by Diane Drake | Aug 1, 2023 | News
I’m currently teaching a course called “Get Your Story Straight” for the UCLA Writers Program, and one of my students recently commented on how helpful he found the connection that I emphasize between the Inciting Incident and Plot Point #1, the turning point at the...
by Diane Drake | Sep 20, 2019 | News
A problem I frequently come across as a screenwriting consultant and instructor is the tendency of writers to overwrite and to include too much on-the-nose exposition. This can quickly mark as script as amateurish, whereas its opposite—effective use of subtext— almost...
by Diane Drake | May 18, 2019 | News
I recently had a lot of fun doing this interview with Michael & Brad at Film Reverie. In it, I talk about screenwriting as well as some of my experiences– good and… well, let’s say “challenging”– in the movie business. You can...
by Diane Drake | Apr 17, 2019 | News
One of the key moments in any screenplay is that end of Act II “All is Lost” moment. This is the point at which your heroine is the furthest from her goal and at her lowest point. It’s important that you really take her down here, down to where all...
by Diane Drake | Sep 4, 2018 | Blog, News
I had the extraordinary pleasure of serving as a mentor this summer at this writing retreat held at Miles Copeland’s stunning 14th century Marouatte castle in the French countryside. It was a spectacular experience in every way, and I’m delighted to say...
