Making sure your screenplay doesn’t leave you stranded.
The one the pros use!
For over 10 years, I’ve been offering the most comprehensive script proofreading service in the business. That’s why I’ve become the first choice for amateurs and A-list screenwriters alike. Let me help you make a great first impression!
Script Proofreading
Percentage of good scripts
The Bitter Script Reader answers my question about his experience with competent scripts. I like his zen approach to accepting poor formatting, then moving on. With what percentage of scripts is the quality of formatting and screenwriting craft sufficient enough that...
Edgy Screenwriting – Part 1B: Jerks That Work
Recap This is the follow-up to yesterday's article on the dangers of the "Jerk Protagonist" (an irredeemable jackass who we can't stand at the beginning of your script) and why I recommend avoiding this type of protagonist. Today we'll look at ways to turn that...
Edgy Screenwriting – Part 1A: The Jerk Protagonist
This is part one of a series on "Edgy Screenwriting" (AKA "Ways to bugger up your script"). The first article in this series asks the timeless question: Is your protagonist a real jerk? I'm not talking about a protagonist with a biting wit, or one who sometimes says...
Those aren’t pillows!
Quick -- what's the first movie that pops into your head when you think of "Thanksgiving"? For me, it's without a doubt: Planes, Trains and Automobiles If you're unfamiliar with the 1987 comedy, here's a description of it from Amazon: Neal Page is an advertising...
Star Wars Facebook Status Updates
Who knew our favorite Star Wars characters were using Facebook? Four more Star Wars Facebook status threads can be found here (CollegeHumor.com).
What’s your inciting incident?
My what? Your inciting incident. You know -- your story catalyst; your protagonist's call to action / adventure. As Robert McGee writes in his fantastic book, Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting: The INCITING INCIDENT radically...
10 Rules For Using Parentheticals
First, what are they? Parentheticals, or actor/character directions, or "wrylies," are those little descriptions that sometimes appear after a character's name, in dialogue blocks, to spell out tone, intent or action. In the poorly written example below (see Rule #1),...
The Power of Story
Caption Contest Recently a contest was held to come up with a caption for the following image from Terry Border's new book: Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things There were the standard lines and puns submitted: "We need to stop getting fried so early in...
5 Key Differences Between Spec and Shooting Scripts
Some Definitions A spec script is a screenplay that's written "on speculation." That is, you, the screenwriter, write the script without any development contract or promise of payment in place, in the hopes of getting it optioned, sold, or gaining representation by an...
The Creative Screenwriting Cyberspace Open – Part 2
Recap A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about my experience in the first round of the Creative Screenwriting Cyberspace Open writing tournament. After spending a weekend crafting a decent five page scene, I had made it to the quarterfinals. Round Two I was...
A Logline Primer
The Logline or "One Liner" Blake Snyder used to refer to loglines as "the coin of the realm" in Hollywood. Having a great logline is extremely important -- both for pitching your script, and for making sure your story is focused and engaging. If you don't have a...
It was just a dream…
Great article today at The Bitter Scriptreader about the ol' dream cliché: Take note, writers. There are few things you could do that convince me more of your hackitude than having a cop-out ending where everything is revealed as "just a dream." From where I sit, it...