How to master screenplay structure: the #1 technique nobody talks about. [The following post on script structure is an extract from our book: Master Screenplay Sequences - Revolutionize Your Understanding Of Screenplay Structure.] Traditional 3-act screenplay structure goes something like this: A protagonist is landed with a problem in Act 1 (the set up.) He/she […]
How to write a synopsis for a movie. If you want to learn how to write and sell a script, you must also learn how to write a synopsis. A movie is based on a screenplay, but that screenplay is based on a story. And a story in its purest form can be found in […]
Save the Cat Beat Sheet vs. Screenplay Sequences. Just how useful is a Save the Cat beat sheet (also known as the “Blake Snyder beat sheet”) to the budding writer? Is it the go-to template that anyone can plug their story in to and get amazing results? Or is it a screenwriting-by-numbers method that’s not […]
If there’s so much information out there on how to craft the perfect three-act structure, why is it so hard to put it into practice in your own script? Why is it so difficult to know how the hell to fill those 50-60 pages in Act Two? With close to a million different theories on […]
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 […]
Most aspiring writers think there are just 2 or 3 screenplay beats in act 1... In his book, My Story Can Beat Up Your Story, Jeffrey Allan Schechter lays out how to toughen up your act one by including the following twelve screenplay beats. And in this post, we're going to break down the ones […]
Did you know there are 12 secret script beats you should include in act 1 of your screenplay? You have probably heard that Act 1 of a screenplay should include at least two script beats, or "plot points": a call to action (sometimes called a screenplay Inciting Incident) and an Act 1 turning point at […]
Today we're going to tackle the screenplay flashback, its three different types and how to use them in your script. Unfortunately, aspiring writers are constantly told by screenwriting "gurus" to never employ certain devices in their scripts. Nine times out of ten, this is just dumb advice. One of the most popular refrains you may […]
How to use the 500 Days of Summer script to master non-linear storytelling. Writing a script can be hard enough without playing around with time-frames and trying to still make it all make sense. The good news is, though, that non-linear stories like the one found in the 500 Days of Summer script are actually easier to write […]