When you’re writing horror, dread is your friend. What’s dread?
It’s the man in the mask. It’s the closed door at the end of the hallway. It’s what’s waiting for us when we turn on the lights. A sense of something horrible that can’t be avoided, only delayed.
That’s all for the latest iteration of Guest Post Week, folks. I thought we had a particularly good bunch of tips this time. Thanks to all who contributed!
Tune in tomorrow when I’ll resume regular posting. Something about Halloween, maybe?
Audiences like thinking they’ve got it all figured out. So give them an “I knew it!” moment…. then pull the rug out from under them.
- tip by Tanner
Please actually hang out with or talk to minorities before you put them in your screenplay. We can tell when everything you know about us comes from glances and snippets of conversation you hear at the checkout line.
- tip by Escarondito
Male writers, is getting into the mind of a woman really THAT much harder than getting into the mind of a psychopathic criminal with no qualms about killing? Women would like to be the hero once in a while, too.
- tip by Anonymous
“I don’t even know who you are anymore” has replaced “You just don’t get it, do you?” as the ultimate over-used most horrible line of dialogue.
Don’t use either one. Ever.
- tip by Sidney
Nothing breaks immersion quite like a character saying, “This isn’t the movies, this is the real world” or “This always works in the movies”. As soon as you do, we remember we’re watching a movie.
- tip by Mark
Write about what you know. If you want to write about something far from your everyday life, then research, interview and read a lot about it until you have it naturally inside of you. Otherwise, your script will sound fake.
- tip by Vitor
If writing comes easy to you, I’d ask you to read it back to make sure it was not absolute bullshit.
- tip by SJ
A good comedy is just a good drama with people who say and do funny things.
- tip by M.G.
It’s that time again. Oh yes. It’s time for another…
*drumroll*
Guest Post Week!
For those of you just joining us, Guest Post Week is a regularly scheduled event where I post all the reader-submitted tips I’ve received over the last few months. I don’t edit them (much), I don’t judge them, I just post them. Some of them are great, some of them are controversial, and we generally wind up with a lot of healthy debate in the comments sections.
Most of you seem to enjoy Guest Post Week, but I know some people don’t care for it. To you, I apologize. Please come back in a week when we’ll resume our regularly scheduled programming.
So, do you have a screenwriting tip you’ve been keeping bottled up inside? A precious bit of wisdom or a jagged bit of snark to share with the community? Post it in the comments below or email me at the usual address and your tip will show up on the site this week.
Also! If you’re just joining us, did you know that you can follow me on the Twitters? It’s true, I am a twitterer. I tweet, sometimes about screenwriting. Behold: http://twitter.com/xanderbennett
Also also, did you know that I run a script consulting service? It’s called Hack Notes, it’s crazy cheap, and people seem to like it. No really — check out the customer testimonials on the site here: http://hacknotes.net
Finally, I’ll have a fairly big announcement to make soon. It’s related to this blog, and it’s something that I think a lot of you will be interested in. Stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks.
If you can’t make it funny, at least make it passionate. Provocative, passionate and funny is the trifecta.
You have to truly, deeply, unconditionally believe in your premise. That process starts with being able to sum it up in one or two sentences.
Your screenplay is not about what happens. It’s about who it happens to.
Jokes can’t save a scene that’s not advancing the plot or affecting the protagonist. Comedy should never be the entire point of a scene.
If you don’t have time to write today, at least jot down an idea, scribble a joke or read part of a script. Anything to keep the muscles in shape.
Don’t turn down work if it’s good work. Fit it in somehow. You signed up for this writer gig, and you’re in it for the long haul.
If you don’t have a blog, if you’re not involved online or with local writing groups, why not? Nobody is going to market you but you.
Don’t open a story by having everything that could possibly go wrong happen to your protagonist (husband leaves her, fired from job, dog runs away, etc.). Pick one thing — the one that hurts the most.
Your unique point of view is your most valuable asset as a writer… assuming your unique point of view is interesting.
