Our good friend Ken Aguado has put together a handy new guide for screenwriters who have their sights set on adaptation but have no idea how to actually go about acquiring the rights to their favorite IP. Based On: A Non-Lawyer’s Guide to Acquiring Film and Televisions Rights from Everywhere, is available on Smashwords for... Continue Reading →
10 Steps to a Compelling Logline
by Angela Bourassa (@angelabourassa1) Loglines suck. Even for optioned writers, writing a compelling logline can be a daunting challenge. I know this because I’ve personally given written feedback on over 1,400 loglines, and in that group, I came across maybe ten that were flawlessly written. Of course, “flawless” is a matter of opinion, but in... Continue Reading →
Not F*ing Around - The Screenwriter’s Edition
Editor's Note: Jeff Leisawitz is the author of Not F*ing Around, a book about jump-starting your creative life which we had the opportunity to review. The book is a quick, uplifting, and fun manifesto on reaching your creative goals, and we heartily recommend it. You can read the first three chapters or buy a copy... Continue Reading →
The Guide Character: Creating Someone to Lead Your Protagonist
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Characters most effectively develop as a result of interacting with other characters. A standard trope in storytelling is that our protagonist will not figure out solutions to their conflicts on their own. They need experiences that will teach them what works and what doesn’t. They need training that will prepare them for... Continue Reading →
Rewriting Your Script Like a Pro: The 3 Step Guide
by Angela Bourassa (@angelabourassa1) Rewriting your script is always a daunting process. Getting to the end of the first draft is hard enough. Now you're supposed to go back through it and pick apart all of the beautiful work you just did? The very idea of starting a rewrite can be heartbreaking. And then there's the... Continue Reading →
A Screenwriter’s Guide to Social Media – Part II
[Read Part I of this two-part guide here.] by Fin Wheeler Having a social media presence is essential to getting noticed, so how can an aspiring screenwriter get the best investment? Social Media Networks (Continued) Tumblr - 53.3 million users monthly and growing The mini blogs of Tumblr are seen as an alternative to Instagram.... Continue Reading →
A Screenwriter’s Guide to Social Media - Part I
by Fin Wheeler Having a social media presence is essential to getting noticed, so how can an aspiring screenwriter get the best investment? The Basics There are a million ways to network on the internet. The more time you spend creating and maintaining an online presence, the more time you take from your life, your... Continue Reading →
Quirks of Screenplay Formatting and the Logic Behind Them
by Fin Wheeler When you first roll your sleeves up and decide to be a screenwriter, every man and his dog is ready to pronounce what you absolutely must do and avoid in terms of formatting. But frustratingly few will tell you why. It’s counter-intuitive for a curious mind to just accept without question all the unwritten... Continue Reading →