by Trevor Mayes | Jan 7, 2011 | Quick Screenwriting Tips, Scenes
Quick Screenwriting Tip: If you think there might be something wrong with your scene, then there almost certainly is. Don’t be lazy. Trust your instincts. Figure out what’s not working and fix it. Never say to yourself, “It’s just one...
by Trevor Mayes | Oct 21, 2010 | Dialogue, Quick Screenwriting Tips
Quick Screenwriting Tip: The comprehension of a scene or scene sequence should never depend solely on a single line of dialogue. I’m still surprised by how often I see this mistake, in both scripts and movies. If something significant needs to be revealed in...
by Trevor Mayes | Aug 24, 2010 | Plot, Quick Screenwriting Tips, Writing
Avoid a deus ex machina ending to your story. What is deus ex machina? According to Wikipedia: A deus ex machina (Latin for “god out of the machine”) is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the...
by Trevor Mayes | May 8, 2010 | Characters, Pre-writing, Quick Screenwriting Tips
Don’t get hung up on writing character backstories. What’s important is knowing how your character will react to situations right now. We all react differently to trauma and events. For example, someone who grows up in an abusive household may become an...
by Trevor Mayes | Apr 28, 2010 | Dialogue, Formatting, Quick Screenwriting Tips
If a parenthetical provides obvious information, it should be removed. Example of UNNECESSARY parenthetical usage — (angrily): JAKE (angrily) I’m going to kill ALL of you! We know Jake is angry because of what he says and how he says it. The parenthetical...
by Trevor Mayes | Apr 26, 2010 | Quick Screenwriting Tips
When proofing the final draft of your script, don’t forget to do a homonym pass. While we’re blazing through our first draft, it’s easy to inadvertently mix up words or contractions that sound the same in our heads. We need to weed-out any of these...
