A screenplay is not a novel - but it IS a reading experience. We can't get inside someone's head, but we can describe how they look based on their emotional state. Look at this bad versus good example to see what we're talking about!
#screenwriting #writingvisually #deathorstory #screenplays

Hide all your exposition in conflict, subtext, and relationship dynamics. Let your characters argue, dodge, or posture their way through the facts. In short, avoid information dumps at all costs! #dialogue #deathorstory #screenwriting #subtext #departmentofdialogue

Happy Halloween! 🎃 👻 Let’s analyze Guillermo del Toro’s mad scientist Victor Frankenstein! His wants, his needs, his fatal flaws — discover a man wrapped in irony.

The real question has always been: who’s the true monster here?

#frankenstein #character #screenwriting #DeathorStory #halloweenmovies

Look how Nora Ephron structured Act 2 of When Harry Met Sally! A Squeeze Point 1, Midpoint, Squeeze Point 2, Crisis and Push into 3….works like a charm. If any of these plot points are missing, you can risk marching in place (boring!) or wrapping up two quickly - two deadly sins of screenwriting.

In honor of the late, magnificent Diane Keaton, here’s a character sketch exploring the wants, needs & flaws of J.C. Wiatt from Baby Boom (1988) -the original shoulder pad-clad career woman who had it all together until a baby lands in her lap!
#DianeKeaton #BabyBoom #screenwriting #deathorstory

From our Department of Dialogue: Dialogue is behavior, not exposition - when characters stop explaining themselves, we finally get to see who they are. Create stronger, sharper, more authentic dialogue by motivating it with action.
#Dialogue #screenwriting #DepartmentofDialogue #deathorstory

Did your act one set up the story properly? Is your act two sagging in the middle? What about your act 3? Does it wrap up too quickly? We have solutions to all these common problems at our "Structure Your Screenplay" workshop on Dec. 6/25. #deathorstory #storystructure #screenwriting

Did you know your TV show pilot works on TWO different levels? As a stand-alone episode, it has its own structure, but it ALSO serves as the act one for the entire series.
#SomebodySomewhere #screenwritingtips #TVshows #Pilots #screenplays #writingclass #writingworkshops #deathorstory

Have you seen “Spinal Tap - The End Continues” yet? It’s out in theaters this week! In honor of that 40-years-later sequel, let’s take a look at how the midpoint works in the original 1984 mocumentary “This is Spinal Tap!”
#DeathorStory #screenwriting #midpoint #spinaltap #mockumentary

DAY 12! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Final Tip: Happily Ever After! This is non-negotiable - the two leads must end up together in a freeze-frame of loving perfection. Find the best HEA!
#DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 11! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: SOFT CRISIS! Every story needs a crisis, but in a Christmas romance movie it can't be anything tragic or horrific... #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 10! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: CHRISTMAS COMES LAST! Christmas comes at the end of a Christmas romance movie. Full stop. Embrace this organic ticking clock! #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 9! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: TIE YOUR THEME TO CHRISTMAS! Consider themes like "family is more important than money" or "Love is about showing up." #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 8! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: VILLAINS! Don't be afraid to give your villains an arc. It can add a heartwarming element to have the villain redeem themselves. Remember the Grinch! #DeathorStory #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 7! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 tips in 12 Days! Today: Don't Forget Christmas! Every home should have a tree with presents underneath, twinkle lights galore, snow globes, mistletoe, stockings hung on the fireplace.
#screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies