FRIDAY'S SCRIPT TIP:

FLEXING YOUR IDEA MUSCLES

People always ask: "Where do you get your ideas?" Though there are any number of smart ass responses I've developed to answer this question, the real answer is: After working out my "idea muscle" for a couple of decades, now... I get ideas everywhere.

My problem is that I can't shut the danged ideas off! I can't sleep without some new idea going off like an alarm clock. I dream strange ideas, but getting to sleep in the first place is a problem because of all of the ideas. I have no idea what that cruise ship's "hard roll" on the news earlier today will bring to ruin my sleep. I mean, do they know what caused it? Is Davy Jones after the captain of that ship? Or was it an underground volcano? Or an enemy nuclear sub exploding? Or did too many overweight cruise patrons decide to go to the same side of the ship at the same time?

These are the ideas I'm getting while wide awake - the ones that come when I'm in half-sleep are even better.

You need to start flexing your idea muscle. Don't just look at the world around you as background, look at the world as a source for great ideas. They are everywhere! One of the assignments in my big 2 day class (the Idea one) is to take a page of today's newspaper - not the front page, but some random page - and find the big summer tentpole movie idea. In the class I literally give everyone a page of the paper in the morning and after lunch they have to pitch their idea to the class. Every single page has a great idea on it, if you look hard enough and use your imagination. The best idea ever pitched in the class was by a guy who got a page of grocery store coupons... and on the other side of the page - more coupons! I won't tell you what his idea was, but everyone in class thought he should write it and I would have paid to see that movie. Start with the raw material all around you - the ideas that are just waiting for you to spot them.

Then take those raw ideas and use your imagination and creativity. Add the What if? question. I pitched a sci-fi action script in 1993 called MARKED MAN about those security devices they put on merchandise that trigger the alarms at the store door. I'm sure you've had the danged things go off and had to return to the counter to have them remove the things. Okay, what if... you had a security tag inside you? A chip like they put in pets. The police know where you are 24 hours a day - it's on a giant data bank. And you were accused of murder... and the police checked your chip, and the computer says you were at the crime scene! But you weren't! Now you are in the run, but the police always know where you are - making escape almost impossible. You have to find the answer - how could your chip be at the crime scene when you were across town? Sort of an ant-alibi, and that's probably part of where that idea came from.

When I first began my website I had a feature called "idea of the day" where I would take This Day In History from the newspaper and use it as raw material for a Summer Hollywood movie idea. Back then I would put up the tips just after midnight, usually after a day of working on some screenplay. At midnight, the next day's news popped up on Yahoo News, along with the This Day In History feature. So I would read what happened on this day in history and come up with a movie idea based on it. Not all of them were good, but this was mostly an exercise for me to take some boring bit of history and turn it into something interesting. I was exercising that idea muscle. The secondary purpose was to show you guys reading the tips that ideas really were everywhere. I didn't take long coming up with these ideas, because I wanted the first thing that popped into my head... rather than staying up all night long on some stupid thing at the bottom of the script tip. I usually had a script to write!

So a Civil War news story might spark an idea for a Red State / Blue State Civil War right now... or maybe the new Mars Colony deciding to break its ties with Earth, or a divorce comedy in the White House (don't we always like First Ladies more than Presidents - which side would you be on?). So start looking for ideas. What you want is the seed of an idea, that you add a heaping spoon of creativity to.

Think weird. Look at the world around you - all of those raw ideas - and twist them.

What if your child's nightmares were so strong... they came to life!
What if you pretended to be James Bond to pick up girls... only to be overheard by a terrorist cell who were now trying to kill you? (The plot of my very 1st script).

Here are some of the surviving Idea Of The Days. After the first year online, I decided to discontinue the Idea Of The Day, and when the script tips ran again, they were often just trimmed out of the code... because the tip ran on some other day. Somewhere along the line I realized this silly stunt/exercise might have some value, so instead of deleting the tips I made them invisible. The survivors have been floating around on the bottom of script tips - invisible - since, I don't know, 1998? Maybe 1999. Script Secrets was originally on my Compuserve homepage ages ago. I started it after the first version of the full sized book came out, which was summer of 1998. The tips may not have begun until late 1998 or early 1999 hard to remember. I retired a bunch of old tips in 2000, and some more in 2001. A couple of those tips got a page one rewrite and ran about a week ago... more will roll out over the next few months. But here are some of the surviving the Idea Of The Days, in order of how they ran over a decade ago...

IDEAS OF THE IDEA

On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States and Gerald Ford takes his place. Though we've had a number of films about the Presidency, what about the Vice President? What would happen if the VP suddenly had to take office and lead the country?

On August 10, 1864, Congress established the Smithsonian Museum... do they have a secret room of cool stuff like in the end of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK? What do you think you could find there?

On August 14, 1947, India was granted independence from the Commonwealth of Great Britan... What happened to British families living in India now that their "slaves" were now their "masters"? Okay, now let's take the story into the future, or have it take place on an outer space colony.

On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal opens... it was built for less than the estimated cost. When was the last time a government job was built for less than the estimate? What is the worst project that could go over budget? One that might destroy the world?

On August 16, 1969, the Woodstock Festival began. It was a time of "free love"... so it's possible that a conservative 50 year-old businessman may have an adult child he doesn't even know about. What would happen if that 30 year old decided to crash at dad's place? Adam Sandler is your love child!

On August 23, 1833 Britain abolished slavery in all of their colonies, freeing 700,000 men, women, and children. (The United States wouldn't free slaves until 1865 at the close of the Civil War.) What would happen if slavery returned? If someone with over $50,000 of debt could be sold into slavery until they worked off that debt? If VISA and MasterCard could foreclose on YOU? What would you do?

On Sept 4, 1888 George Eastman invented the first camera using a roll of film rather than a photographic plate... and it wouldn't take long for movies to follow. What if you bought a used camera with a roll of film left inside? What could be on that film?

But last Monday, on August 27, 1939 the first successful flight powered by a jet engine took place. In was in a Heinkel HE-178 plane, but what other uses for jet engines are there? Bonneville Salt Flats racers use them to power cars, and there's one in the Batmobile. Wile Coyote straps a rocket on his back whenever he goes roller skating. But what about a jet-car freeway? What if we had an LA to NY autobahn where the speed limit was the speed of sound?

Today in history, the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, but last Tuesday on August 29, 1842, Great Britain and China signed the Treaty Of Nanking - ending the Opium War. What would happen today if a country decided to officially grow a drug crop as their main export product? What if the UN decided it's a free market system, and they can grow, manufacture and sell whatever they want... so another Opium War scenario is out? What would happen if opium dens began sprouting up in the USA the way McDonalds sprout up all over the rest of the world?

On September 6, 1901 President William McKinley was shot by an Anarchist. What if the President were assassinated today... the Vice President would take over. Our two current Presidential candidates have VPs with strong opinions... what would happen if the VP who took over during those hours of darkness after the President is killed has his own agenda that might create trouble for the country. What sort of behind-the-scenes skullduggery might go on to keep the VP in line?

On Sept 9, 1942 Japanese planes bombed the continental United States in Oregon. Almost every war the USA has been involved in has been an "away game"... what would happen if the next war was a "home game"? If the western USA had been invaded and conquered?

Today is a full moon... So let's think about werewolves and other shapeshifters. Did you know that every culture has a shapeshifter myth? But not every animal is lucky enough to be the center of these legends. We never hear about people who transform into bunnies when the moon is full. Werebunnies! What if you were bitten by a rabbit, and during a full moon sprouted big ears, buck teeth, and a bushy tail? (I actually made this as a short film called THE HOPPING).

On September 14, 1948 Milton Berle started his TV (television or transvestite - you decide) career on Texaco Star Theater. Uncle Miltie was famous for dressing as a woman... what if a famous macho TV star of today frequently dressed in women's clothing... and witnessed a bank robbery. How could he cooperate with police and keep his real identity secret?

On September 20, 1519, Fredinand Magellan began the first successful trip around the world by ship. How about a GREAT RACE-type movie about a dozen people who have to travel around the world without using an airplane... for a $10 million prize?

On September 21, 1780 Benedict Arnold gave the British Army the plans to West Point and became the quintessential traitor. Recently a scientist at Los Alamos nuclear lab was accused of breaching security when he took top secret information home with him over the weekend. What would happen if you were a scientist who took top secret information home from work over the weekend... and that information was stolen? Now you have 48 hours to get it back before you are branded a traitor on Monday morning. A scientist up against trained espionage agents!

On September 23, 1912 the first KEYSTONE COPS film debuted. Let's do a slapstick comedy about law enforcement!

On September 26, 1898 George Gershwin - the composer of Rhapsody In Blue - was born. What do you think he'd say if he found out they were using his masterpiece for commercials? "It's A Wonderful Life" gone wrong... We use a time machine to bring a famous composer to the present day to lecture on his work. Before the lecture, we show him how his work has made the world a better place... but he HATES how we've commercialized his masterpiece! The lecture is in an hour, how do we convince him to speak?

On September 27, 1864 Jesse James gang robbed a train by surprise and killed 150 people. You read that right - 150 people killed in a robbery! What would happen if Jesse James was reincarnated in modern day Missouri? If he formed an outlaw gang, and used the same level of violence he used in 1864 in 2000? What would happen in a gang of outlaws robbed a shopping mall and left 150 people dead?

On October 1, 1903 the first World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Pilgrims. Instead of FIELD OF DREAMS what if we wrote FIELD OF SCREAMS - The ghosts of dead baseball players haunt an old stadium!

On October 2, 1967 Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first Black member of the Supreme Court. In the 1940s Marshall had been a hot shot NAACP lawyer who worked on the Port Chicago Mutiny Trial where 50 randomly chosen Black Navy enlisted men where sentenced to death for disobeying orders to load ammunition under dangerous working conditions... after an explosion had killed 322 of their fellow workers only days earlier. What other cases did Marshall work on before he sat on the Supreme Court?

On October 4, 1883 the first run of the Orient Express train linked Turkey to Europe... and helped Agatha Christie come up with a swell idea for a murder mystery. There was also a horror flick that took place on the Orient Express (using the left over sets from the Christie mystery). So how about an action film? The train travels through ex-Eastern Block countries, parts of Asia, and Europe... so let's steal some warheads, hijack the train, and roar across the continent. No one knows what the target country is... but our hero and his team must stop the train before the bombs detonate! How do you board a train traveling at 90 mph?

On October 6, 1956 Dr. Albert Sabin discovered an oral vaccine for Polio. What if a highly contagious, fast-acting strain of polio swept the nation - attacking the nervous system of adults as well as children and paralyzing half the country. We've had movies like OUTBREAK that show doctors trying to stop the disease, but what if they're too late? How about a movie about the aftermath of the outbreak - a post apocalyptic film about a world where half the population is in wheelchairs... and have no rights. Now a wheelchair warrior must roll forward to organize the others and overthrow their oppressors! PLANET OF THE APES meets WATERDANCE.

On October 7, 1915 Georgia Tech beat Cumberland College in a game of football. The score? 222 to 0... a record! What happened when the Cumberland team left the field? They were and are the ultimate losers. How do you explain the loss to your family and friends? This game will haunt you for your entire life. An interesting idea for a drama?

On October 8, 1871 the Chicago fire killed over 200 people and laid waste to over four miles of Chicago buildings. What if a chain reaction created a ring of fire around a two mile section of San Francisco? After evacuation efforts fail, a group of survivors trapped in the middle of the fire must find a way past the flames. Swimming through lakes as fire rages overhead, they make their way to a BART subway station to go under the fire line. But the station is engulfed! What now?

On October 10, 1960 a tidal wave killed 6,000 people in East Pakistan. Most disaster movies are about the impending disaster, but the best (SAN FRANCISCO, 1936) tells us what happens after the disaster. So let's send a tidal wave crashing over Los Angeles at the end of Act 1 - killing hundreds of thousands, and spend the rest of the story trying to survive after the wave is gone and the city is in ruins. Our hero heads the LAFD's Urban Rescue Unit... Where do we get safe drinking water? Food? What do we do with the injured now that hospitals are destroyed? How do we rebuild our world after nature has torn it down?

On October 11, 1689 Peter The Great was crowned Czar of Russia. With Russia in a precarious political state, what would happen if the heir to the thrown was discovered in New York and flew to Russia to reclaim his country? But it's all a con! Now the conman Czar is in WAY over his head and must actually pull the country out of depression, deal with organized crime, and marry a noblewoman... just to get his hands on the country's coffers!

On October 13, 1987 dolphins were first used in warfare by the US Navy in the Persian Gulf... of course, they were only following orders. But what would happen if a dolphin delivered a mine to the wrong ship? Would the dolphin be court martialed?

On October 15, 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island of St. Helena. Panama is the country where Dictators end up today... what would happen if a notorious dictator moved next door to you? Famous for torture, maybe a little Idi Amin cannibalism... but now he's throwing these loud parties and you can't sleep. Talk about neighbor problems! How do you solve this one... without getting tortured or eaten?

On October 17, 1931 mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison. What happens when the most powerful criminal kingpin in the world moves in to your prison? Do the guards do what the Warden says, or what the King Of The Cellblock says? Who really runs the prison?

On October 18, 1892 the first long-distance telephone line between Chicago and New York was formally opened. What if you bought satellite service for your cell phone - you can use it no matter where you are in the world - but you got a call that was out of this world? A radio message from a distant planet that has been studying our language by watching television transmissions. Then the voice on the VERY long distance call tells you the bad news..

On October 19, 1977 the supersonic Concorde made its first landing in New York City. Thirty years later on October 19th, the Concorde landed again in New York City... the New York City of 1777! Trapped in the past, the passengers and crew must find a way to get back to the 21st Century!

On October 20, 1947 the House Un-American Activities Committee opened hearings into alleged Communist influence and infiltration within the American motion picture industry. Of course, Congress would never do that again... What would happen if all violent and sexual movies, videos, games, TV shows, and commercials were banned? If new Federal guidlines made it impossible to show an argument between a married couple (we want to promote families), if women in films must wear ankle-length skirts, if conflict of any kind was not allowed on screen... If movies had to be about people who always got along?

On October 23, 1824 the first steam locomotive was introduced. Today, AMTRAK is about to introduce high speed "bullet trains" in some areas. Express trains connecting two destinations (like New York and Washington DC) without any stops in between. So let's drop THE FUGITIVE onto a bullet train - someone is murdered on the train, you're prime suspect, and you have until the train reaches the station to find the real killer. The train is moving too fast for anyone to get on or off... the killer is trapped on the train and so are you! (my RAILROADED script)

On October 24, 1929 was "Black Thursday" - the start of the stockmarket crash and the Great Depression. What if the stock market crashed this Thursday? A new depression. Millionaires are suddenly dirt poor. The middle class - gone! Tens of millions are out of work. Manual labor skills are the only thing that matter, now. The Silicon Valley is the new dustbowl. Three computer programmers hear about harvest work on a farm outside Bakersfield and start the long walk from San Jose. Along the way there is self discovery, betrayals, and a new found hope.

On October 25, 1918 the Canadian steamship Princess Sophia foundered off the coast of Alaska; nearly 400 people perished. Let's maroon a cruise ship in the Caribbean - no power, food spoiling... and no one coming to the rescue. How long before the passengers become animals and begin fighting with each other?

On October 26, 1977, the experimental space shuttle Enterprise glided to a bumpy but successful landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. What would happen if the shuttle came back empty? The astronauts had vanished! Into another dimension? How do we get them back before the public begins asking questions?

On October 27, 1938, Du Pont announced its new synthetic yarn: "nylon." Recently we've had products recalled because they were made with a genetically altered corn substance... What if you were the scientist who created the four breasted turkey - more white meat! But AFTER these turkeys became Thanksgiving best sellers you discovered a little side effect: humans began growing extra breasts! How can the company cover this up? What's the impact on Playboy Centerfolds who only have two breasts? Will Brittany Spears get additional surgery?

The opposite of a Full Moon is a New Moon (or No Moon) - we had one last night. The Earth blocks the moon from reflecting the sun. What would happen if the moon didn't "come back" today? If the moon just disappeared?

It's Halloween! A great time for short people in Harry Potter costumes to rob banks and blend in with the crowd! What if a gang of little people dressed in the most popular Halloween costumes of the year were robbing banks then disappearing into school yards where dozens of kids were wearing the same costumes? How could the police catch them?

On November 1, 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau made its first meteorological observations. You know - everybody talks about the weather but nobody ever tries to change it... until now. An experiment in weather control unleashes a killer tornado. Now the unstoppable tornado is headed to New York City, destroying everything in it's path! How do we stop it? JAWS meets TWISTER.

On November 2, 1948, President Truman surprised the experts by being re-elected in a narrow upset over Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey. We're looking at a very close Presidential race next week - what would happen if the wrong candidate were announced as the winner and it wasn't discovered until AFTER he had moved in to the White House? Your job: To evict the guy living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave! But he doesn't want to go... does this mean war?

On November 3, 1868 the first Black person was elected to Congress: John W. Menard in Lousiana. A big problem with elections this year is one of the largest voting age groups isn't interested in voting: Young people. What if an MTV VJ decided to start a write in vote for Coolio For President as a gag? But it takes off! On election day they count the votes and neither Gore nor Bush wins... It's Coolio! Coolio doesn't want to be President, but he doesn't have much choice - the people have spoken! How does a laid-back rap star deal with running the country?

It's Election Day! Last week we had an idea where Coolio gets accidentally elected President, today let's flip that... What is Bill Clinton going to do with his life now? What if he decided to start a music career? Play sax for a living? He hooks up with TOWER OF POWER (from my neighborhood!) and they cut a couple of CDs that sell well. Groupies! But the other band members are jealous that Clinton gets the spotlight while they do all of the work. How do you fire an ex-President from your band?

On November 5, 1935 Parker Brothers introduced their board game Monopoly. Well, Hollywood is already developing MONOPOLY: THE MOVIE (this is not a joke), so that can't be our idea. But what about the Monopoly World Championship? Let's do a story about a poor kid who sees more Monopoly money than real money and plays his way to the Monopoly World Championship? Sort of ROCKY with little plastic hotels.

On November 8, 1805 Lewis and Clark crossed the country and reach the Pacific Ocean. Since most of Earth has been charted, let's land a team on Mars and have them discover a lost valley where plant life still exists. As they chart the region, they discover footprints... Human footprints.

Today in history, The Raid On Harper's Ferry took place in 1862... we were in the midst of a violent civil war. What if a civil war broke out in your body? If your left arm and right arm became enemies and began fighting at the most inopportune moments? How would you get through the work day? A first date? What if you were President of the United States and had to bring peace of a country fighting its own civil war... while your right hand battles it out with your left hand?

IDEAS ARE EVERYWHERE

So, there you go! All of those ideas came from a "fixed source" - On This Day In History - and all of the "twisting" happened sometime between midnight and 2am after a long day of writing. Usually the first thing that popped into my head, though some days they took a while to pop. You can tell when I was completely exhausted by the quality of the "instant idea".Some of those kind of suck, others are good enough to pitch.

Your mission should you decide to accept it is to keep your eyes open and look at the world around you for raw ideas, then use that imagination to put some strange spin on them so that they become the kind of story Hollywood buys. Train yourself to come up with the "instant idea". Maybe grab a newspaper once a week and pull out an random page, or do what I did and look at This Day In History or flip through the dictionary and take two random words and make a compound word - what that heck does it mean? Or look at words and phrases and even common things an wonder what the opposite of them might be, or take common every day items and wonder how they could be used for evil... or how inventions designed to serve man can backfire... or how some typo in a sentence you write creates a weird idea - what of you took a raw idea and played around with the words? Or how some obscure law could be used in ways that were never imagined when they were passed (I'm thinking of the state where you can abandon unwanted children, where they forgot to put an age limit on it), or some other imaginative twist on some raw idea that is right there in front of you... only maybe you never noticed it before. Look at the world around you, but do it weird. Do it every day, or once a week, until you have built up that idea muscle so that it works on its own.

Then try to sleep, knowing that...

This is from a chapter in: The IDEAS Blue Book.

BRAND NEW!

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!

All of the answers you need to know, from a working professional screenwriter with 20 produced films and a new movie made for a major streaming service in 2023! 

Only $4.99

NEW!!!

Can You Make It bigger?

BLOCKBUSTERS (and BEACH READS) Blue Book!

Writing something EPIC?

Over 500 Pages, ONLY : $4.99!

Thinking about writing a big Disaster Movie? An Historical Epic? An Epic Adventure Film? Or maybe you like Gladiator Movies? This book looks at writing Blockbusters and those Big Fat Beach Read novels - anything epic! Usng movies like JAWS, POSEIDON ADVENTURE, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, and those MARVEL and FAST & FURIOUS flicks as examples. What *is* a Blockbuster? 107 years of Blockbuster history! Blockbuster Characters. Blockbuster Story Types! Why modern Blockbusters are soap operas! Social Issues in Blcokbusters? Big Emotions! Keeping All Of Those Characters Distinctive! How to avoid the Big problems found in Big Movies and books! More! If you are writing a Big Event Movie or a Big Fat Novel, there are tips and techniques to help you!

Only $4.99

NEW!!

All About Endings!

GRAND FINALES Blue Book!

The Perfect Ending For Your Story!

The First Ten Pages Of Your Screenplay Are Critical,
But What About The Last 10 Pages?

Creating the perfect ending to your story! This 100,000 word book shows you how to end your story with a bang, rather than a whimper. Everything from Resolution Order to Act Three Tools to Happy or Sad Endings? to How The Beginning Of Your Story Has Clues To The Ending (in case you were having trouble figuring out how the story should end) to Falling Action to How To Avoid Bad Endings to Writing The Perfect Twist Ending to Setting Up Sequels & Series to Emotional Resolutions to How To Write Post Credit Sequences to Avoiding Deus Ex Machinas, to 20 Different Types Of Ends (and how to write them) and much more! Everything about endings for your screenplay or novel!

Only$4.99

BRAND NEW

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: WRITE IT: FILM IT!

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.

344 pages - SALE:: $7.99!

NEW!

THE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MOVIES

NEW: Updates On Films 7 & 8 Casting!

All Six Movies analyzed! All of the mission tapes, all of the “that’s impossible!” set pieces and stunts, the cons and capers - and how these scenes work, the twists and double crosses, the tension and suspense (and how to generate it), the concept of each film as a stand alone with a different director calling the shots (broken in the sixth film), the gadgets, the masks, the stories, the co-stars and team members (one team member has been in every film), the stunts Tom Cruise actually did (and the ones he didn’t), and so much more! Over 120,000 words of fun info!

THE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MOVIES - 347 pages - Only $3.99 !

NO KINDLE REQUIRED! Get the *free* app (any device, except your Mr. Coffee) on the order page on Amazon!

BRAND NEW!

*** THE BOURNE MOVIES

All five "Bourne" movies (including "Legacy" and it's potential sequels) - what are the techniques used to keep the characters and scenes exciting and involving? Reinventing the thriller genre... or following the "formula"? Five films - each with an interesting experiment! A detailed analysis of each of the films, the way these thrillers work... as well as a complete list of box office and critical statistics for each film. This book is great for writers, directors, and just fans of the series.

268 pages - Only $3.99

Over 240 pages!

*** THE TERMINATOR MOVIES *** - For Kindle!

He's back! The release of "Terminator: Dark Fate" is set to begin a new trilogy in the Terminator story... 35 years after the first film was released. What draws us to these films about a cybernetic organism from the future sent back in time? Why is there a new proposed trilogy every few years? This book looks at all five Terminator movies from a story standpoint - what makes them work (or not)? What are the techniques used to keep the characters and scenes exciting and involving? How about those secret story details you may not have noticed? Containing a detailed analysis of each of the five films so far, this book delves into the way these stories work... as well as a complete list of box office and critical statistics for each film. This book is great for writers, directors, and just fans of the series.

ONLY $3.99 - and no postage!

Tips FAQ

My New Script Secrets Newsletter!

NEW BOOKS!

BRAND NEW

OUTLINES & THE THEMATIC!

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.

Only $4.99!

ALSO NEW!

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?

Only $4.99!

NEW AND HOT!

*** STRUCTURING YOUR STORY *** - For Kindle!

William Goldman says the most important single element of any screenplay is structure. It’s the skeleton under the flesh and blood of your story. Without it, you have a spineless, formless, mess... a slug! How do you make sure your structure is strong enough to support your story? How do you prevent your story from becoming a slug? This Blue Book explores different types of popular structures from the basic three act structure to more obscure methods like leap-frogging. We also look at structure as a verb as well as a noun, and techniques for structuring your story for maximum emotional impact. Most of the other books just look at *structure* and ignore the art of *structuring* your story. Techniques to make your story a page turner... instead of a slug!

Only $4.99 - and no postage!

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?

This book uses seventeen of Hitchcock’s films to show the difference between suspense and surprise, how to use “focus objects” to create suspense, the 20 iconic suspense scenes and situations, how plot twists work, using secrets for suspense, how to use Dread (the cousin of suspense) in horror stories, and dozens of other amazing storytelling lessons. From classics like “Strangers On A Train” and “The Birds” and “Vertigo” and “To Catch A Thief” to older films from the British period like “The 39 Steps” and “The Man Who Knew Too Much” to his hits from the silent era like “The Lodger” (about Jack The Ripper), we’ll look at all of the techniques to create suspense!

Only $5.99

AUDIO CLASS!

NOIR & MYSTERY80 minute MP3 packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre.
The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H). First 20 on Limited Black Disk!

RECESSION SALE! $5 OFF!

IDEAS AND CREATIVITY - 80 minute MP3 packed with information. Tools to find ideas that are both personal *and* commercial. Hollywood wants scripts with High Concept stories... but not stupid scripts. Developing *intelligent* high concept ideas. How to turn your personal story into a blockbuster - or find your personal story in a high concept idea. Brainstorming and being creative. Ideas and Creativity is $10.00 (plus $5 S&H)

WRITING INDIES - Writing an Indie film? This class covers everything you need to know - from Central Locations to Confined Cameos. Using examples from SWINGERS, THE COOLER, STATION AGENT and others, this 80 minute MP3 is packed with information. How Indoe films challenge the audience (while mainstream films reassure the audience). Structures, using BOYS DON'T CRY, RUN LOLA RUN, HILARY & JACKIE, and others as example. Writing for a budget, writing for non-actors, getting the most production value out of your budget. Writing Indies is $10.00 (plus $5 S&H)

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).

Click here for more information on CLASS MP3s!

THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL!

*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!

*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!

Why pay $510 for a used version of the 240 page 2000 version that used to retail for $21.95? (check it out!) when you can get the NEW EXPANDED VERSION - over 500 pages - for just $9.99? New chapters, New examples, New techniques!

"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio). (ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)

Only $9.99 - and no postage!

READY TO BREAK IN?

NEW!

*** BREAKING IN BLUE BOOK *** - For Kindle!

Should really be called the BUSINESS BLUE BOOK because it covers almost everything you will need to know for your screenwriting career: from thinking like a producer and learning to speak their language, to query letters and finding a manager or agent, to making connections (at home and in Hollywood) and networking, to the different kinds of meetings you are will have at Studios, to the difference between a producer and a studio, to landing an assignment at that meeting and what is required of you when you are working under contract, to contracts and options and lawyers and... when to run from a deal! Information you can use *now* to move your career forward! It's all here in the Biggest Blue Book yet!

Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is over 400 pages!

$4.99 - and no postage!

NO KINDLE REQUIRED! Get the *free* app (any device, except your Mr. Coffee) on the order page on Amazon!

STORY: WELL TOLD!

*** STORY: WELL TOLD *** - For Kindle!

This book takes you step-by-step through the construction of a story... and how to tell a story well, why Story always starts with character... but ISN'T character, Breaking Your Story, Irony, Planting Information, Evolving Story, Leaving No Dramatic Stone Unturned, The Three Greek Unities, The Importance Of Stakes, The Thematic Method, and how to create personal stories with blockbuster potential. Ready to tell a story? Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is over 85,000 words - 251 pages!

Only $4.99 - and no postage!

MOVIES ARE CHARACTERS!

*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!

*** 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!

ONLY $4.99 - and no postage!

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!

ONLY $4.99 - and no postage!

SUBPLOTS?

*** SUPPORTING CHARACTER SECRETS *** - For Kindle! (Exclusive)

Expanded version with more techniques to flesh out your Supporting Characters and make them individuals. Using the hit movie BRIDESMAIDS as well as other comedies like THE HANGOVER and TED and HIGH FIDELITY and 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN and many other examples we look at ways to make your Supporting Characters come alive on the page. Print version was 48 pages, Kindle version is around 170 pages!

ONLY $4.99 - and no postage!

ADVICE FROM 1920!

*** VINTAGE #1: HOW TO WRITE PHOTOPLAYS *** - For Kindle!

***

Screenwriting books have been around as long as films have. This series reprints vintage screenwriting books with a new introduction and history, plus new articles which look at how these lessons from almost 100 years ago apply to today’s screenplays. Anita Loos book is filled with information which still applies. In addition to the full text of the original book, you get the full screenplay to Miss Loos' hit THE LOVE EXPERT, plus several new articles on the time period and women in Hollywood.

ONLY $2.99 - and no postage!

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!

ONLY $4.99 - and no postage!

BEST SELLER!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!

*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!

Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Your screenplay is going to begin with an idea. There are good ideas and bad ideas and commercial ideas and personal ideas. But where do you find ideas in the first place? This handbook explores different methods for finding or generating ideas, and combining those ideas into concepts that sell. The Idea Bank, Fifteen Places To Find Ideas, Good Ideas And Bad Ideas, Ideas From Locations And Elements, Keeping Track Of Your Ideas, Idea Theft - What Can You Do? Weird Ways To Connect Ideas, Combing Ideas To Create Concepts, High Concepts - What Are They? Creating The Killer Concept, Substitution - Lion Tamers & Hitmen, Creating Blockbuster Concepts, Magnification And The Matrix, Conflict Within Concept, Concepts With Visual Conflict, Avoiding Episodic Concepts, much more! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is over 175 pages!

Only $4.99 - and no postage!

PRO DIALOGUE TECHNIQUES!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!

*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook!

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!

Only $4.99 - and no postage!

FINAL DRAFT SOFTWARE

Use your creative energy to focus on the content; let Final Draft take care of the style. Final Draft is the number-one selling application specifically designed for writing movie scripts, television episodics and stage plays. Its ease-of-use and time-saving features have attracted writers for almost two decades positioning Final Draft as the Professional Screenwriters Choice. Final Draft power users include Academy, Emmy and BAFTA award winning writers like Oliver Stone, Tom Hanks, Alan Ball, J.J. Abrams, James Cameron and more. * * * Buy It!

copyright 2024 by William C. Martell