All Entries in the "Story" Category
Tales From The Script – A must watch for all screenwriters
The documentary, Tales From The Script, is not something you watch once. The more I get to see the faces of the writers who have so inspired me to write my own stories, well, the more inspired I get. It’s not just the tips and tricks of how to navigate Hollywood, but even more so [...]
Cherokee fable of the two wolves
Below is a reprint of a classic Indian fable used in mindfulness-based cognitive/behavioral therapy, recited by Dr. Robert Rossel, Ph.D., in a Mindfulness-based group on LinkedIn. Actually, it’s used in several areas, from martial arts to Indian folklore, and even one source claims it’s an old Bulgarian fable. Fables are the roots of both storytelling [...]
Dramatica – StoryForming
Although from 1994, the following series of PDFs from Dramatica-Storyforming are excellent resources for screenwriting. And of course, the website is more current with additional resources. sf_vol2_no3 sf_vol2_no2 sf_vol2_no1 sf_vol1_no4 sf_vol1_no3 sf_vol1_no2 sf_vol1_no1
What Is This Movie About – 9.19-10.2.03
What Is This Movie About-9.19-10.2.03
Holy Grail of Screenwriting: The Story
I’m not interested in criticizing or reviewing films, not in any traditional sense. Basically, I don’t like film reviews. Half the time I can never understand what’s being said. I want to respond and react to the films I see in the quest of what I call the Holy Grail of Screenwriting: Finding a great story. Actually, it [...]
Conflict
The main conflict in nearly all movies is protagonist vs. antagonist. And of course, no two roles exemplify this conflict better than cop and criminal. But characters don’t exist in a vacuum. A conflict between two people or groups of people is generated from larger sources of conflict. These larger sources can be the self, [...]
Decision Making
Life is based on the decisions and choices we make and don’t make. It’s an endless philosophical debate whether we are born or made. Some of us are born under a bad sign. Others are born with a silver spoon. One thing for sure, regardless of fate or destiny, shit happens. Life is full [...]
Inciting Incident
Something happens. What happens launches the film (or story). It could be an explosion, a murder, a bet, an accident, an invasion, a strange occurrence, a mystery, two people meet, getting fired, getting hired, divorce, marriage, declaration of war, press conference, award ceremony, a race, a crime, a bust, an accusation, a threat, a [...]
Obstacles
Obstacles are: impossible odds; loss of hope; failure; enemies; roadblocks; metaphorical roadblocks; mental roadblocks; administrative roadblocks; problem solving; puzzles; challenges. Examples of obstacles: getting out of prison; finding a killer; making a discovery; self-defense; defecting; getting home; finding love; finding a missing person; solving a crime; finding a cure; winning a game. Obstacles are [...]
Plot
· A progression of events that lead to a climax · An unfolding of events (that tell a story) · Unexpected twists and turns · Building suspense · One thing leads to another · Plot is what happens and what happens next. · A plot shows how a character moves from one scene to another. [...]
