Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 27th

 "Loglines: the necessary evil."

Loglines have always been, and will continue to be, the biggest pain in the rear for writers. How can you possibly take your story and squish it down to what would look like a 140-character tweet? What elements need to be covered? How can I test my logline?

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 25th

 "Observe life for a wealth of ideas."

Looking for that next idea or character description? Then just take a look around. Unleash your senses. What do you see? Feel? Smell? Taste? The world around us is a goldmine of untapped ideas. It's only a matter of stopping for a moment and observing.

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 21st

Apologies for being away from the Tip of the Day the last few days, but duty called and had to review a couple of scripts. However, I returned to my adoring fans (echo, echo, echo) and have brought a great tip to you today:

 "Join a screenwriting group."

No other source will help you more than peer reviews and discussions related to everything screenwriting, film, and news. Also, being in the company of other writers and entertainment professionals has a motivating and inspirational effect. So get out there and join a local screenwriting group (check out Meetup.com) or find a reputable community such as the #scriptchat discussions via TweetChat.

Logline Challenge of the Week

If you follow Screenwriters Anonymous on Twitter, then you may have read the following challenge. Posting it here in case you missed it and wish to participate in the exercise to challenge your writing skills and help break through writer's block:

• CHALLENGE: Write a logline to the plot provided below. Can you develop an enticing hook? Reveal the protag/antag, time, and location?  Post your feedback in the comments section below. And try to keep it to one line!
   

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 18th

"Give and receive feedback."

Writers fall in love with their story ideas, characters, dialogue, or scenes. But the best way to test these elements is with an independent reader; that is, someone who isn't familiar with your script beyond a logline and, if possible, the scope of your work. Naturally if you reach out to another writer and ask for their time to invest into reading and reviewing your work, then you MUST return the favor. Of course, this leads to the good and bad outcomes, but needless to say: give and receive feedback whenever possible!

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 15th

"Review other screenplays."

One of the best teaching tools for a screenwriter is to review the work of other writers from both the aspiring and experienced screenplays. There's no better way to understand standard formatting, tempo, and efficient use of "white space" than to see how other writers accomplish this ... OR ... how they fall short. On those days that you have extra time or need a break from writing: read other screenplays - both spec scripts and those from successful movies!

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 14th

"Use an outline."

Outlines feel like a waste of time to some writers, but it's a tool that every writer should come to love. It will force you organize the tempo in brief lines, help to clearly identify plot points, and weave a story that stays focused. So add this vital tool to your toolbox:  use an outline!

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 12th

"Use dialogue that sounds natural."

Dialogue seems to get lost in translation, especially with new screenwriters. There's this urge to compose lines that are on-the-nose (that is, reveals exactly what's happening in the story) or irrelevant banter that's better left for some coffee shop chit-chat. Whatever your genre, no matter the story, make sure your characters sound authentic!

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 11th

"Don't chase the market."

Writing is something that comes natural to us. At least it should. For those folks who are writing screenplays because they have the next best "Hangover" or "Avengers" movie, you may want to save yourself the time and grief.  If you're not writing from the heart, then you're just chasing the market. Don't do this!

Remembrance - 9/11/2012

Eleven years later, the day still burns inside us all.

Remember the fallen, the heroes, and those who made the greatest of sacrifices.



Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 10th

"Kill it in the first three pages."

The rule of thumb has been: the first ten pages must hook the reader if you want to have your script read in its entirety. This rule still applies today, but it's been rumored (more like becoming standard) that some readers including producers are focusing on the first THREE pages to determine if it's worth continuing. So my two cents for the day are this: nail it in the first three pages.

Screenwriting Tip of the Day - Sept 8th

"Set a writing goal for each and every day."

This tip is a lot easier said than done. Writers always run into obstacles - writer's block, family obligations, 9 to 5 jobs, fantasy football (yes, this does require analysis). But as your protagonist breaks through his or her obstacles in Act 2, so should you. Staring at a blank white page or screen is frustrating and disheartening for writers. But heed this concise nugget of advice: just write, baby.

Random Daily Bulls**t - Sept 7th

DNC controlled the airwaves last night. So what did you think of the President's speech? Me thinks it will be a close race in November. But I digress ... certainly don't want to talk politics or religion ... the "Golden Rule of Small Talk".

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" plays for one week across the nation in IMAX theaters. This is a must see!! And for a great screenwriting exercise and lesson, check out Brad's analysis and insight on his ReadWatchWrite website. Be sure to follow RWW on Twitter.

Random Daily Bulls**t - Sept 6th

Today I'm going to split my to do list between WRITING and PERSONAL since I find that personal projects are sucking up a lot of my time. Time that I had planned to use for writing. But that is not an excuse because we all have personal lives, obligations that take precedence. However,

Random Daily Bulls**t - Sept 5th

Okay, so yesterday was not as productive as I had hoped. Well, not productive from a writing perspective ... let's check out yesterday's list ... 

Random Daily Bulls**t - Sept 4th

That's right, kids! You'll be enlightened, captivated, and shocked into reading the Random Daily Bulls**t for years to come. So without further ado, roll 'em ...