The highest praise a reviewer can give a novel is that it is “cinematic.” A great story unfolds like a movie in the reader’s mind. That’s what every film script must do as well. Someone reading your screenplay must be able to “see” your movie. Whether you are writing a novel or a screenplay you will find the tools here to make your story flow like a film in someone else’s imagination! I can help you “Get to the Heart of the Story®.”
Read the full story »Film, television and web entertainment news from around the cool.
My film reviews and how the Nine Character Types affects the success or failure of the script.
What’s on TV? How the right Character Types help make a hit or miss.
Making the writing life work for you. Tips and tricks to keep your writing fresh and interesting.
Random thoughts on pop culture and the world at large.
I saw this in an Op Ed piece by Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times and I believe it applies as much to writing in this market as to any other kind of job:
In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over. Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genius. Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra — their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment. Average is over.
Okay– so why are there so many average or sub-par movies around? Because those all come attached with Big Names. If you are trying to get noticed today you either need Big Name attachments or an outstanding script. A good script won’t make it any more. A great script probably won’t either. You need an outstanding script. You need to be, in sports terms, a number one draft pick.
It’s more important than ever to hone your craft. Be meticulous in your presentation. Be fresh. Be original. And don’t fall into common kinds of errors that derail your story enough to make it a “pass” rather than a “highly recommend.”
I’ve distilled everything I know about story analysis into a short eBook. It will be my first Kindle, Amazon, iBooks, Sony Reader, Nook publication. It’s priced at $4.99 for an introductory time. Let me know if you’d like to be on the pre-order list. You can contact me through the site or leave a comment– I can get your email address on the back end. It’s not published in the comment.
I believe fiction is a mirror in which see ourselves– that is why “author’s intent” is never as important as “reader’s (or viewer’s) perception”.
It turns out that just putting in hours and hours at your chosen writing work is not enough; the only way to get better is to make sure you’re devoting those hours to what the researchers call “deliberate practice.”
I believe that if you want your stories to endure, then plot must come from character and not the other way around. I have often said that storytellers are the most powerful people on earth– because they have the power to move the human heart. There is no greater power on earth. You cannot move hearts by relying on plot mechanics.
Mistaking which character is the protagonist is one of the most common reasons why a film doesn’t work emotionally for the audience. Spielberg should know better.
Although this website is not dark in protest of SOPA I stand with those who are! Here is why–
http://mashable.com/2012/01/17/sopa-dangerous-opinion/
I saw this speech by Brene Brown about vulnerability and fear on a Ted Talk. Everything she says applies to writing and is part of the Character Map eBook.
An excellent video by Andrew Zuckerman about creativity, curiosity and success.
