I was responding to a post on a WGA Facebook group and my thoughts just kept going and going. It was long, and buried in a thread and I knew no one was going to read it. I am not sure anyone will read this either, of course, but I…

The primary mission of the screenwriter has changed. It is no longer to create a blueprint for production. It’s true that some A-list writers have this luxury, and TV writers certainly do, as their scripts are always production drafts. …

By the end of your story, one of the primary character traits your protagonist should exhibit is resilience. Why is that? How interesting would it be if EVERY main character in cinema had this trait? As it turns out, it’s VERY interesting. First, resilience is the trait that audience’s admire…

Many young writers struggle to be decisive in the moments that populate their screenplays. They find it challenging to openly declare and dramatize what a single moment is about. …

It is about the emotional reaction to the plot. The character’s reaction and the audience’s reaction. Too often, the new writer thinks MORE plot will save them. This is rarely, if ever, true. …

Structure is perhaps the most teachable aspect of screenwriting. I suspect this is the primary reason it gets so much attention in screenwriting education. So many of the other aspects of the craft (Characterization, dialogue, and the all-important “voice”, among other things) can often rely more on god given talent…

Structure is your friend. Structure is there to help you tell your story in the best way possible. Structure is not formula, though thousands of years of storytelling has taught us a few best practices for the craft. Simply defined: Story Structure is choosing what the audience knows and when…

Let me preface this with three key things. First, there are MAJOR SPOILERS here. If you haven’t seen the film, don’t read further. Frankly, I’m surprised you even clicked. Second, while the original trilogy were important films of my childhood, I am only a casual adult fan of the franchise…