The 6 key character archetypes needed to nail the perfect cast list. You’ve probably heard that you should develop a movie script’s characters using a seemingly endless array of “character archetypes,” such as the “outlaw,” “fool” or “shapeshifter.” Character archetypes in movies have been popularized in books like 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt. The […]
How to write a believable police investigation scene in your script. Thankfully, screenwriting isn’t just about “writing what you know.” It’s obviously also about creating and recreating worlds that you might have zero experience of. So let’s say you want to write a script that involves a crime scene or police investigation scene... But you’ve never […]
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 […]
How to write a fight scene in a script. Writing fight scenes can be tricky for many screenwriters. How exactly do you lay out a fight scene on the page? Do you describe every blow and gunshot? Or do you leave most of it to the director? And if so, how much? We’ll be answering […]
Learn how to write a TV show bible and market your pilot like a pro. So you’ve got a great idea for a TV show... Do you just write the pilot and start sending it out into the industry? Or do you first write one of those mysterious things known as a “TV show bible”? […]
Ageism in Hollywood and how to break in as a writer over 40. Unfortunately, ageism in Hollywood is definitely real. The many lawsuits and payouts over the years are proof of the fact that the industry views more mature writers a little differently from those in their 20s and 30s. For some reason, the general […]
Download all 10 best original screenplay and best adapted screenplays. The Oscar nominations for best original screenplay and best adapted screenplay 2020 have been announced! Reading screenplays is a great way to improve your writing style, dialogue, scenes and much more. With that in mind, here are the ten Oscar-nominated scripts that you can download […]
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 […]
How to use short film scripts to kickstart your screenwriting career. Are you sitting around by the phone waiting for a producer to kickstart your career? Here's another option: kickstart it yourself by writing short film scripts. How did the Duplass Brothers and countless other filmmakers get their screenwriting careers off the ground? Not by entering screenwriting contests, networking […]
Character description examples: how to hook the reader. In this post, we’re going to show you how to get the reader to emotionally connect with your characters—particularly your protagonist—by comparing amateur and pro character description examples. Far too often aspiring writers’ character descriptions involve mundane activities, unrelated to who they’re introducing. Often this is accompanied […]