Some screenwriters face the dreaded writer’s block, while others have far too many story ideas to write. Both cause untold distress to the screenwriting species. The latter may not be as much of a problem as you previously thought. Having too many screenplay concepts means you have choices. Then comes the big question. What screenplay…
Is Your Screenplay Going Off The Rails?
There is a time for freeform screenwriting free of judgment or structure. There is also a time when you need to hone your structure, especially in your later drafts. Many screenwriters fail because their scripts meander in different directions without focus, emotional resonance, or a logical plot. Here are a few writing questions you should answer…
What Motivates Antagonists To Act?
The antagonist in your screenplay places obstacles to your main character’s goal. They need to provide formidable opposition to your protagonist rather than being an inconvenience to make these obstacles meaningful. But what drives your antagonists? Most of the time they have a specific goal in mind, but other times, their motivations are less clear. Let’s…
Comedy vs Humor. Is There A Difference?
The terms comedy and humor are often used interchangeably in screenwriting. Is there a difference between the two? Actually, there is. And screenwriters should know them. COMEDY Comedy is the premeditated act designed to cause an audience to laugh. Comedy relies on jokes, visual gags, and physical acts to amuse and entertain an audience. It…
How To Write Characters Who Lie
Screenwriters will have to write lying characters in at least one screenplay. There are various patterns and gestures that liars fall into, so it helps to make them believable. This article isn’t so much about ‘liespotting,’ ‘gotcha,’ or ‘bazinga’ moments. but rather an overview of the behavior of liars so you can write more authentic…
What Screenwriters Should Expect From A Meeting
The entertainment industry is a fickle one. It is often difficult to assess whether any meeting is successful or not. The purpose of any meeting a screenwriter takes with an agent, manager or producer is to establish a relationship. It could be short or long term. They may want to work with you personally or recommend…
4 Ways To Test Your Characters
Character conflict is the basis of an engaging screenplay. What exactly are the causes of conflict? It’s more than two or more characters arguing about a goal. It’s about pushing your characters to their limits to see what they can withstand. These limits form the basis of the character arcs of good screenwriting. They tie…
Desire Is The Basis Of Your Characters’ Behavior
Humans beings are a curious lot. So too are your characters. Traditional storytelling tropes dictate that the characters in your screenplay must have a goal. They must relentlessly pursue that goal to its conclusion whether they achieve it or not. They must have compelling stakes to reach their goal, and the escalation of the obstacles…
12 Types Of Character Intelligence
Richly layered characters form the basis of every quality screenplay. Characters have distinct learning and processing styles which influences their knowledge. Their knowledge also informs their moral codes and personality types. Intelligence is both a function of what someone knows, but also how they can best learn it. There is a distinct difference between intelligence…
How TV Pilots Make It To Series
TV shows are introduced to audiences and tested for their viability in a variety of ways. Think of a TV pilot as the first page of a screenplay. If it ain’t good, nobody wants to read any further. TV pilots are not always filmed as part of the entire TV series, although that is the…
How Do Single-Cam TV Shows Differ From Multi-Cam Ones?
Television shows are often referred to as being single-cam or multi-cam. This directly relates to the style of filming. Back in the day when TV production was more straightforward, mutli-cam referred to 30-minute sitcoms and single-cam to hour-long dramas. This general rule of thumb isn’t always the case any longer. It most closely correlates with…
How Do Your Characters Communicate?
Screenwriting involved mining character relationships and their interactions. There are a number of ways characters communicate with each other. As a screenwriter, you must give each character a predominant communication style to complement their personality. Moreover, look at ways to give your main characters opposing communication styles to generate conflict between them. When constructing your…
Gideon's Screenwriting Tips: Now You're a Screenwriter 