I once read a script that was about a party and the first half of the script was about introducing all the characters at the party.  One person arrived and the writer gave us his name and backstory and why he was there then moved to the next person who arrived.  This is boring when [...]

Your characters’ relationships to one another should be evident in dialogue and action.  You should show what they mean to one another in how they are with one another.  You don’t necessarily need to call it out and say ‘he’s my boyfriend’ but even if you do, it should be evident in how they relate [...]

ONE. That’s the simple answer.  A show like Entourage for example, it really does have three “acts” like any story, but if you get your hands on a script, you’ll see it’s written in standard screenplay format like a feature, not like a sitcom.  It has no act breaks because it airs for the full [...]

*Continued from yesterday’s post on how your insecurities could be causing you to write the wrong story. One of the hardest things to figure out as a new writer is what your story is about.  Sometimes it’s not that easy to see that your story doesn’t match your concept.  Some indicators that suggest your story [...]

A common problem with new writers is their script doesn’t match their concept.  Why would this happen?  I can only deduce from experience that these writers are afraid to write that story, either because: They don’t feel ready They have a fear of failure/success They’re procrastinating They’re inexperienced What do you mean I’m writing the [...]