The best movies have stories that entertain us, connect with us, and keep us glued to the screen. That kind of compelling drama happens on multiple levels, through internal and external conflict. How you implement these tools will determine how effective your story is.Continue reading How Internal Conflict and External Conflict Can Energize Your Story
What is sarcasm? As it turns out, it isn’t exactly what most people think it is. In some cases, what we think is sarcasm is really just your garden variety of verbal irony. For writers, it is crucial to have a precise and firm grasp on language, so this is the perfect opportunity to clear up any misconceptions. We’ll provide an accurate and clear sarcasm definition using examples from movies and television — because Shakespeare is “sooo 16th Century!” Was that sarcasm or verbal irony? You’ll never know unless you keep reading.Continue reading What is Sarcasm? Definition and Examples in…
A soliloquy has the power to give an audience a direct channel into a character's innermost thoughts and emotions. This monologue, delivered alone on stage, whispers directly into the audience's ear, offering an intimate glimpse into the character's psyche. Let’s look deeper on how the best soliloquies have impacted larger stories.Continue reading What is a Soliloquy — Definition and Examples
F or a writer, it’s exciting to hatch a new idea. Maybe you even have a rockstar logline. But it’s all too easy to take that idea and run, only to stumble at page 30 without a clue of where to go. Don’t worry - this is avoidable. You just need a firm grasp on how to map out your idea. With the right tools, you can see if your idea has the “legs” to deliver a feature-length film to the finish line. How do you do that? In today’s post, we’ll examine how, with Blake Snyder’s famous "Save…
We all know that conflict is needed to keep viewers engaged, to create an emotional response, and to ultimately, push the story forward. Without conflict in a story, the film, show, or novel, may seem a bit, well, boring. It’s also true that conflict can be defined by all of the “types” that exist — internal, external, people vs people, people vs society, etc. And while all of those things are helpful, it’s not a fully developed definition. This article takes a macro perspective, answering what is conflict in a story by highlighting why we need it in the first…
Writing a great character arc is a challenge. Great characters and their arcs are what drive a plot, make a story relatable, and memorable. In this post, we're going to teach you how to write a great character arc. We'll also discuss some excellent character arc examples along the way. Continue reading How To Write a Compelling Character Arc
Pacing is an elusive yet pivotal element in storytelling, acting as the rhythm that governs the reader's journey through the narrative. It dictates the rate at which a story unfolds, influencing the tension, mood, and emotional resonance. Without pacing, a story can have an awkward sense of movement and flow. The best writers and storytellers are those that master pacing. Continue reading What is Pacing in Writing — And Why It’s So Important
Film, at its best, is a conduit for shared human experience, an art form that transcends boundaries and languages. It's a mirror held up to society, reflecting our triumphs, our failings, our dreams, our fears. And in this medium of storytelling, the role of the movie critic emerges as an important component of the art. If you’re interested in this field, this guide dives into how to become a movie critic in the necessary skills to start your career.Continue reading How to Become a Movie Critic — Career Tips Explained
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…
How do writers make characters into people we can empathize with and understand? One way is through the use of characterization. But what is characterization? We’re going to answer that question by looking at an example from Kill Bill, and by listening to the perspective of some of the world’s foremost writers. But before we get into the examples, let’s review what makes direct characterization different from indirect characterization.Continue reading What is Characterization — A Guide to Character Building
