We've all heard that "good writing is rewriting," and we all know that first drafts aren't meant to be perfect -- they're our so-called "vomit" drafts, and their purpose is to get the story OUT. But what happens after that? How do we go from a rough draft to a polished script?
ScreenwritingU sat down with The Secret Life of Pets screenwriter Brian Lynch to find out his secret to balancing lightness and darkness in family-focused movies. But before we could get into the nitty-gritty of storytelling, Lynch revealed to us that he was almost a cartoonist – not a screenwriter. Ironically enough, a can of cat food changed the course of his career forever.
Everyone knows a compelling hero is central to a good script. Writers spend hours thinking through our hero's back stories. We grace them with inspiring goals and bedevil them with fascinating flaws. But the real secret to a good hero is a good villain.
A master storyteller when it comes to action adventure films, Steven Spielberg is the best when it comes to learning the craft of telling good stories. We took a look at his latest film The BFG to give you seven ways to get all Spielbergian on your script.
If your story doesn't stick it on the landing, chances are audiences will leave feeling irritated and unsatisfied. So, how can we create endings that make the audience feel like the story couldn't have finished any other way? Here are five story tricks to give your climax that jigawatt jolt.
One brilliant idea can make or break a screenwriter’s career. But how do you allow yourself to shed the judgement you have in your head and take risks to create something unique and inspiring?
Classic movies may not have a lot of explosions or crazy car chases, but they still keep audiences nailed to their seats. So: how do they do it? What makes their stories so romantic, funny, heartrending or frightening? Why have these movies stood the test of time...?
The word Pixar is fast becoming synonymous with great storytelling. Why? Because they have a set of rules, and they stick to them. Following these seven Pixar story hacks will guide your relatable protagonist though a clear story and help you write an amazing screenplay.
Many of us have a romantic vision of writing, but the truth is that writing is often slow, deliberate, painstaking work. We put one word after another. There's no way around: if you're a writer, you'll probably face writer's block at some point, and you'll be forced to find a way work through it. So let's think about some places to find inspiration if/when you get stuck.
From #OscarSoWhite to the federal EEOC investigating the lack of working female film directors, outrage over Hollywood’s lack of diversity is everywhere. Now, the Writer’s Guild of America is doing its part to address the problem by creating a searchable database of its diverse members – but will it really make a difference?
Rejection is the worst. Every writer who has ever shown their work to someone else knows this. Sharing your most personal creations puts you at risk for the most terrible sort of pain. Unless you're standing on a boat, scribbling pages and tossing them into the sea, sharing your work means there's a chance you'll face rejection. And everyone, everyone in Hollywood gets rejected at some point. Yes, everyone.
