Movie title ideas: 3 ways to come up with the coolest titles ever. Movie title ideas matter. A lot. While you’ve probably heard a lot about how the first page of your story is the most important when it comes to first impressions—it’s not. It’s actually the title. When your script lands on the desk […]
Character arc: the secret sauce to demonstrating your hero's growth. Creating a strong character arc can be a difficult and confusing enterprise for many writers. If you want to break into the industry, though, it’s vital. Well, almost always vital… James Bond doesn’t have much of a character arc. Neither does Mavis, the protagonist in […]
Show don't tell: how to turn a talky script into a visual masterpiece. When it comes to advice on script dialogue, the old chestnut "show don’t tell" is one of the most oft-repeated out there. However, it can be deceptively hard to put it into practice. In this post, you’ll learn how to finally master the […]
Script dialogue: if your characters are just talking you're doing it wrong. When it comes to how to write great dialogue in a script, most advice tends to be quite vague. For example, you'll often hear how “script dialogue should…” • “Propel the story forward” • “Reveal character and theme” • “Build conflict and drama” […]
Script ideas: 5 proven ways to unlock original movie ideas. Are you the kind of writer who has notepads full of script ideas that you don’t have enough time to write? Or do you spend hours staring at your computer screen waiting for “inspiration to strike?” Unfortunately, we’re not all gifted with the ability to […]
How to write a logline: the ultimate step-by-step guide. Learning how to write a logline that achieves this is perhaps the most important stage in the planning and development phase of writing a screenplay. Without a great logline—one that succinctly sums up the core conflict of the story—it’s pretty hard to write a great script. […]
How to plan a screenplay: three crucial steps to take before your first draft. Learning how to plan a screenplay can be a daunting task. Of course, any undertaking in creative writing has an intimidation factor, but screenwriting has an inherent aspect that sets it apart: a lack of freedom. This isn’t to say that […]
How to adapt a novel into a screenplay in 10 steps. If you're wondering how to adapt a novel into a screenplay, you're in good company. So were Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), Annie Proulx (Brokeback Mountain), Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), and Dave Eggers (Away We Go) at one point. If you’ve found some success […]
How to format a script if you want to break into the spec market. If you’re confused by how to format a script, you’re in the right place. The following post contains excerpts from our book, “Master Screenplay Format: a Clear Guide on How to Format a Screenplay for the Spec Market.” The overall message […]
What is an inciting incident in a screenplay? Does an inciting incident have to involve the protagonist? Does it have to occur during a specific minute in Act 1? What story function should it serve? A quick internet search will reveal a whole host of different answers. One well-known screenwriting blog says the inciting incident […]