Notes from a Screenreader: Lie to Me
Photo via Go Into the Story. Lie to me. Most spec scripts have an importance of being earnest problem. They tell the reader the truth, all of it, all the time. All the backstory, all the exposition, all of what everyone is doing and precisely why, before it even happens. Lying to the reader in your...
READ MORE2013 Award Season Scripts
‘Tis that time of year again. That joyous time when the studios release all their award scripts for you to download for free. Enjoy!
READ MORENotes from a Screenreader
photo via Go Into the Story Real conflict is critical to getting your script past the first round of readers in a competition. All competition specs have an idea and an intent. Few of them deliver an emotional experience of that intent because writers avoid the serious conflict it takes to build an inevitable crisis. Conflicts...
READ MORENotes from a Screenreader
photo via Go Into the Story A vast majority of spec scripts submitted to competitions open with mundane images. It seems like a logical choice. Establishing normal life is an explicit instruction in many structure templates. Filmmakers often open with shots of unremarkable details. That is misleading to writers. It’s one thing to watch eggs frying...
READ MORENotes From A Screenreader
photo via Go Into the Story You need a logline for your screenplay. It is your script’s calling card. You can’t submit to a competition, pitch or write a query without one. A logline reduces an entire screenplay to a single sentence that expresses its premise. It should include a sketch of the protag, what...
READ MORENotes from a Screenreader
photo via Go Into the Story It’s an open secret that you only have a few pages to convince experienced readers that your script is worth reading. What you might not know is that you can make mistakes on the very first page that prejudice readers, long before you establish the relationships and conflicts that...
READ MORENotes from a Screenreader
photo via Go Into the Story If you spend money on an entry fee for a competition, you want it to be well-spent, which means getting past the first few rounds. When you make the semi-final rounds, your logline goes out to production companies and agents who want to read your script. That is success....
READ MOREWhat Can We Do About the Under-representation of Women in Screenwriting?
There has been a very thoughtful and extensive conversation going on over at the The Black Board (community of the Black List and Go Into The Story). It arose from this: The Nicholl’s website reveals a startling stat: 1 in 4 of their applicants are women. They’re referring to the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, of course, which is accepting...
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