Helpful tips, deep dives, and rumination on the art and craft of film, TV, and screenwriting.

Transformational Arc — What It Is and Why It Matters

Transformational Arc — What It Is and Why It Matters

In the simplest terms, the transformational arc is your protagonist’s journey to becoming a true hero.  Your hero begins as an unfulfilled and restless character. The hero is usually predisposed to rejecting any opportunity to grow, mobilize or...

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A Writer’s Checklist for Workshop Notes

A Writer’s Checklist for Workshop Notes

When participating in a workshop, one of the critical elements is receiving notes from the instructor and from your fellow writers. Once the workshop concludes, students often form writing groups to continue the work of critique. Nothing is more...

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Unearthing the Importance of Sub-Characters

Unearthing the Importance of Sub-Characters

When plotting and writing a movie, the focus is understandably on the protagonist/hero, but it's important to consider sub-characters as part of the overall structure of your film. Sub-characters are the primary means of creating obstacles and...

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A Quick Intro to Inciting Incidents

A Quick Intro to Inciting Incidents

An inciting incident is key to the creation of a well-structured movie. Nailing yours can help lock your story into a crackerjack narrative trajectory. Let’s take a look at a few inciting incidents. THE LOST CITY THE LOST CITY is a vibrant, lively,...

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How to Level Up Your Writing (for Free!)

How to Level Up Your Writing (for Free!)

Screenwriting is a craft. It's time to start treating it that way. A great place to start is by reading produced scripts. Reading scripts is a crucial part of the screenwriting process. Not only does it teach you the ins and outs of the craft, but...

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Pain is the Writer’s Tool

Pain is the Writer’s Tool

  Pain. The thing we avoid. It's not just for the purpose of survival that we avoid pain, but simply out of an instinct of good horse sense. Who wants to be hurt? Who wants to deal with the aftermath? In fact, the aftermath is often the worst...

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6 Ways to Rekindle Your Screenwriting Fire

6 Ways to Rekindle Your Screenwriting Fire

  The beginning of a new year is full of hope. No matter what last year looked like, we are always hopeful that the next year will be even better. As writers, we are always living in hope. We put words on paper hoping that someone will be so...

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Why Horror Works

Why Horror Works

Horror films entertain. They thrill by titillating. They punish transgressors--but of course give the audience the full view of the illicit activity first. Sex, drugs, predation, sloppy inebriation are all elements of horror films. They are all...

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Write Bad To Write Good: Advice on Getting Started

Write Bad To Write Good: Advice on Getting Started

We all know how terrifying that first blank page can be. Whether it’s in Final Draft, Highland 2, Fade In, or even Word, when you find yourself staring at all that white space, it can feel impossible to get going. Fortunately, our very own Linda...

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Meet Rick Garman

Meet Rick Garman

Christmas is coming in July! We're thrilled to introduce you to our newest romcom instructor! Rick Garman is a writer who specializes in holiday romcom movies, and he'll be teaching a class on writing your very own romantic comedy holiday movie....

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Meet Zac Hug!

Meet Zac Hug!

We are SO excited to introduce you to our new RomCom Instructor! Zac Hug is an accomplished screenwriter and teacher and will be diving into teaching a RomCom Seminar and Workshop in January! Here's an Intro to Zac in his Own Words: I write scripts...

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The First Draft is the Writer’s Draft

The First Draft is the Writer’s Draft

The First Draft The first draft is really the writer’s draft. You owe no apology for it being messy, for it being murky, for it being wobbly. It’s your draft. That’s you figuring out the story you want to tell. And yes, you’re going to do your...

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