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
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...
From Christmas-centric to Year-Round Fun: How the Hallmark Channel Has Evolved
The Hallmark Channel has been a popular destination for feel-good movies and heartwarming TV shows for many years. However, in recent years, the network has undergone some significant changes that have caught the attention of both fans and critics...
Deck the Halls: Exploring the Key Differences Between Hallmark Movies and Hallmark Christmas Movies
While Hallmark movies and Hallmark Christmas movies may share some similarities, there are several key differences that set them apart. Here are some of the main differences: Setting Hallmark movies can take place in a variety of settings, from...
Lights, Camera, Love: Why Writing a Hallmark Movie Is Good For Your Soul & Audience
Hallmark movies have become a cultural phenomenon, beloved by audiences of all ages. These movies are known for their feel-good storylines, relatable characters, and heartwarming themes, and have become a staple of the holiday season. Here are some...
From Script to Screen: Marketing Your RomCom and Building Your Writing Community
As a writer, finishing your romcom is a huge accomplishment. But now what? How do you get your story out there and sell it to the right people? Fortunately, there are many ways to sell a romcom movie you have written, and building your community...
Unwrap the Secrets of Hallmark Movie Success: 5 Tips to Write a RomCom
Romantic comedies, or RomComs for short, are a beloved genre of movies that are known for their feel-good storylines, charming characters, and happy endings. And one of the most famous purveyors of RomComs is the Hallmark Channel, which is famous...
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...
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...
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,...
Beyond the Heart-Shaped Box: How Hallmark Movies Stand Out in the RomCom Genre
When it comes to the world of romantic comedies, there are a lot of options to choose from. From classic films like "When Harry Met Sally" to modern favorites like "Crazy Rich Asians," the genre has a lot of variety to offer. However, there is a...
6 Ways to Sell Your RomCom and Launch Your Writing Career
If you have written a romcom and are looking to sell it, there are a variety of networks and platforms you can pitch to. Here are some of the most popular options: Major Broadcast Networks The major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Taking the Leap: How Writers Overcome Fear to Embrace Truth
We donʼt ask much from our ProPath writers, we only ask that at the end of each workshop they complete a script, that is well-structured with characters that are fully dimensional. Make it funny if it is a comedy and make it dramatic if it is a...
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....
Diving into the First Act: Why LEGALLY BLONDE and PARASITE are the Same Movie
Film structure can all too often be something that's thought of as rote or paint-by-numbers approach. Sometimes a writer thinks, "Well, if these actions happen by these pages, then I've written a perfect movie!" This, sadly, is far from the truth,...
Caitlin D. Fryers on Catching the TV Writing Bug, Lego Sets & Trusting the Process
While Caitlin isn't new to the ProPath team as she's already taught an incredibly successful pilot class, we realized that we hadn't given you all the chance to get to know her a little better. So, here's Caitlin in her own words! How did you...
Derek Nicoletto on Stowe Story Labs, Black Coffee, and Finding Your People
Here at ProPath, we love to celebrate success and shine a light on screenwriting competitions and labs that are actually helpful. This is why we reached out to our very own Derek Nicoletto, whose work ethic and dedication create lightning on the...
Zac Hug on Endings that Satisfy, the Importance of Legos, and Joke Pitching His Way into Hallmark
As you all know, we treat our writers like family and when a new member of the family shows up, we'd like you to get to know them. Introducing Zac Hug. How Did You Discover Screenwriting? I got there via playwriting. I like anything where people...
Chad Handley on Hitting The Black List, the Importance of Writers Groups, and (Not) Moving to LA
North Carolina film and TV writer, Chad Handley, didn’t always know he wanted to work in film, but he knew a good visual when he saw one. In the ninth grade, he loved drawing, so when his teacher announced that the class could do their next book...
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...
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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