5 Twitter Tips for Screenwriters

May 10, 2012 by

It’s easy to discredit Twitter at first glance. I know I did. But screenwriters have actually gotten representation and sold their scripts thanks to their use of Twitter. I got my guest post gig over on Feedback Friday and was able to catch the attention of a few managers and agents through the combined power of Twitter networking and this blog.

Here’s five tips to make the most of your tweeting!

  1. Learn the rules of Twitter etiquette. (Or Twitiquette, as I like to call it.) As writers, we’re expected to be good at coining witticisms about our lives in 140 characters or less. In a sense, Twitter is a way for us to hone our word spinning craft. It’s a space for us to tell jokes (I spilled coffee on my screenplay. Guess it’s Java Script now) or interacting with others or even shamelessly promoting your own blog (12 Invaluable Screenwriting Resources on the Web). What you SHOULDN’T do on Twitter: insult others, rehash how delicious your breakfast is, complain about traffic, your kids, your life, your job. Some of the most intelligent people I know tarnish their image by writing inane things like: “My boyfriend is the bestest lol!!” Can you say, “unfollow button lol!!” Hollywood is a small town. Watch what you post. Especially if you’re putting down somebody’s movie/script/short film. [Read more...]
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6 Reasons Why “Castle” Is Becoming a Better Show

May 5, 2012 by

Undead Again

Premise of the episode: When Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a man with human bite marks on his body, Castle’s wild theories start flying.

Writer: Christine Boylan.

When I analyzed the script for the Castle pilot, I pointed out a few aspects of the show that I felt have gotten weaker throughout the recent seasons. But this recent episode took me by COMPLETE surprise, and it renewed my faith in this great show.

Here are six reasons why this episode of Castle stands out, and why the show is becoming stronger: [Read more...]

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12 Invaluable Screenwriting Resources on the Web

May 1, 2012 by

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a coffeeshop, trying to hammer out your act two but to no avail? Trying to figure out what Prague looks like? Need an obscure but interesting title for your movie? Looking for a true story to base your script off of? This list is for you, my friends.

Coffee = writer fuel

Here are some of the best screenwriting resources on the web that you may not know about:

  1. Scriptshadow. If you haven’t spent a gratuitous amount of hours on this blog, you’re at a serious disadvantage. Carson Reeves offers a slew of practical, oft-overlooked advice as he reviews hot new scripts in Hollywood. Every Friday is “Amateur Friday,” where a new writer’s script is thoughtfully reviewed by Carson and the Scriptshadow community.
  2. Feedback Friday. “Why should I read another screenwriting blog? You shouldn’t. You should be writing” is the slogan of this blog. Every Friday screenwriters send in the first ten pages of their scripts to be read and reviewed by Robert Dillon and other writers. The feedback is insightful and sparks creates an interesting discussion. It’s a great place to judge the quality of your content and what you need to work on.
  3. MapCrunch. Need an interesting location for your scene? MapCrunch teleports you to a random place on planet Earth via Google Streetview. Travel the world without leaving your favorite Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf! [Read more...]
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“Boy Meets Assassin” Elevator Pitch

April 20, 2012 by

I’m currently rewriting my action script, “Boy Meets Assassin,” so I’d thought I’d share a short pitch!

Boy Meets Assassin is an action-packed twist on the traditional boy-meets-girl love story. Steven Preston, an idealistic yet lonely CIA analyst with superhuman skills of perception and reasoning, falls in love with the vigilante assassin he is tasked with hunting down for the killing of an American diplomat in cold blood. But when she tells him she was framed and needs his help clearing her name, he must decide whether or not to aid her in her mission — and put himself in the line of fire.

 

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Screenwriting Rite of Passage

April 14, 2012 by

I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life. The day that makes a screenwriter.

The day I find out somebody sold a script with the exact same subject matter as myself.

Despite how this might sound, this is actually a great thing! I’m not even being facetious here. The fact that they’re making a movie called “The Dyaltov Pass Incident” means that my script about the same incident passes the “is it commercial/will it sell?” litmus test. It validates my ideas and shows that yes, there is a place for my scripts in the industry. And that’s a great feeling! This also proves that screenwriters should always be working on their next project so they don’t get disappointed if something like this happens.

Anyways, I’ve got to finish editing my latest and greatest script, Boy Meets Assassin. (Go ahead, Hollywood, I’ll race you!)

Have a great day, everybody!

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Twit-Pitch 2012

April 7, 2012 by

For those of you who don’t visit Scriptshadow, Carson Reeves, the owner of the website, is hosting a Twitter Pitch contest today. “134 characters will change your life!” is the tagline of the contest, and screenwriters pitch their screenplays with the hashtag, “tp12.” All screenplays that receive a favorite by Carson will move on to the next round.

Here’s my logline:

“Dyaltov’s Encore: An assassin with amnesia must stop a weapon that drives people to commit suicide before her past catches up to her. #tp12″

The story is based on the true, unsolved murders at the Dyaltov Pass in Russia. The mystery is this: nine hikers are found dead and disfigured, but there’s no sign of a struggle. Unexplainable amounts of radiation are found on them, and the Russian government shuts down the case and claims that the deaths were caused by a “compelling, mysterious force.”

What really happened in the Dyaltov Pass? What happened to the lone survivor? [Read more...]

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Spy Movie Showdown: “The Tourist” vs. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

April 2, 2012 by

Spy movies are my niche. Point of No Return, Bourne Identity, Mission Impossible, Get Smart — from the serious to the silly, I love me some laser-dodging, shoe phones, and double agents.

That’s why this week I’m staging the battle of all battles: two legendary remakes with famous stars. Only one comes out alive.

[Read more...]

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Distance Yourself From Your Story

April 2, 2012 by

One rampant problem common amongst amateur writers is that they cannot take criticism. They are so close to their work, they cannot bear hearing anything but praise for what they’ve written, even if it isn’t the truth.

This tendency isn’t completely their fault. The problem with writing as a career is that everything we write is a reflection of who we are. Every plot decision and story choice and character is borne out of our own personality and life experiences.

The conflict is this:

Writing is an intensely personal pursuit. Filmmaking is all about collaboration.

And in order to be a successful screenwriter, you must distance yourself from your script. It must become something separate from yourself, an entirely separate being. You have to be able to examine it critically and be able to pick which feedback makes sense for your plot. But how do you do this? [Read more...]

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5 Lessons Screenwriters Can Learn from The Hunger Games

March 26, 2012 by

The Hunger Games is set to have the highest grossing opening weekend of all time for a non-sequel movie. What makes the story work? What can we learn from this smash hit?

  1. Go hard or go home. In the theater, people audibly gasped when a child was slaughtered onscreen. (Especially Rue– the grown man next to me was crying when she got killed.) In an interview, the marketing team said they were careful to make sure the Hunger Games wasn’t branded as ‘that child-killing movie.’ That’s why you never actually see any footage of the games in any of the trailers, even though everyone knew what happened anyways. In the book, Suzanne Collins was ruthless with killing off characters we loved (Rue, and some other major characters later in the series) so that just when we thought we knew what would happen next, she shocked us again. Believe it or not,  The Hunger Games was a risky film. But because [Read more...]
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Terrible Movie Ideas Nobody Should Pitch. Ever.

March 23, 2012 by

…but you know you want to.

  • IDES OF MARCH MEETS UP MEETS TAKEN. A politician, disgraced by his scandalous extramarital affair and also wanted by the FBI for illegal campaign funds, decides to escape the U.S. in his house that he ties a bunch of balloons to. Unfortunately, he must take a boy scout hostage so the police don’t shoot his house down. But he kidnapped the WRONG boyscout! Now, the father of the boyscout (who is CIA, of course) is after him in a DIFFERENT balloon house! A crazy political thriller that is really an allegory for cancer.
  • TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY MEETS FREAKY FRIDAY. Okay, so you have a bunch of British spies, looking for the mole. But then, you have them all SWITCH BODIES, and then suddenly everyone tries to figure out if the person they’ve switched bodies with is the mole by breaking into each other’s houses and opening safes and sleeping with each others’ wives in order to find out the truth! Of course, in the end it turns out they were all moles, and the British Secret Service was actually a front for a league of comic book smugglers. [Read more...]
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