Advice — expert series

I know over five hundred screenwriters - maybe more - ranging in age from 18 to 76, at all levels, from those just starting out to a bunch that've gotten deals, sold scripts and had movies made. They include friends, former students, colleagues, pen pals, clients and acquaintances. Some have good writing habits, some don't. Actually, most don't. Hell, I don't. But in fairness, there are reasons and they can be lumped together under one big umbrella. The majority of us are Short Attention Span Screenwriters. For one reason or another (or several) we're writing, but without enough focus. I've...

The three act structure is not a story structure. You can't find it in myths and legends or other great stories of the past and you can't find it in nature. So why is it being applied to the screenplay or the story of a film? It's a good question because it makes no sense. And my very strong recommendation in this article will be that you avoid thinking in act structure terms when creating a story or story film.The three (four, five, six, or seven) act structures are the arbitrary divisions of the principal (or main) action of the...

People often ask me what makes a great story. In my recently published book Screenwriting is Storytelling (Penguin Putnam, 2004) this complex subject is addressed in depth; and the foundations of screenwriting are conveyed through the major elements of story and the process of storytelling. Since the book's publication last fall, I have had the opportunity to address hundreds of inquiries from screenwriters all around the world, triggering my own curiosity regarding how to engage the inner world of this mysterious process. One of the most compelling questions pertains to why American Classic Storytelling rocks at the worldwide film box...

Last issue we looked at some of the outside influences that might impact a character's traditional journey, such as his beginning, his destination and circumstance. In this installment we'll continue to examine outside influences which might affect the course of a traditional journey, and give it further meaning and substance. Obstacles Obstacles are among the most powerful of tools at a writer's disposal: they prolong a journey, create problems with resolve, cause conflict, and aid in suspense. Indiana Jones, one of the highest grossing films of all time, is sustained entirely by obstacles. The protagonist has a mission, and as...

To steal someone's car, money, parking space - that's low. But to steal someone's story? A little made-up tale? A hundred pages of FADE IN here and CUT TO there? Is that even stealing?Um, how can we put this - YES, DAMMIT! It is! Stealing of the worst kind! Because many hours have been spent and emotions invested, and, funny, but an original story that's already been read by half of Hollywood somehow just doesn't seem so original when pitched a second time. Cars are insured, money can be borrowed, and, okay, a good parking space can be worth quite...