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Where Do You Find Screenplays?
I’m asked this question all the time and I get it!
Where the hell are you supposed to GET screenplays in order to study them??
Well, there are many different places, but here are my top 3:
How to Answer, “What are You Working On?”
Sally forth into the fields of success! Never worry about how to talk about your work again!!
What a Trump Presidency Means for Hollywood
It’s gonna be a mixed bag.
Here are some of my predictions:
Emails Going Unanswered? Here’s What You’re Doing Wrong
You’re excited, motivated, and ready to connect – so you pour your heart into a long, thoughtful email to that connection who might just open doors for you and… crickets.
Here’s what might be going wrong – and how to fix it. (Pst - be sure to read all the way to the bottom for the most important rule of all!)
Exposition: Good & Bad
Both of these YouTube breakdowns on exposition are pretty fabulous. You should give them a watch
45 Examples of Internal Conflict
Clashes of values reveal who your character truly is and drive your story, giving it depth and resonance.
“The More Who Die, The Less We Care;” The Trouble with Large Stakes
The truth is, as humans, “our capacity to feel is limited.” if stakes get too large without being emotionally grounded, it could push your audience into psychic numbing, aka unconsciously shutting off emotionally.
Wake Up, Screenwriters: The Film Industry's About to Flip
The film industry's on the brink of a major shake-up, and if you're a screenwriter—aspiring or otherwise—you'd better pay attention.
Setting The Stakes
Stakes (monetary or otherwise) are essential - we need them in order to care about anything that happens in your story.
Opening Hooks: You Need One
9 hooks elements to start your screenplay: a quick and incomplete guide on how to immediately engage readers and keep them invested:
Scene by Scene: Value Shift
Let’s talk about what value changes are, go through some examples and then get into the practical application of this concept.
The Productivity Box
Before you roll your eyes and scroll away - this isn’t just any box. This is "The Productivity Box," and it automates a number of simple focus techniques, combining them to massively boost your ability to knuckle down and get things done.
The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a great way to wrestle through anxiety, writer’s block, and straight up get through shit you. Do. Not. Want. To. Do.
The Ticking Clock
The Ticking Clock is a classic literary device used by writers to inject their stories with urgency, tension, and suspense. You might also know this device by another name: Hitchcock’s Bomb Theory
Exposition 101:
There are SO MANY THINGS I could talk about when it comes to exposition - and believe me, I’ll get there, but before I can get too far, I need to be sure you understand the foundations.
Let’s start with the basics:
Bio Blahs? Craft a Bio That Opens Doors
Crafting a bio can feel like squeezing into the perfect parking spot… except you have to parallel park, your car is too big, everyone is watching and oh god did you just hit that Mercedes!?
Let’s cut through the crap and give you the tools you need to succeed.
Overlooked Essentials: Questions & Suggestions to Improve your Act Breaks
As streamers are increasingly re-integrating advertising into their business models, a return to stronger, more traditional act breaks feels imminent.
Isn’t it in your best interest as a writer to keep your audience hooked so they’ll return after a commercial break?
It certainly is if you want to keep your job!
In an ideal world, your act break will leave an audience hanging on the edge of their seats, desperate for the next part of your story.
Rest & Creative Recovery
So instead of lecturing you this week, I’m going to lead by example 😉
If you’re desperately seeking permission to take a load off, this is it:
Experts argue that our most significant breakthroughs often emerge when we step away from our desks.