While cinema is known for being a primarily visual medium, there is no doubt how much of an impact music can have on a film. Some of the most iconic scenes in history are remembered with a song attached. Sometimes the music choices are left to a director far after the screenplay is written. However, other times music is baked into the screenplay itself and how a scene may operate. In this article, you’ll learn when and how to write music into a screenplay so that you can create unforgettable scenes through music.Continue reading How to Write Music into a…
What does every story have in common? They all have a beginning, middle, and end. Obviously, writing and storytelling is more complex than simply laying out a beginning, middle and end. But simplifying those plot structures into clear stages can help with brainstorming and organizing your ideas as a writer. This visual guide of plot points is usually called a story mountain.Continue reading What is a Story Mountain — How to Tackle Story Structure
Sometimes you just can't find the words to express how you feel. To match the depth or intensity of what you're trying to communicate, you need something like overstatement. As one of the subtypes of verbal irony, overstatement allows the speaker to communicate in hyperbole to get their point across. We will briefly define overstatement before moving onto to some examples of this concept in action.Continue reading What is Overstatement — Definition and Examples for Writers
What is a dynamic character? An essential player in storytelling, a dynamic character might learn a lesson, go from good to bad, or bad to good. These are some of our favorite protagonists, from Walter White in Breaking Bad to Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz to Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. There can be more than one dynamic character in a story, and how they play off of one another is part of what helps them develop. In order to write compelling dynamic characters, you need to know what they are and what they aren’t. Let’s dig…
Story structure is the framework of a narrative, providing a roadmap for authors to build compelling stories. Whether it be in books, films, plays, or television shows, story structure is an integral part of storytelling that helps guide writers and makes sure they have all the necessary elements in place to tell an engaging story. By understanding these different types of narrative structures, writers can dive deeper into the art of storytelling and make sure that their stories are engaging, meaningful, and memorable.Continue reading What is Story Structure — Definition, Examples & Types
If you are an aspiring screenwriter, odds are you have heard of the Writer’s Guild of America. As America’s most prestigious professional association of writers, a WGA membership is not granted freely. So how do you join the WGA and how easy is it? To be eligible for a WGA membership, you must meet specific requirements. In this article, we’ll discuss the primary types of WGA memberships and WGA requirements for eligibility.Continue reading How Do You Join the WGA — A Guide to WGA Requirements
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre. It exists outside of the tightly-controlled Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it uses its freedom to pursue a thrillingly original take on the thrice-rebooted hero we thought we’d seen every angle of. Spider-Verse’s originality doesn’t solely come from its stunning animation (though that helps). Its story is an achievement in creativity, at once recreating Spider-Man while also paying postmodern homage to his many iterations of yore.The Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse screenplay moves a mile a minute and is touching, hilarious, and action-packed. By dissecting the script’s structure,…
The ending of The Godfather Part II is one of the best movie endings of all time. Today, we’re going to break down everything that makes The Godfather Part II ending great – from plot and characters to music and production design. By the end, you’ll know how Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo, and all the other artists involved in the film crafted an unforgettable moment in cinema history. Continue reading The Godfather 2 Ending Explained (& Why It’s One of the Best)
What is abductive reasoning? We know that “abduction” means “ to take away,” so is abduction what we take away through reason? Well, it is and it isn’t. Abductive reasoning is the least referenced type of critical reason, but it plays a huge role in how we understand the world. We’re going to break down abductive reasoning by looking at some examples and real world use. By the end, you’ll know how to apply abductive reasoning in your everyday life.Continue reading What is Abductive Reasoning — Problem Solving for Writers
You may have seen something out of time in a period piece, like machine guns in the Middle Ages. You may have come across a story where everyone in the 22nd century is still using 20th century technology. It’s the sort of thing you may notice immediately or not at all, depending on how subtle or obvious it is. It’s called anachronism and it has existed in art for many centuries. But what is anachronism, what does it look like, and how can you spot it? We will cover an anachronism definition, along with the different categories and examples. Continue…
