Posts Tagged ‘screenwriting craft’

Last year, I had the great privilege of moderating a live Q&A with renowned literary manager John Zaozirny. If you don’t know John, or have yet to follow him on Twitter, you definitely should, as he’s been incredibly forthcoming with tons of useful information, and even put out a PDF… read more →

In the second installment of my What to Expect series, I dig into the first and most important step you can take towards your screenwriting career: Learning the craft.

Most writers are eager to get to pages, dig in to scenes and characters as they would unfold on the screen. But in order to write a successful screenplay or TV pilot every time, it’s important to take the time, do the pre-work and create a sound and solid project foundation.

Everyone always talks about the craft you need to learn in order to become an apt screenwriter or TV writer. But what about the experiences you have, which then feed and inform your writing?

When trying to get your TV pilot or feature screenplay out there, the length and look of your material could mean the difference between getting read or being set aside in favor of another, more esthetic screenplay.

What makes for a memorable screenplay, that sort that stands out and stays with the reader? I’ve been reading at a rate of a script a day for years now; in this blogpost you will find those elements that make a screenplay or pilot stand out for me.

For many, a great screenplay or TV pilot starts with a proactive character whose needs and stakes ultimately drive plot. In my latest blogpost, check out the three critical questions whose answers will help you build and define an effective protagonist.

What should you consider when deciding on your next original screenplay or TV pilot? Should you write to the trends, for what you think execs want to read, or should you write from your passion?

The length of your screenplay or TV pilot matters in more ways than one: Not only does it say a lot about you as a writer, it can also dictate your works’ priority for the person reading it…

No one wants to hear that their screenplay or television pilot is boring, or forgettable, or just plain Meh. But in today’s industry climate, there is one thing that is even worse.