How to Write Subtext: Unlocking Hidden Depths in Dialogue

How to Write Subtext

Subtext is pivotal in elevating a story’s dialogue, taking it beyond the mere surface-level conversation. It’s the subtle art of conveying more than what’s explicitly stated, creating layers of meaning …

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How to Write a Fight Scene: Tips for Action-Packed Storytelling

How to Write a Fight Scene

Crafting a gripping fight scene is no small feat. It demands action, emotion, and storytelling finesse to captivate readers. Whether it’s a chaotic bar brawl, a high-stakes sword fight, or …

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Mastering the Movie Script Submission Process: From Draft to Delivery

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Movie script submission is a critical step in your screenwriting career. Whether you’re a seasoned screenwriter or just starting, mastering this process is essential. This guide covers everything from drafting …

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How To Assert Complete Control Over Your Character’s Perspective In Screenwriting

Fight Club (1999)

Creating a compelling screenplay demands mastery over your character’s perspective. Controlling this viewpoint is essential for the writer for deep storytelling. Character perspective refers to the unique viewpoint or lens …

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Is Three Act Structure Still Very Important To Screenwriters?

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The three-act structure has long been considered the bedrock of narrative structure for most stories, specifically in screenwriting. This framework, rooted in classical drama, has shaped countless films and continues …

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How To Write A Superb Sci-Fi Horror Movie

Sci Fi Horror Movie: Alien

Sci-Fi Horror is an exciting and potentially powerful sub-genre sandpit that combines the speculative elements of science fiction with the fear-inducing qualities of horror. Sci-fi horror movies create a unique …

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How To Write A Masterful Femme Fatale Character

Femme Fatale: Ava Lord

The femme fatale, a seductive, dangerous and ‘fatal’ woman, has captivated audiences for centuries. From literary classics to silver screen icons, this archetype continues to intrigue. Beyond her alluring exterior …

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Lovecraftian Horror: How to Write Great Screenplays about the Unknown

Lovecraftian Horror: The Thing (1982)

Lovecraftian horror captivates with its unique blend of cosmic unknowns, instilling a deep sense of dread and fascination. It’s not just about monsters or the supernatural but the unsettling realization …

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What are Character Foils in Screenwriting?

Character Foils: Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson from Sherlock

Character foils are the secret ingredients that add flavour and depth to a story. These contrasting characters, often paired with the protagonist, highlight key traits and qualities, enriching our understanding …

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Awesome Tips for Writing Family-Friendly Screenplays

family

In the ever-evolving entertainment landscape, family-friendly screenplays stand as beacons of shared joy and valuable life lessons. Crafting a narrative that appeals to audiences of all ages requires a thoughtful …

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The One-Page Pitch: 14 ESSENTIAL Elements and a Template

One Page Pitch

What will make your one-page pitch standout from the gazillion other pitches out there? And how do you blend a screenwriter’s creative talents into a technically sound pitch, especially when …

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What Are the Key Screenplay Transitions? An ESSENTIAL Guide

Shaun of the Dead Screenplay Transitions

A blank page. A blinking cursor. Text: right-aligned. Font: courier new. FADE IN: Every movie, and therefore every screenplay, has transitions. Every change in time is a transition; every scene …

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How Do You OVERCOME Creative Burnout as a Screenwriter?

Writer Creative Burnout

Feeling exhausted from writing? Struggling to tap into the imagination you once had? Questioning going back to the job you earned your college degree for because your parents are on …

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Suspenseful Movies: QUICK Tricks for Writing Suspense

Dunkirk Suspenseful Movies

No film technique elicits the fear of the unknown more effectively than writing suspense. As humans, we’d rather know something bad is coming, than be in the unknown. This is …

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How Do You CREATE and MAINTAIN Empathetic Characters?

There are many important aspects to writing a great screenplay; good dialogue, interesting settings, unique stories, and good characterisation. However, little is arguably more important than creating and maintaining empathetic …

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Existential Cinema: How Do You Write an Existential Film?

For the most part, cinema is a form of entertainment. But this is not to say that films cannot and should not concern themselves with some of the more serious …

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Writing a GOOD Workplace Comedy: The VITAL Elements

Superstore Workplace Comedy

Do you have an idea for a workplace comedy but are struggling to get it off the ground? Understanding the key aspects and structures of some of your favourite workplace …

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How Do You Write GOOD Parody in Film and TV?

write parody

Parodies can contain a multitude of differences across a multitude of genres. So how do you even approach writing a tricky and difficult-to-define subgenre? In short, you must try to …

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The KEYS to Achieving Screenwriting Representation

Screenwriting Representation

Screenwriting representation can be a white whale for all screenwriters, the thing that they feel will take them to the next level. And indeed, it can be the first step …

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120 of the BEST Scene Prompts to Kickstart Your Writing

Writing Scene Prompts

What are Scene Prompts? Scene prompts are there to help writers get their creative juices flowing. Say a screenwriter finds themselves stuck during a script, unsure of how to add …

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What is Indirect Characterization in Screenwriting? 12 KEY Steps

The Social Network Indirect Characterization

Indirect characterization is an essential part of constructing a convincing and compelling fictional character. Whether your character is a hero, a villain or a sidekick, they are always more interesting and …

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Your First Screenplay: The MOST IMPORTANT Tips to Get Started

Writing Your First Screenplay

Writing your first screenplay is an exciting but daunting challenge. You have so many great ideas in your head but don’t know how to correctly write them down to create …

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How Do You Write a Convincing and Powerful Death Scene?

Iron Man Death Scene

How to write a good death scene? This is a question writers may well have been pondering since stories were told on the walls of caves. From Shakespeare to Spielberg, …

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How Do You REALLY Analyze Films? The Keys to Film Analysis

Analyze Films

Everyone who has an interest in movies has probably tried to analyze a film at least once. Maybe you analyzed films for your own pleasure or maybe you needed to …

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The KEY Building Blocks to Writing a GOOD Romantic Comedy

Crazy, Stupid Love, Writing Romantic Comedy

The romantic comedy goes all the way back to Shakespeare, with plays such as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream being full of love triangles and comic …

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What is the But and Therefore Rule in Screenwriting?

Matt Stone and Trey Parker But and Therefore Rule

In every screenwriting class, you are going to learn about many rules. However, the most important one is always the same: give the story energy to keep the viewers engaged. …

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How Do You Use the Bookend Technique in Screenwriting?

Memories of a Murder Bookend Technique

Often there are terms in screenwriting that do what they say on the tin. The bookend technique fulfils this mantra. It’s a plot device used to sandwich a story like …

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Narrative Pacing: The KEYS To Mastering Your Screenplay’s Pace

silence of the lambs narrative pacing

When it comes to narrative pacing, we all know the feeling of being on the edge of our seats, biting our nails with anticipation for what’s to come. It’s likely …

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What is an Unreliable Narrator and How Do You Write One?

American Psycho Unreliable Narrator

It’s comforting to settle into a story where we can trust the narrator to guide us easily and expertly. The narrator is, after all, the audience’s compass through the story, …

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What is a Mary Sue Character And How Do You Avoid Writing One?

Rey Mary Sue Character

In recent years, there has been a lot of dialogue around who the term Mary Sue can be ascribed to and what constitutes it. But what, fundamentally, is a Mary …

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The Viking Movie: 10 Elements to Writing This Powerful Sub Genre

The Northman Viking Movie

In many ways, the Viking movie is a sub-genre as old as the cinematic form itself. And Vikings have certainly been an integral part of folklore and storytelling for centuries. …

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The Comedy Horror Movie: The KEYS to Both Laughs and Scares

Write a Comedy Horror Movie

Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been cited as “the first great comedy horror story”, as readers were made to “laugh one moment and scream the …

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The 10 KEY Building Blocks to Writing Revenge Stories

Kill Bill Revenge Stories

Revenge stories are a popular sub-genre almost guaranteed to satisfy an audience. They’re typically a visceral and cathartic response to injustice and consequently something that elicits easy emotion. We love …

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10 VITAL Ways Green, Amateur Writers Can Avoid Amateur Mistakes

Amateur Writers Bin

Screenwriting can be a maze, especially when you’re first starting out. When learning the ropes, it can be easy to fall into traps which will make you look like an …

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The Rewriting Process: 10 Key Steps to Perfecting Your Screenplay

We’re all perfectionists when it comes to our writing – whether we want to admit it or not. Developing a writing process that works for you is one thing, but …

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The BEST Series Finales and What They Teach About Writing TV

Sopranos Series Finale

How do you finish writing a TV series? We all know the feeling of being disappointed by a series finale, mourning not only the loss of a treasured show but …

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