Advice — derek rydall

Writing is Rewriting

Posted by Derek Rydall on

As a screenwriter, you may use other script consultants to critique your material, but inevitably you'll need to master the ability to analyze your own work. This can be a difficult task, somewhat akin to trying to look at your own face (without a mirror). If you are going to write at a level that sells, however, you will need to rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite. But do not despair, you're in good company. Many screenwriters struggle over evaluating their own work. I still have bloodstains on my office walls where I pounded my head as I rewrote one script...

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Opening Your Art

Posted by Derek Rydall on

As conscious artists and enlightened-entertainers-in-training, we have to fight a never-ending battle for our art. Or so it seems. Our implements of war are not guns and bombs, but awareness and attention. And the only enemy we ever truly have to face is "the enemy within our own household." (Mystically speaking, this refers to our consciousness.) Finally, the greatest "act of war" we can take is to "be still and know," to "take our bloated nothingness out of the path of the divine circuits," as Emerson would say. Still, we fight skirmishes almost daily. Mapping out the terrain we want...

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Bulletproof your Script against Reader Rejection

Posted by Derek Rydall on

As a produced screenwriter and script consultant, I have had the privilege of interviewing and working with dozens of studio and production company script readers. And what I've discovered are a handful of key things that they look for when judging a script - things other than overall storytelling - things that get you rejected, or seriously discredited, before they even get into the heart of your script. Let's dive into a few of the basics: Amateur Mistakes Some of you already know these, but the question is, are you implementing them? The major signs of an amateur are: *...

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10 Power Principles to Screenwriting Success

Posted by Derek Rydall on

Bring your screenwriting up to the power level with these 10 quick-reference tips from author/screenwriter/script consultant Derek Rydall. 1. DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE EVERY DAY Write something every day - whether it's your project or an assignment. If you find yourself stuck just staring at a blank screen, try staring at a great script instead -- and try to figure out how it's put together. It might inspire you to get your own writing done. The point here is to keep exercising and refining your craft, building your knowledge, and keeping the momentum - all of which will give you a...

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