MONDAY'S SCRIPT TIP:
TENNIS PLOTTING
In THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING there's a chapter on character,
coincidence, and plot. The best way to avoid coincidence is through cause and effect
plotting. Everything happens for a reason - nothing is the result of coincidence.
Think of your story as a game of tennis. The ball doesn't just hop over the net on
its own... somebody has to hit it. Same thing with a story. Things don't just
happen on their own, they happen because someone causes them to happen.
After that, another character reacts to that event, and that reaction knocks the
ball back over the net, so that the other player must react to it. The ball isn't going
back and forth on its own, characters are hitting it!
Usually the antagonist serves - they create the problem that the protagonist must
solve.
In Graham Yost's SPEED Dennis Hopper rigs explosives to the cables of an elevator.
He blows up the elevator cables, sending a car full of people into free-fall... until the
emergency brakes catch them... but Hopper has explosives attached to the brakes, too,
and he demands $3 million or he'll send the elevator car full of passengers crashing to
the basement. That's his serve.
Keanu Reeves and the SWAT Team show up to prevent the elevator car from falling.
The ball is in their court, and they have to hit it back. Keanu and Jeff Daniels volunteer
to check the explosives on the elevator. They discover it's a very professional job - no
way to disarm the bomb... but Keanu has an idea. He takes the cable from a window
washer platform and attaches it to the elevator... The ball has been knocked back into
Hopper's court.
Hopper hears them do this, and blows the elevator brakes. The elevator falls...
Knocking the ball back into Keanu's court.
But is stopped by the window washer cable. Keanu and Jeff save the passengers.
They realize that Hopper blew the brakes in response to them attaching the window
washer cable... which means he's in the building. Jeff and Keanu figure out he's in the
freight elevator, and climb down to attack. Knocking the ball back to Hopper's side of
the net.
Hopper captures Jeff, reveals that he has explosives strapped on his body and a
pressure release trigger in his hand - he will explode himself, Jeff, and the whole
building unless Keanu drops his gun and allows Hopper to escape. Knocking the ball
back to Keanu.
Keanu shoots Jeff in the legs - making him a hostage that Hopper must carry. How can
Hopper escape while carrying a guy? That knocks the ball back into Hopper's court.
Hopper lets go of Jeff and escapes... only to explode in the building's garage. You
might think that Keanu has won this round, but the explosion is Hopper's return volley.
He has faked his own death in order to get away.
SERVING!
Now, if we were to look at the MOTIVATION for Dennis Hopper's elevator plan, we'd
find out that he was a 30 year veteran of the Atlanta PD bomb squad who was injured
in an explosion and has been denied his pension. He wants $3 million - $100k for every
year he spent on the police force... every year he wasted in service of a police force
that didn't appreciate him. "I got a medal and a pink slip." So Hopper's "serve" is
motivated. That serve is in reaction to another action. We could trace back the actions
and reactions behind being denied his money if we wanted - there would be a reason.
Everything has a reason - there is no coincidence in this story.
Hopper still needs his pension, and now he's mad at Keanu for screwing up his plan.
He spent 2 years setting up that job, and wants the money due him. He sees Keanu
getting a medal on the news, and decides to hit the ball back into Keanu's court...
By planting a bomb on bus #2525 that will explode if the bus goes below 50mph...
and calling Keanu to tell him about it. Again - this is a logical reaction to Keanu
foiling the elevator plan. He not only wants his money, he wants revenge against Keanu
for foiling his elevator plan. The ball is back in Keanu's court.
Keanu hops on the bus to save the passengers and foil Hopper's new bus plan.
On the bus there are many times where they hit the ball back-and-forth to each
other. Keanu gets the injured driver off the bus, and a passenger tries to get off at the
same time... so Hopper sets off an explosive charge near the doors and kills the
passenger. Hopper's bomb will explode if the bus goes below 50mph and rush hour
traffic threatens to slow them down, so Keanu takes the buss off the freeway and onto
the LA Airport runway where there is no traffic. Hopper has a timer (attached to his gold
watch) that will blow up the bus even if it continues circling the runway at 50mph. Ball
back in Keanu's court. Hopper seems to know exactly what is going on in the bus,
Keanu searches and discovers the hidden cameras on the bus. Keanu has a video
loop made of the passengers on the bus to fool Hopper so that he can off-load the
passengers. Ball back in Hopper's court. Back and forth - each one knocks the ball
back to the other. Each even is in reaction to the one that comes before it. Nothing
happens by coincidence, it's all a result of cause and effect.
Here's where plotting often breaks down in bad scripts - after the initial "serve" the
protagonist or antagonist quit playing for a while, and the ball bounces back and
forth on its own. That's impossible, and we know it. Or the ball is hit to some
other player on some other court, and even if the ball is hit back to our court and
our protagonist, it isn't really part of the game, is it? When something (good or
bad) happens without reason, it seems impossible. It's that ball bouncing back on
its own, or the protagonist swings his racquet and misses but the ball hits a bird
flying over the court and goes back to the antagonist's side of the net. That just
doesn't seem within the rules!
We want the ball to bounce back and forth between the antagonist and protagonist -
each reacting to what the other has done.
If the antagonist has a gun to the protagonist's head, and suddenly the police show up
to save the day, that's not real. Nothing has caused the police to show up. If the
protagonist tells the police that the antagonist will soon put a gun to his head, that's
unreal - how can the protagonist know exactly what the antagonist will do? Everything
that happens has to be logically motivated. Everything is a reaction to some action that
happened previously. You need to be able to trace back the reactions to actions - and
those actions need to be logical... something the audience might do if they were the
character. Hopper may be a mad bomber, but he's got a logical reason for everything
he does. He wants the money he thinks he deserves, and will blow stuff up until he gets
it. There are reasons behind his actions. Nothing is a coincidence.
Think of your story like a game of tennis.
For more on plotting your story, THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING.
COMING SOON!
How Do I do That?
101 SCREENWRITING ANSWERS Blue Book!
New to screenwriting? You probably have questions! How do I get an Agent? How do I write a phone conversation? Do I need a Mentor? What’s does VO and OC and OS mean? What is proper screenplay format? Should I use a pen name? Do I need to movie to Hollywood? What’s the difference between a Producer and a Production Manager, and which should I sell my script to? How do I write a Text Message? Should I Copyright or WGA register my script? Can I Direct or Star? How do I write an Improvised scene? Overcoming Writer’s Block? How do I write a Sex Scene? And many many more! This book has the answers to the 101 Most Asked Questions from new screenwriters! Plus a Glossary of terms so that you can sound like a pro! Everything you need to know to begin writing your screenplay!
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NEWEST AND BLUEST!
Want To Look Like An Expert?
RESEARCH & WORLD BUILDING Blue Book!
Does this gun fire 6 shots or only 5? In all of the excitement of writing your action scene, you might not have done the research... and your hero could be out of ammo! Whether you are writing a novel or screenplay, you can save your hero, and your story, by doing a little research first! This book looks at Why you should research, Whether you should research First or Later, PLUS the importance of World Building in Science Fiction, Fantasy... and the worlds you explore in every other genre. Movies like JOHN WICK and THE GODFATHER take place in their own unique worlds... and writers must create them! YOU are the technical advisor on your Screenplay or Novel.
Using movie examples like TOP GUN, HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, BLUE CRUSH, ADVENTURE LAND, several of my produced films, JOHN WICK, the novels of Donald E. Westlake and Thomas B. Dewey, SPY KIDS, the LORD OF THE RINGS movies, SOYLENT GREEN (which takes place in the far off future of 2022), and many others we will look at researching stories and creating worlds. The 8 Types Of Research, the 10 Types Of Information To Look For, 12 Important Elements Of World Building. Plus chapters on How To Rob A Bank and Commit Murder And Get Away With It for those of you interested in crime fiction, and Researching The Future for those writing science fiction, and Levels Of Reality if you are writing about a version of the real world.
No matter what you are writing, this book will help you find the facts... or make them up in a convincing way!
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FINISHED WRITING?
All About Rewrites!
REWRITES Blue Book!
Rewriting In Waves?
When You Finish Your Screenplay Or Novel...
The Rewrites Begin!
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All About Endings!
GRAND FINALES Blue Book!
The Perfect Ending For Your Story!
The First Ten Pages Of Your Screenplay Are Critical,
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SHRINKING IT DOWN
All About LOGLINES, TREATMENTS, and PITCHING!
LOGLINES, TREATMENTS, and PITCHING! Blue Book!
Distilling Your Screenplay!
Loglines, Treatments, Pitching, Look Books, Pitch Decks, One Pagers, Rip-O-Matics?
You have written a brilliant 110 page screenplay, but how do you get anyone to read it? You need to distill it down into some form of verbal moonshine or story rocket fuel that will ignite that bored development executive or manager or agent and get them to request your screenplay. But how do you shrink those 110 pages into a 25 word logline or a 2 minute elevator pitch or a one page synopsis or a short paragraph? This 100,000 word book shows you how! Everything you need to know! From common logline mistakes (and how to solve them) to how your pitch can reveal story problems to the 4 types of pitches!
272 Pages - ONLY $4.99!
NEW in 2020!
Making Your Own Movie?
WRITE IT: FILM IT BOOK!
Making Your Own Movie?
Writing An Indie Film?
Writing A Low Budget Genre Script To Sell?
Writing A Made For TV Holiday Movie?
You will be writing for BUDGET. On a standard spec screenplay, you don’t have to think about budget, but these types of screenplays writing with budget in mind is critical!
If you are making your own movie, budget, is even more important - and you need to think about budget *before* you write your screenplay... or you will end up with a script that you can’t afford to make (or is a struggle to make). Everyone is making their own films these days, and even if you have done it before there are lots of great techniques in this book to get more money on screen - for less money! You can make a film that looks like it cost millions for pocket change.
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THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
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THE BLUE BOOKS!
FIND A GREAT IDEA!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
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FIGURE OUT YOUR STORY!
OUTLINES & THE THEMATIC Blue Book.
ARE YOUR SCENES IN THE RIGHT ORDER?
AND ARE THEY THE RIGHT SCENES?
Your story is like a road trip... but where are you going? What's the best route to get there? What are the best sights to see along the way? Just as you plan a vacation instead of just jump in the car and start driving, it's a good idea to plan your story. An artist does sketches before breaking out the oils, so why shouldn't a writer do the same? This Blue Book looks at various outlining methods used by professional screenwriters like Wesley Strick, Paul Schrader, John August, and others... as well as a guest chapter on novel outlines. Plus a whole section on the Thematic Method of generating scenes and characters and other elements that will be part of your outline. The three stages of writing are: Pre-writing, Writing, and Rewriting... this book looks at that first stage and how to use it to improve your screenplays and novels.
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GOT STRUCTURE?!
*** STRUCTURING YOUR STORY *** - For Kindle!
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Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is over 85,000 words - 251 pages!
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START STRONG!
*** HOOK 'EM IN TEN *** - For Kindle!
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Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is over 100,000 words - 312 pages!
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MOVIES ARE CHARACTERS!
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*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! A step-by-step guide to creating "take charge" protagonists. Screenplays are about characters in conflict... characters in emotional turmoil... Strong three dimensional protagonists who can find solutions to their problems in 110 pages. But how do you create characters like this? How do you turn words into flesh and blood? Character issues, Knowing Who Is The Boss, Tapping into YOUR fears, The Naked Character, Pulp Friction, Man With A Plan, Character Arcs, Avoiding Cliche People, Deep Characterization, Problem Protagonists, 12 Ways To Create Likable Protagonists (even if they are criminals), Active vs. Reactive, The Third Dimension In Character, Relationships, Ensemble Scripts, and much, much more. Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 205 pages!
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I WRITE PICTURES!
*** VISUAL STORYTELLING *** - For Kindle! (exclusive)
Show Don't Tell - but *how* do you do that? Here are techniques to tell stories visually! Using Oscar Winning Films and Oscar Nominated Films as our primary examples: from the first Best Picture Winner "Sunrise" (1927) to the Oscar Nominated "The Artist" (which takes place in 1927) with stops along the way Pixar's "Up" and Best Original Screenplay Winner "Breaking Away" (a small indie style drama - told visually) as well as "Witness" and other Oscar Winners as examples... plus RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is over 200 pages!
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DESCRIPTION & VOICE Blue Book!
DESCRIPTION & VOICE Blue Book.
IS HALF OF YOUR STORY IN TROUBLE?
Most screenplays are about a 50/50 split between dialogue and description - which means your description is just as important as your dialogue. It just gets less press because the audience never sees it, the same reason why screenwriters get less press than movie stars. But your story will never get to the audience until readers and development executives read your script... so it is a very important factor. Until the movie is made the screenplay is the movie and must be just as exciting as the movie. So how do you make your screenplay exciting to read? Description is important in a novel as well, and the “audience” does read it... how do we write riveting description?
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*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
***
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting dialogue! How to remove bad dialogue (and what *is* bad dialogue), First Hand Dialogue, Awful Exposition, Realism, 50 Professional Dialogue Techniques you can use *today*, Subtext, Subtitles, Humor, Sizzling Banter, *Anti-Dialogue*, Speeches, and more. Tools you can use to make your dialogue sizzle! Special sections that use dialogue examples from movies as diverse as "Bringing Up Baby", "Psycho", "Double Indemnity", "Notorious", the Oscar nominated "You Can Count On Me", "His Girl Friday", and many more! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is over 175 pages!
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WHAT IS A SCENE?
*** SCENE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
***
What is a scene and how many you will need? The difference between scenes and sluglines. Put your scenes on trial for their lives! Using "Jaws" we'll look at beats within a scene. Scene DNA. Creating set pieces and high concept scenes. A famous director talks about creating memorable scenes. 12 ways to create new scenes. Creating unexpected scenes. Use dramatic tension to supercharge your scenes. Plants and payoffs in scenes. Plus transitions and buttons and the all important "flow"... and more! Over 65,000 words! Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is around 210 pages!
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SUBPLOTS?
*** SUPPORTING CHARACTER SECRETS *** - For Kindle! (Exclusive)
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Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is around 170 pages!
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ACT TWO SOLUTIONS!
*** ACT TWO SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
Expanded version with more techniques to help you through the desert of Act Two! Subjects Include: What Is Act Two? Inside Moves, The 2 Ps: Purpose & Pacing, The 4Ds: Dilemma, Denial, Drama and Decision, Momentum, the Two Act Twos, Subplot Prisms, Deadlines, Drive, Levels Of Conflict, Escalation, When Act Two Begins and When Act Two Ends, Scene Order, Bite Sized Pieces, Common Act Two Issues, Plot Devices For Act Two, and dozens of others. Over 67,000 words (that’s well over 200 pages) of tools and techniques to get you through the desert of Act Two alive!
Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is well over 200 pages!
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READY TO BREAK IN?
THE BUISINESS SIDE
*** BREAKING IN BLUE BOOK *** - For Kindle!
Should really be called the BUSINESS BLUE BOOK because it covers almost everything you will need to
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networking, to the different kinds of meetings you are will have at Studios, to the difference between
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Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is over 400 pages!
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STORY IN ACTION SERIES!
THE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MOVIES
NEW: Updates On Films 7 & 8 Casting!
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Over 240 pages!
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He's back! The release of "Terminator: Dark Fate" is set to begin a new trilogy in
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HITCHCOCK FOR WRITERS!
Strange Structures!
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***
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HITCHCOCK DID IT FIRST!
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LEARN SUSPENSE FROM THE MASTER!
*** HITCHCOCK: MASTERING SUSPENSE *** - For Kindle!
Alfred Hitchcock, who directed 52 movies, was known as the *Master Of Suspense*; but what exactly is suspense and how can *we* master it? How does suspense work? How can *we* create “Hitchcockian” suspense scenes in our screenplays, novels, stories and films?
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WRITING HORROR - The essentials of a horror screenplay - what do ROSEMARY'S BABY, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE EXORCIST, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE OTHERS and OPEN WATER have in common? This class will tell you! All of the critical elements necessary to write a script that scares the pants off the audience. Writing Horror is $10.00 (plus $5 S&H).
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