Taking notes sucks. When I began writing I was awful at taking notes. It was hard to sit there and listen to six months of work get dissected, hammered at, picked away at, and otherwise nitpicked. Some self-anointed expert rides in, spends three hours in the world you created making judgments, collects a fee and […]
While voice is critical, no less important is subtext. As we discussed with dialogue, the goal is to not spell everything out. Say it, without saying it. Look at this passage from Kalifornia: EXT. MOTEL – LATER Early walks toward the Lincoln. It is parked outside Brian and Carrie’s room. The front door is ajar, […]
“I hate writing. I love having written.”–Dorothy Parker How does one find a voice? How does one cultivate style? Answer: You work at it. Sorry to tell you, but this is work. Are you up for this? If it takes writing a million words, are you ready to do it? Longevity, tenacity, determination. The willingness […]
Here’s one way to work your characters: Outline the major characters first, work down to key secondary/subplot characters. Try an INSIDE/OUT approach. People in life are never as they appear. How does the character appear to the world? What’s the façade? Write it down. Then write the inside. The underside. Please tell me Dick the […]
“How Do I Write A Great Character?” “I don’t write screenplay character biographies beforehand. I usually go in knowing some sequences: this is where I want to start, this is where I want to end.”— John Sayles “Character arcs always seem to be a big issue with film studio executives . . . so the […]
