Over the last few years, Hollywood has tried to reinvent its definition of the “strong female protagonist” – but the result has been mixed. Although there has been a greater representation of empowered women in Hollywood films, there has also been a dissolution of nuanced characters. All of this begs the question: how do you effectively write a female protagonist? Well, it starts with all of the tenets of effective characterization – and by analyzing the best female protagonists of all-time. We’re going to break down the best female protagonists by looking at what makes them strong and weak. By the…
Musicals can be incredibly difficult to write. Why? Because they require a working knowledge of scriptwriting and librettos. Don’t be intimidated though: musicals aren’t impossible to write. We’re going to show you how to write a musical by breaking down some musical scripts. We’ll analyze how professional musical writers combine song, dance, and dialogue in theater and film. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to write your very own.Continue reading How to Write a Musical Screenplay — Structure & Format Tips
Who is Syd Field? Syd Field was a pioneering figure in Hollywood for screenwriters, producers, and storytellers. His 1979 book Screenplay served as an instructional guide for some of the world’s most prolific scriptwriters. But Field wasn’t just a book-writer, he was a published screenwriter and professor too. We’re going to examine Field’s influence on Hollywood by looking at his book Screenplay, Paradigm script worksheet, and testimonials from those who learned from him.Continue reading Who is Syd Field — Biography & Work of a Screenwriting Legend
While many films include archetypal supporting characters, these molds are a little worn out. The audience is getting smarter and more curious. They crave more than the all-too-familiar “mentor” or “sidekick” as a way to convey information or to push the protagonist forward. Watching to see what a supporting character is capable of by themselves and how they relate to the main character, is much more interesting. Writing supporting characters that build conflict creates much more dynamic on-screen relationships than tired old tropes. But before we jump into all of that, let’s answer what is a supporting character the best…
Ask any creative writer what the hardest genre to write is and they’ll probably tell you that it’s comedy. That’s because story structure can only bring you so far in comedy writing – the fact of the matter is that if you aren’t funny, you aren’t funny. So how do you become funny? Do you read joke books? No! Like everything else, you practice until you become perfect – well, not perfect per se – most comedy writers would be happy with just okay. We’re going to show you how to write comedy, with script examples from 21 Jump Street…
What is a character trope? In screenwriting, a trope is a common element of a story. In other words, a trope is something we see a lot. In a character sense, it’s a type of character we see a lot. The term trope is derived from the Greek (tropos) for “turn, direction, or way” and it’s meant to explain moments where the story figuratively shifts from one direction to another. However, tropes have come to be misnomered as cliches — and the term character trope often has more to do with the overuse of certain characteristics than it does with…
Robert McKee has had an enormous influence on screenwriters all over the globe – but who is Robert McKee and why is he so important? We’re going to explore McKee’s career to better understand his impact on the world of screenwriting. By the end, you’ll know all about Robert McKee’s Story, seminars, and more.Continue reading Who is Robert McKee — The Screenwriting Guru Explained
Most movies can be characterized as being one genre or the other. If the plot involves a love triangle, that’s most likely romance. If the plot is about a space marine, it’s most likely science-fiction. If the plot involves a group of kids running away from a monster, that’s probably horror. The things that make up the conventions of a genre, also known as genre conventions. What are genre conventions, you ask? You’ll soon be getting an answer via definition, along with plenty of examples.Continue reading Genre Conventions — The Building Blocks of Genre Storytelling
Anticlimax is a dirty word, one which we’ve been trained to avoid at all costs. Nobody wants to tell a story only to have a friend shrug and say, “Well, that was anticlimactic.” But a deliberate anticlimax can be instructive, funny, poignant, or all of the above. How does an anticlimax work, and what lessons can we take from some of the most iconic anticlimaxes in pop culture?Continue reading What is Anticlimax? Definition & Examples
What does a good outline look like? The answer to that question will depend on what type of writer you are as well as what you personally hope to gain from an outline. We will discuss the purpose of an outline, the different types, whether or not they are even necessary, and explain how to tailor a pre-writing plan to best suit your individual needs.Continue reading What is an Outline in Writing — Examples and Techniques
