One of the biggest mistakes screenwriters make is giving too little importance to commercial appeal of their story. Before putting words on the page, a writer should always ask, “Is… read more →
Screenwriters and novelists are frequently told that before pursuing representation, they should have at least two completed screenplays or manuscripts. Agents prefer more than one writing sample because they want… read more →
In other articles I discuss everything from story structure and adaptation to pitching and marketing your story. But here I want to cover something much more basic – something that… read more →
If you’ve ever heard me lecture, or ever read almost anything I’ve written, you’ve heard me talk about Outer Motivation — a clear finish line that the hero is desperate… read more →
The first 10% of your screenplay is what I term the SETUP, during which you must transport the reader from the real world into the world you’ve created, as well… read more →
I often receive desperate letters from writers who say they can’t get anyone to respond to their query letters. If your letters, faxes or emails aren’t resulting in requests to… read more →
When you decide to write a spec script for television, you must first decide the series for which you want to write a sample episode. Focus on series you like,… read more →
In any pitch, the buyer wants to know two seemingly contradictory elements of your novel or screenplay: its familiarity and its originality. If you’ve written a story that bears little… read more →
Q: Can you describe some of the things writers need to think about in writing a salable story? A: Since my entire career has been built on answering this question for… read more →
The causes and effects of one’s identity are brilliantly illustrated in Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s award-winning screenplay Good Will Hunting. It’s a wonderful example of a hero living an emotionally safe existence and how he gradually finds the courage to abandon that identity to achieve real fulfillment.
