Writing & Filmmaking (Archives)

How to Sell Your Story (Script, Book, Stage Play or Podcast) to "Hollywood"

Writing

How to Sell Your Story (Script, Book, Stage Play or Podcast) to "Hollywood"

Creative ways to sell or option your screenplay, book or story for film or television development.

Writing

Adaptation Notes: Turning a Book Into a Movie (or a Screenplay Into a Novel)

How to acquire the rights to develop a script from a book, an example of a book-to-screen process, and screenplay-to-novel tips.

Writing

Screenwriting Guide 4: Key Story Elements

Crafting compelling scenes, how to "show" (not "tell"), incorporating dramatic conflict, conveying emotion, effective subplots, foreshadowing, setups & payoffs, and flashbacks & montages.

Writing

Screenwriting Guide 3: Character Development

This guide covers how to develop your protagonist's character arc, create a backstory, outline character motivations & ensure a strong goal, and craft a key relationship and supporting characters.

Writing

Screenwriting Guide 2: Act II, Act III & Rewrites

This guide covers how to navigate Act II & Act III, the importance of the midpoint, common problems & how to fix them, crafting a satisfying ending and successful rewrites.

Writing

Screenwriting Guide 1: Starting Your Script

How to Select an Idea, The 3-Act Structure, Your Script Outline, Scene Cards as a Mapping Tool, Genre Expectations, Plot, Character & Theme, Writing the First 10 Pages, Mistakes to Avoid, Forma...

Writing

Writing True Stories: A Brief Guide on Crafting Narrative Nonfiction

This guide covers using viewpoint, framing the story, when to use scenes, and how to capture a sense of place in your narrative nonfiction.

Writing

Agents & Book Deals: A Guide for Authors

How to find, interview, acquire, and work with a literary agent, and land a book deal (plus details on agent agreements, publishing contracts and advances & royalties).