How do you get a screenwriting agent?
How do I get an agent? I used to ask this question too, but lately, I've come to terms with this quote from Blake Snyder's last book...
The Truth About Disney
Just what makes a Disney movie a Disney movie?
People Don't Read
People are easily distracted, forgetful and impatient.
Show, Don't Tell
You're writing a screenplay, not a phone book! How to keep your readers feeling what you want them to feel.
The Three Levels of Screenwriting
What's the difference between a beginner, an intermediate and an advanced screenwriter?
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ClerkDogs.com!
The Truth About Screenwriting
There's a reason things must be written a certain way.
Anticipation
Hitchcock once said that there's no drama in a bomb going off, there's drama in the anticipation of the bomb going off.
Identity And Empathy
The two most important aspects of your story.
Your Hero Is Your Story
More exactly, the hero's flaw is your story.
Say More With Less
The purpose of each scene is to set up or deliver an emotion. Hit that target with as few words as possible.
Meet the Parents Setup
The movie sets up the hero's goal and the endless obstacles to it - in a funny way.
Empathy, Setup and Payoff
Why I fired my secretary.
The Lovable Loser
Why does the loser always have to be lovable?
Using Music In Your Screenplay
Don't do it! Here's why.
Why we like Rocky
He appealed way beyond the people shown in his world.
Solid Feedback
Are you condemning a script instead of clearly explaining the problems so that they may be fixed?
Aliens
The really great things that movie had.
They Mostly Come At Night
Mostly. A look at one of the great scenes from Aliens.
Meeting Your Characters
When you first date someone, you don't actually date that person, you date their representative. Chris Rock
Unpredictability
Now matter how technically proficient your writing is, if it is predictable, it fails. How and why to keep your writing unpredictable.
How to Give Good Feedback
Always start with this question...
Anticipation
When the reader meets your story's premise, he should be thrown into a state of anticipation - eager to see how it is going to turn out.
By The Numbers
"I don't want to write a script based on some cookie cutter!"
The Cost Of Failure
There must be a certain type of consequence to the hero not achieving the goal if there is to be any drama or suspense.
Empathy and Unpredictability
How to get the reader to be an active participant in the story.
Active Goal
The hero must have a goal and be in active pursuit of that goal inside of the first ten pages.
Your Hero's Starting Point
Is your hero the right guy or the wrong guy for the job?
Loglines
Your screenplay's problems and successes are in your one sentence logline.
The First Ten Pages
The first ten pages of a screenplay must have a who, what, where, when and why.
Brando On What Makes a Great Scene
It's not the acting.
Tighten Up Your Sentences
Good tips for saying the more with less.
Dialogue
Common sense thoughts about dialogue that are not common practice.
Uniquely Familiar
The same, but different! Giving people what they want, with a twist without having to tear your ears off.
Expository Dialgogue
You've got to communicate info to the audience, but how can you do it without it being boring?
Tools
Questions to ask for assessing a screenplay.