In my article "Big Story, Small Budget," I wrote about how you should be mindful of production costs when deciding what to write because it’s a major factor in why scripts get bought and produced. Generally speaking, the more cost-effective the proje...

Your protagonist is the main character of your feature screenplay or television pilot.

Whether you have one main character or several, tracking their character arcs is not always easy.

Many aspiring screenwriters struggle to make dialogue sound naturalistic. Often, the dialogue is stilted and doesn’t sound like the way people actually speak (this can be said of a few professional screenwriters as well). Or the dialogue is just perf...

Your script should look as professional as possible, or industry professionals will likely pass on your script after a cursory read. In addition to using screenwriting software like Final Draft that formats your script to industry standards, you shou...

Maybe you have a cursory knowledge of Final Draft’s Beat Board or even used it a few times, but you are aware of its various applications. Or maybe you’re not even aware of this outlining tool that’s available to writers.

Your environment when screenwriting isn’t often talked about, but it plays an important role in the creative process. From the lighting to the music you are playing, the ambiance of your workspace can foster your imagination and productivity. Below I...

Hollywood has been producing biographical films or biopics since the earliest days of the movie business. Due to changing times and tastes, some film genres come and go with varying popularity in the screenwriting marketplace. With more and more focu...

When you’re trying to finish writing a screenplay, two of the biggest obstacles is staying productive and motivated. There will be days where you stare at the empty page and wonder if you can really take this thing all the way to the end.