Movies and TV have a special jargon If you want to be taken seriously as a screenwriter, you need to know the language of the film industry. The following guide offers script, production, and industry terminology in a compact lexicon. The words, phrases, and their definitions are compiled from a…
Tag: screenwriting
Screenwriting Screenwriting is unique. Screen vs. Stage Films are generally massive undertakings when compared to other forms of writing. The most common comparison is to dramatic writing for stage. Screen Stage Director and Producer “supercede” Writers Playwright Controls $$$$ – Expensive (relatively) $ – Can be Affordable… 100s in…
Books for Screenwriters Read about writing for film and read scripts The best way to learn about screenwriting is to read screenplays. Published scripts for most major films and television shows are widely available. When you read scripts, you get a feel for the structure and pacing. Read several for…
Stories fall into a handful of traditional structures. Many scholars have addressed this from disciplines ranging from anthropology to writing studies. Stories are about conflicts, inner and outer journeys of growth, and there are a limited number of potential conflict models. Likewise, a character either grows towards good, remains the…
An email exchange brought something into focus that I want to stress to all screenwriters and novelists hoping to pitch a film, series, or novel. A story needs to be unusual, yet obvious. The audience should anticipate some, but not all, of the conflicts and the outline of the story…
Recently, I met with screenwriting coach Jim Mercurio to discuss some ideas and screenplays I was trying to pitch. Jim is a wonderful, highly ranked writing coach and former columnist for Creative Screenwriting. He knows writing and he knows Hollywood. He told me right up front, this is going to be…
“This story is a movie. That other story needs to be a novel.” One of my pet peeves is the common assumption among writers that particular types of stories are best suited to a single medium. This assumption belies either a lack of skill or a lack of understanding and…
As a playwright, I am accustomed to “directing” the action. One of the attractions of writing for the stage is the primacy of the script, as submitted by the writer to a director. Changes require the approval of the playwright, and well-known playwrights have challenged directors who felt the need…
Part One of “Your Script is a Snitch” explained how your script is snitching on you before the reader opens or scrolls to page one. Now, let’s examine what your script says to readers as they skim the pages of your screen gem. The message might not be the one…
Your script is a snitch. It’s telling readers all about you, and what it is saying might work against you. Some questions that readers evaluating a script will ask themselves can help you prepare and deliver a script with a better chance of being taken seriously. How did the script…