When I heard a new silent film, “The Artist,” directed by Michel Hazanavicius, was generating a bit of buzz at Cannes this year, I promptly checked IMDB.com for details, but was shocked to discover there was no writing credit, because screenwriting isn’t just about dialogue, it’s about conveying a story. Continue reading “Beyond dialogue: Write the story as characters live it”
Category: screenwriting tips
The value of a script reading and how easy it is to do it
There’s no greater sense of accomplishment than, after months or perhaps even years of toiling over your script, you get to type those magical words: “FADE OUT.” Your characters have said what they have to say. Your plot has Continue reading “The value of a script reading and how easy it is to do it”
Mastering the reveal: The art of revealing character traits
Recently been reading William Goldman’s screenplay, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” rediscovering its brilliant reveals, among them:
- When their only escape is to leap from a cliff into a raging mountain river, Sundance reveals to Butch, “I can’t swim!”
- After Butch convinces Sundance to move to Bolivia, Continue reading “Mastering the reveal: The art of revealing character traits”
How to reveal theme in your story
So there’s this cool monthly event in Seattle called “Science on Tap” where you gather in a pub with other nerds to hear lectures on matters scientific and eat and drink and talk about science. You probably wouldn’t expect Continue reading “How to reveal theme in your story”
How to reveal character through subtext
One of the best ways to write better dialogue in a screenplay is to use subtext: what characters really are saying despite what they actually say, or don’t say.
For example, early in “Lawrence of Arabia” Continue reading “How to reveal character through subtext”