Documentary Storytelling Tips

1.Engage the audience with what feels like the present tense plotline before revealing the back-story. 2.Define the Palette of Tones: How deep; how dark; how real; how close (POV). 3.Define the dilemma for the audience (Dilemma is the choice between two things with...

21st Century Storytelling: Writing Fiction for Film and Television

When you write screenplays, you go on a parallel journey with your characters that the audience will ultimately experience when they watch your film. What you experience when you write is a powerful guide that helps you create authentic, compelling characters through...

The Screenwriter as Storyteller

Create compelling film stories by using THE STORY CRYSTAL, a three-dimensional, spiraling molecule of plot, character and theme. Learn how your creative journey while writing connects you with your characters and the audience, and: How to build powerful stories...

Writing Great Comedies

Learn the 23 Essential Elements to write successful comedies that you can immediately apply to your current screenplays. THE 16 STORY STEPS for Comedy will show you how to navigate through your comedy scripts with skill and confidence, while revealing new...

Writing Great Thrillers

Thrillers are as intricately woven as a spider web, and function according to unique dramaturgical rules. Learn how to use the FOUR DEVELOPMENT MODELS for THRILLERS to write movies like THE MATRIX, THE SIXTH SENSE, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, THE CRYING GAME, and FARGO, and how...