerate whatever emotion they’re feeling, whether for dramatic or comedic effect.

For example, if someone is annoyed with you in real life, they may not talk to you for a while. In a film they’ll write down what they’re thinking and hold it up for you to read.

If someone’s a party animal in real life, you may see them get drunk and fall over. In a film they’ll be dancing topless in the street, singing.

Characters in film also always do what we secretly wish we could do.

Near the end of the film Slums of Beverly Hills, Vivian (Natasha Lyonne) is having dinner with her loser father, (Alan Arkin) brothers and condescending rich uncle. Her uncle continually puts her father down until she can take it no more, picks up a fork and plunges it in his leg. (This a mimicking of her father’s action during an oft repeated story.)

Now, in real life, it’s highly unlikely she would have taken such a drastic measure to shut him up. But in film, she goes through with it. You need to make your characters behave not how you think they would in real life but how they would in film.

Following on from this, characters always say what we wish could say.

In real life we walk away during an argument having only said half the things we wish we’d said, and then half an hour later curse “I should’ve said XYZ.” Not in film. In any given situation, characters always have a sharp comeback, a witty one-liner and always say the right thing at the right time. (Unless, of course, this is a trait of the character.)

So, much of the above is about strengthening character’s dialogue—keeping it realistic but making it sharper, wittier, more profound. And, strengthening your character’s actions—exaggerating whatever emotion it is they’re feeling.

This will lead them into more extraordinary situations and ultimately result in a more extraordinary screenplay. It’s those scenes in which characters climb a tree to conduct a conversation, or fake an orgasm in a diner, that the audience remembers.

The bottom line is, it’s the extraordinary not the ordinary that will help you sell your screenplay.

Today we’re going to take a look at choosing a genre for a new screenplay in relation to the spec script market and how to sell a screenplay. Part of the art to selling a screenplay is obviously having a great script. But one of the main factors which constitutes a whether it will sell or not is its marketability.

Let’s say you’re knocking around a few ideas for a new one and haven’t actually started writing yet. Should you go for the high concept thriller just because it’s marketable? Or the drama you feel really passionate about and have been sitting on for the past ten years?

Ideally, you want to write a spec script that’s both highly marketable and one which you feel passionate about enough to spend the next six months of your life writing.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the top four screenplay genre categories which are selling in Hollywood: today:

1. Action
2. Thrillers / Horror
3. Comedy
4. Drama

As you can see, thanks to the biggest demographic of people who go to movie theatres—teenage boys—Action scripts are what’s hot right now. Two years ago it was Horrors and Horror / Thrillers. Now it’s Action and Thrillers. In fact, many writers are going back to their Horror scripts and lightening them up into Thrillers. Comedies are always popular and still sell well, but it’s Action and Thriller screenplays that are getting the lion’s share of options.

Drama, as ever, is a notoriously hard sell. Unless you’ve already got a track record as a successful screenwriter, it’s very unlikely that your spec Drama script will be purchased.

However, if you have a great story that’s exceptionally well written and you feel passionate about, by all means write it. The passion will come out in your writing and that counts for a lot.

No screenplay written is a screenplay wasted. It’s all part of the learning curve; another script towards the three or more you need to be taken seriously in Hollywood. And besides, even if it’s not sold, providing it’s supremely well written, you can use it as a writing sample to get other writing gigs—re-writing existing scripts or polishing dialogue etc.

So, our advice is, if you want to get your screenplay optioned, choose stories and genres that producers, managers and agents are actually looking for. It’s a hard enough process as it is without making them even harder by writing a period drama set in 1906 inter-weaving the life histories of three Alabama sisters. On the other hand, if you feel like you just have to write that Drama script, go for it; but approach it as a writing sample rather than a possible sale.

Wondering whether to enter a screenplay competition? And if so, which one? The big players such as Scriptapalooza, or the smaller regional ones? Which are worth all your time and effort?

Hopefully by the end of this post, you’ll come away with a greater idea of the pros and cons of script contests and how best to approach them.

Firstly, the cons…

It can get pretty pricey sending your script(s) to half a dozen or more competitions at $50+ a throw. In order to avoid wasting your money, we recommend not sending your script out to anyone, including script competitions, until it has received at least a “Consider” from a reputable script consultancy. Make sure you’re completely happy with it before sending it in, even if it means spending a few bucks more in order to sneak it in the late entry category.

Well, actually that’s it for cons—money. If you’ve got the script(s) and you’ve got the cash, there is absolutely nothing wrong with entering as many script contests as you can. It can only increase your chances of success. Then again, we have to reiterate that you’re script had better be in the best shape possible, otherwise you’re just setting yourself up for a huge letdown.

The pros…

These can be summed up in one word—exposure. It is a well known fact that screenplay contests can provide a great way for aspiring writers to finally gain some recognition for their work. Winning a competition is, of course, the desired outcome of entering, but even placing in the top ten can gain a writer recognition, an agent, a manager etc.

For a list of the best “big league” screenwriting contests check out our Writer’s Resources area. Without doubt, the Nicholl Fellowship is the most prestigious and highly coveted screenplay award out there. Winners of this are pretty much guaranteed a major helping hand into the industry. Conversely, it’s also one of the toughest to do well in.

The other alternative is to concentrate on the smaller league regional contests, such as the Austin Screenplay Competition. The advantage of these screenwriting contests is that they have far fewer entries and so a greater chance of placing well. As with the bigger screenwriting competitions, even placing in the top five or ten can result in great exposure and representation.

Whether you concentrate on the small or big players doesn’t really matter. What matters is that your screenplay is rocking when you send it in! The next major of deadlines early next year will be here before you know it, so get writing!

In this post we’re going to take a look at How Not to Write a Screenplay. Having read a lot of screenplays over the years, we’re pretty good at spotting the bad ones. Quickly. Basically, it’s all there from the get-go. On page one. A reader knows within the first page, heck the first few lines, whether someone can write. But, as far as story goes, you really, really need to be captivating the reader by the end of Act One.

Below are our top ten indicators a script is heading for a “Pass” rather than a “Recommend.” Avoid them at all costs!

1. Plot—we’re introduced to the protagonist and their world. Great. But then they don’t actually do anything of significance. They’re not active but re-active—responding (sometimes) to events rather than causing them. Sometimes this continues well past page 25, by which time any production company or studio reader will have long since given up.

2. Scenes—a problem related to the above is the inclusion of unnecessary scenes. Characters meet, chat and part with little or no development to the story. Nothing changes within the scene which causes the next scene, meaning it’s essentially been a waste of two pages.

3. Scene Description—so, a reader opens your script and straight away sees… big chunks of scene description, four, five, six lines long. Upon closer inspection it’s revealed the writing is bland, clichéd, confusing, drifts in and out the present tense and contains embedded information. Even if your script contains only one of these elements, get rid of it!

4. Dialogue—as with scene description, over-writing is a massive no-go area. When a reader opens a script to see long passages of dialogue, (and by long we mean anything over 3 lines) they shudder. Furthermore, clichéd, “on the nose” dialogue with no subtext is an immediate indicator the writer’s probably not going to deliver an outstanding script.

5. Formatting / Grammar—you may be tired of hearing this because essentially it’s all about the story, right? But the truth is, nothing turns a reader off more than incorrectly formatted sluglines and typos. It just shows a lack of craft and sloppy workmanship. Grab a copy of The Screenwriter’s Bible and a good dictionary and refer back to them constantly.

So, there you have it. Keep all the above out of your screenplays and you’ll automatically place yourself in the top rather than bottom half of aspiring screenwriters.

So, just how relevant is the screenplay query letter in today’s screenwriting market? The short answer is not as much as it used to be. Below we take a look at the options available to writers wishing to get their masterpiece out there, read and picked up.

The traditional route is, of course, the infamous script query letter—a short pitch about who you are and the project you’d like them to read. The idea is to write your letter, then get your hands on the latest copy of Hollywood Creative Directory and draw up a long list of suitable companies / agents / managers. Next, you either fax / snail mail / email it to them.

Firstly, the faxing and sending a traditional query letter in the post methods are long dead. Please don’t waste your time (and money) licking the backs of hundreds of envelops and sticking them in a post-box.

As for emailing a query letter, this is a better method than faxing or snail mailing, but still woefully hit and miss. The amount of queries these companies receive stack the odds against you; but it’s still better than doing nothing.

Better than emailing is actually picking up the phone and asking if you can send in your script. It’s more personal and you’re making human contact with them, which is more memorable than an email. But be prepared to pitch right there on the spot!

For those with great connections, the best possible route is to personally give your script to a producer / agent / manager you know or someone who can pass it on to them.

For those without great connections, a relatively new alternative to all of the above are screenplay query letter submission services. Or websites that offer a platform for your logline or synopsis to be viewed by industry people.

The best we’ve come across, in terms of word of mouth and our clients getting deals, are Ink Tip and Virtual Pitchfest. The great thing about these services is that, while they may cost a few dollars, they take the time and stress out of doing it yourself and may target companies you wouldn’t have otherwise thought of.

There are also other companies, such as those listed below, which we’d welcome your feedback on.

http://www.equerydirect.com

http://www.screenplaywritersconnection.com/screenplay/index.htm

http://www.scriptblaster.com

http://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com/screenwriting-resources/query-letter-submission-service

Good luck with your query letters and getting your screenplays out there!

Correctly expressing a screenplay’s theme is often one of the most difficult aspects for a writer to master. It’s also an essential aspect as it gives a script added depth and broader appeal. So, in this post we’re going to demystify some of the confusion surrounding theme and discuss the best way to approach it in your script.

Firstly, what exactly is the theme? In simple terms the theme is the writer’s point of view that they wish to express about a specific aspect of a specific subject, whether it’s love, money, greed, etc. For example, in When Harry Met Sally, the theme is not just ”love,” but the question of whether friends can be lovers. This theme is the writer’s unique, personal interpretation.

A script’s theme can be expressed many different ways—through dialogue, imagery, setting etc. but the single most powerful way to do it is through action. Or, more precisely—the actions of the protagonist against the antagonist.

So, the theme is the writer’s point of view on a particular subject expressed by the decisions and actions the protagonist makes against a strong antagonist. The protagonist represents one side of the writer’s argument, and the antagonist the other. At the climax, either the protagonist or antagonist prevails, winning the thematic argument.

The theme of Fargo, for instance, can be expressed in the argument: “Is money necessary to be happy?” Jerry (William H Macy) and his henchmen with their bungled attempts at kidnap represent the answer “yes.” The police woman, Marge, (Frances McDormand) with her simple outlook on life and uneventful but cozy marriage, represents “no.” All the unnecessary carnage in the film backs up Marge’s point of view. At the end, the bad guys are either all captured or killed, again backing up this side of the argument.

Of course, it’s important to also express the theme through other means, like dialogue. Right after the climax, in Fargo, Marge, having just arrested one of the henchmen, asks him if all the killing was worth it just for a bit of money. The theme that money is not necessary to be happy is stated like this at key moments in the script.

It makes things much easier to think of the theme as a tug of war between two opposing points of view on the same subject between the antagonist and the protagonist. And the winner, at the climax, is the writer’s own personal point of view. Setting it up this way should give your script a clearer direction theme-wise, and make it easier to  drop in the required nuggets of thematic dialogue and images.

As you know, it’s important to form a great logline before setting out on writing a screenplay. If you have a vague and / or uninspiring logline, your script will likely be vague and uninspiring too.

But how do you know when you have a great logline? And what’s the best way to create a compelling one?

The logline should encompass what your story’s about, the main conflict, preferably with irony, what’s at stake, the setting / world, protagonist and antagonist. Sounds a lot, right? But actually it’s not as hard as it sounds. A logline can be divided into two halves:

1. An interesting protagonist in an interesting setting / world, faced with a crisis.

2. The decision they make about this crisis.

For the first part, ask yourself, who is my hero? Whether it’s Travis Bickle or Erin Brockovich every story needs a protagonist who drives the story. What’s interesting about the world of my story? And what’s the major crisis (force of antagonism) that spins my protagonist’s life out of control? This point refers to the screenplay’s Call to Action around 12 minutes in, and gives a logline it’s surprising “oh no!” factor.

For the second part, you need to ask yourself, “What decision does my protagonist make regarding this crisis? This is your script’s Act One turning point and signals the goal they hope to achieve by the climax.

It’s only once you know the answers to these questions that you can begin to craft a compelling logline.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

“An IRS auditor realizes he’s a character in a novel that’s still being written. Then, he has to stop the author from killing him off.” — Stranger Than Fiction.

The realization that he’s a character in a novel is the script’s Call to Action and, sure enough, occurs ten minutes into the film. The second part indicates the decision he makes regarding the crisis. Notice how big stakes are attached through putting his life at stake if he doesn’t stop the author (antagonist) from killing him off in the novel.

“When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it”. — Jaws.

“A 40 year old man is exposed as a virgin, and takes up the challenge set by his work buddies to sleep with a woman.” — The 40 Year Old Virgin.

Again, in both of these examples we have a crisis facing a protagonist(s) and a decision—the Call to Action and Act One turning points in the film.

So, take your first act plot points and use them like this in creating a rocking logline. Good luck!

Today, we’re going to take a look at another type of screenwriting reversal—the “force from the outside.” In this case, the reversal is another character (usually) that suddenly enters the scene, turning it in another direction. This is a very popular type of reversal.

One of my favorite “force from the outside” reversals is in the film Annie Hall in the “movie theatre line” scene. Alvy and Annie are in the midst of an argument as they queue for tickets. Alvy becomes more and more irritated and ends up berating a guy behind him for pontificating on Marshall McLuhan’s work when he knows nothing about it.

The “force from the outside” reversal occurs when, in order to settle the disagreement, Alvy steps out of the line and produces the real Marshall McLuhan who promptly puts the man in his place. Alvy laments, “Boy, if life were only like this,” as a short denouement and the scene ends. So, in both these scenes we have an escalation of conflict and a reversal which leads directly to the climax, and we’re done!

In a scene near the start of Pulp Fiction, Jules and Vincent interrogate three boys over the whereabouts of the mysterious suitcase. The tension escalates as Jules eats their burger, quotes the bible and then shoots one of them lying on the couch.

Tarantino could have just ended the scene with Jules and Vincent finding the case and leaving, but instead he adds a “force from the outside,” reversal…

One of the boys hiding in another room, bursts in gun blazing, and every bullet misses. Jules and Vincent, surprised to still be alive, turn their gun on him, shooting him dead. Scene over.

Both these examples were pretty surprising the first time you saw them, right? Always look for ways to surprise your reader like this with a reversal. Introducing a “force from the outside” is a great way to do it.

Go back over your script, looking again at any scenes that don’t have a surprising twist of some kind right before the climax. Chances are they could do with one, so get rewriting!

Good luck!

In this post we’re going to show you a technique to make every scene in your script really come alive. It’s a very simple method, once you know what it is, and how it’s implemented by professional screenwriters.

Most non-screenwriters who watch films aren’t even aware of its existence, but it’s there in virtually every scene in every film ever made. Even many aspiring screenwriters aren’t aware of its existence. Or if they are, they fail to use it in their own scripts.

Just what are we talking about?

Of course, it’s the “reversal.”

One of the biggest single problems we encounter with spec scripts is that their scenes don’t “turn.” There’s no “reversal” emotionally or dramatically in the scene from bad to good, or vice-versa. Typically, a scene starts on a positive value and ends on a positive value. Or starts negatively, and ends negatively.

Every scene must end up in a different place from where it started. Otherwise, what’s its purpose? And it’s the reversal that gets a scene from one place to another.

So, what exactly is a reversal?

A reversal is a surprising turn of events that leads directly to the scene’s climax. It’s the “wow, I didn’t see that coming moment,” that completely alters the course of the scene, either in a big or subtle way. Everything up to this point has been going in one direction, and then, at the reversal, it switches to it’s complete opposite. The scene changes from a negative to a positive (or vice-versa) and then ends with the climax.

This is one of my favorite reversals, from the film American Beauty: near the end of the film, The Colonel goes to see Lester in his garage. We know he’s a violent thug who runs his family home like a boot-camp, and expect him to lash out at Lester for what he believes is the seduction of Ricky, his teenage son. The tension builds as The Colonel asks Lester about his marriage, but then… he pulls him in for a kiss.

Now, that’s a reversal!

Make sure your scenes surprise the reader. Know what you want the outcome of your scene to be, and then start it in exactly the opposite way. That way, you can add a reversal near the end that flips the scene into its desired place.

The reason why the American Beauty example is so strong is that it’s a major character reveal as well as a scene reversal. In our next post we’ll take a look at another type of scene reversal—the ubiquitous “force from the outside.” See you there!