December 2009
33 posts
Screenwriting Tip #189
Add more genre.
As in: if you’re writing comedy, dedicate an entire rewrite to adding more jokes. If you’re writing horror, up the levels of dread in every scene, etc. Make the genre obvious on every single page.
Screenwriting Tip #188
Cut the really obvious scenes. Just jump ahead in time. You’d be surprised how much the audience can figure out on their own.
Screenwriting Tip #187
You (usually) only have one protagonist. Better work out who it is before you start.
Screenwriting Tip #186
It pays to do some kind of research into mental illnesses before you decide to give your main character one.
Screenwriting Tip #185
‘Raising the stakes’ only works if we understand what the stakes mean to the protagonist, and what he/she stands to lose.
Screenwriting Tip #184
Get away from the computer and spend some time with your loved ones.
Then steal their dialogue and mannerisms for your characters.
Screenwriting Tip #183
I hear Xmas episodes make good TV specs, even if the show in question doesn’t normally do special episodes. It means you start with a nice thematic framework already in place.
Screenwriting Tip #182
Characters shouldn’t be daydreaming or reminiscing about the past in Act One. Save that for when we’re hooked into the plot.
Screenwriting Tip #181
Please, no more rookie cops who barf at the sight of gory crime scenes.
Screenwriting Tip #180
Italics can be useful for adding weight to action lines, but don’t overdo it.
Screenwriting Tip #179
If you have a friend who is a doctor, cop or lawyer, for god’s sake use them for research. Don’t just watch CSI and take notes.
Screenwriting Tip #178
The ‘character appears on Oprah (or someone who’s basically Oprah with the serial numbers filed off)’ scene is a comedy cliche. If you’re going to do it, try to make it original.
Screenwriting Tip #177
Don’t put action in the parentheticals. You know: (paces the room), (laughs at his own joke), (carefully writes all this down), etc. That’s what the action lines are for!
What They Think
Hey, remember that time I started a script notes service? Remember how I said I didn’t have any fancy quotes or testimonials yet?
Well, now I do.
Click over to the new Testimonials page on the Hack Notes site to see what customers have been saying about the service.
Remember, Hack Notes gives you 3-4 pages of quality, constructive notes on your draft for only $60 — comparable to the...
Screenwriting Tip #176
It’s not a good idea to start a new scene with the word ‘Meanwhile’.
Screenwriting Tip #175
I don’t need to know your female character’s cup size. Seriously.
Screenwriting Tip #174
“As you know, Bob…”
If Bob knows it, Bob was there when it happened, and Bob’s not suffering from amnesia… why is your character reminding him?
Screenwriting Tip #173
‘EXT. THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING - DAY’
Uh… you know what ‘EXT.’ stands for, right?
Screenwriting Tip #172
If your script’s a comedy, please have at least one joke on Page One. Otherwise you’re like the stand-up comedian who opens his routine by coughing nervously and asking how everybody’s evening is going.
Screenwriting Tip #171
Fight the temptation to add eye-rolling, pacing, standing up, sitting down, coughing, fidgeting, folding arms, etc. to your conversations.
White space is King. Let the dialogue breathe.
Screenwriting Tip #170
This is the opposite of organic: Your protagonist looks out the window and notices something that reminds him of his childhood, causing him to start blurting out his backstory to whoever’s standing nearby.
Screenwriting Tip #169
Script titles that will get you on the Black List:
Bizarre place names.
Sex-related puns.
Something that sounds like the title of a Jonathan Lethem novel.
Anything with swearing in it.
Welcome
And just like that, I suddenly have a bunch of new readers. If you’re new here: Hello and welcome to the show. A few points of interest…
These tips are presented with tongue firmly in cheek. As the warning label said, they’re for novelty purposes only. The point is not to ridicule or offend anyone — on the contrary, the intent is to make better screenwriters out of all of...
Screenwriting Tip #168
Real people don’t talk to their reflection in the mirror, unless they’re self-obsessed or slightly unhinged.
Screenwriting Tip #167
What your spell checker can’t tell you is that ‘peaked’ and ‘piqued’ are not synonymous.
Screenwriting Tip #166
‘EXT. DESSERT - DAY’
Yeah, that’s not good.
Screenwriting Tip #165
When you write ‘All hell breaks loose’, what you’re actually saying is ‘I couldn’t be bothered to write real action lines here’.
Screenwriting Tip #164
The trend of character names in comedy titles is over. Or maybe I just pray it is.
Screenwriting Tip #163
Unusual character names are great. Unusual character names that nobody is sure how to pronounce are NOT great. Your readers will keep tripping over them.
Screenwriting Tip #162
Honestly, it’s not THAT hard to spell the word ‘rogue’.
Screenwriting Tip #161
Imagine you were an actor, and you had to say these lines. Which ones sound weird or ridiculous? Which ones sound like cliches when you say them out loud?
Screenwriting Tip #160
No need to put (beat) or (pause) into the dialogue because you think it’ll sound nice — the actors will have their own ideas. Parenthetical beats work best for suspense or timing-dependent jokes.