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Breaking History Part II: Finding Faults in Historical Figures

August 18, 2016

In our previous post on this topic, "Breaking History: How to Achieve Truth in Historical Storytelling" we covered one of the most common mistakes made in historical scripts: an unwillingness to change the details of an event to create a strong sense...

Breaking History: How to Achieve Truth in Historical Storytelling

August 11, 2016

"We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth..." - Picasso The temptation to write historically based scripts is a strong one for many writers, and with good reason. The setting, the plot, the characters... even some o...

Writing Exercise: Improve Your Story Mapping

August 9, 2016

As you know, mastering structure and having the ability to map out and plot a story is an essential part of screenwriting, which can be significantly improved through the following practical exercise.

Five Things Comedy Writers Can Learn From "Step Brothers"

June 29, 2016

2008’s Step Brothers was written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Adam McKay and the film’s costar Will Ferrell (John C. Reilly contributed to the story). In addition to some classic SNL skits, McKay and Ferrell had previously collaborated on Anchorman ...

Choosing and Introducing Your Focus Characters

April 7, 2016

Oftentimes the new screenwriter will populate their spec with numerous characters. But how many characters are too many?

What Is Nonlinear Storytelling?

April 7, 2016

"A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order." - Jean-Luc Godard

The Frame Story and the Flashback

April 5, 2016

Flashbacks can be utilized for several reasons in a script. If you want to reveal a plot point from the past or something about a character that needs illuminating, a flashback might be the best route to take. Sometimes this storytelling technique ca...

Is Your Screenplay "Too Arch"?

March 30, 2016

A phrase you’ll sometimes hear in development circles is “too arch”. It’s usually in regards to characters and their behavior.

How To Write a Winning Spec Script

March 15, 2016

Writing a television spec script is demanding, but winning a major writing competition with one is far more difficult. We sat down with Meghan Fitzmartin, winner of the Big Break Hour-Long category for her spec of Arrow to uncover the secrets behind ...