MAKING CONNECTIONS: Between the Inciting Incident, Plot Point #1 and your Log Line
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...
THE BEAUTY OF WHAT’S LEFT UNSAID: USING SUBTEXT TO ELEVATE YOUR WRITING
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...
My Podcast Interview with Film Reverie
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 listen here.
Changes in Attitude – Your Hero’s Most Transformational Moment
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 hope seems...
Rocaberti Writer’s Retreat, Dordogne, France – Summer, 2018
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 I've been...
READ THE OSCAR-NOMINATED SCREENPLAYS FOR 2018
LINKS TO ALL NOMINATED SCRIPTS ARE ATTACHED BELOW -- ENJOY! ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory - http://test.scriptslug.com/assets/uploads/scripts/call-me-by-your-name-2017.pdf “The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter...
Phoenix Screenwriters Association Workshop – September 16
Had a truly wonderful time in lovely Scottsdale, AZ sharing screenwriting and entertainment business knowledge with the terrific folks at PSA. One of the highlights was meeting a man, Keenan Murray, (pictured here next to me), who told me that he and his wife saw ONLY...
Phoenix Screenwriters Association, Inc. – Sept 16th
Am pleased to be joining Carlo Dallomo and the Phoenix Screenwriters Association for a 3-hour workshop on Saturday, September 16th. Looking forward to meeting the folks there and sharing scriptwriting tips and keys to effectively structuring your screenplay. More...
SCREENPLAY DEVELOPMENT GROUP ANALYZES “SNATCHED”
I'm happy to say I'll be leading a discussion of the script for the new movie SNATCHED, starring Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn, for the Storyboard Screenplay Development Group on Monday, May 8. These are fun gatherings of smart folks held on the Fox lot. For more info...
“Don’t draw the line at good enough” – My new interview with Creative Screenwriting.com
To read further--- https://creativescreenwriting.com/diane-drake/
Excited to share my newest Interview with Ann Baldwin for MovieMaker.com
Million-Dollar Advice: Screenwriter Diane Drake on Strengthening Loglines, Finding “Seed Scenes” and More By Ann Baldwin on November 14, 2016 14 Diane Drake is one of just four female screenwriters with sole credit who have earned $1 million or more for their...
Judging for Humanitas
According to Wikipedia, "Humanitas" is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization and kindness. What a lovely word, isn't it? It's also the name of a wonderful organization in Los Angeles, established in 1974, which, among other things, annually gives out...
A FEW GOOD LAUGHS
Four of my favorite writing/movie business cartoons.
MONEY MONSTER – STORYBOARD DISCUSSION GROUP
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to moderate a group discussion of this script for The Storyboard Development Group at Fox Studios, and I gotta say, if you are in Los Angeles, have aspirations of being a screenwriter and are not attending these gatherings,...
MONEY MONSTER – Storyboard DG Discussion at Fox Studios May 9
I'm really excited to be moderating a discussion of the script for this new George Clooney/Julia Roberts movie at Fox Studios. Further details below. Hope to see you there!
Building Character(s) – 5 Tips for Creating a Lead Character Your Audience Will Really Care About
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
~ Helen Keller
From a certain angle, a writer’s job can be boiled down to three simple words: “Make me care”. Consequently, a note screenwriters often get is that they need to make their lead more “sympathetic”, more “likable”. Reasonable enough in theory, but how exactly? It’s a little vague, like telling a chef to make a meal more tasty. But, as with cooking, if you break it down, I believe there are some time-tested techniques which go into making us relate to and care about what happens to your hero…
The Power of Stories
Had to share this link to Ron Suskind’s incredibly fascinating and moving tale of how Disney stories helped him and the rest of his family connect with his autistic son, Owen. I don’t know when I’ve read a greater testament to the power of story-telling and the vital role it plays in our lives.
WGA Names The 101 Best Written Television Series of All Time
The WGA held an event last evening to announce and celebrate the 101 Best Written Television series of all time. The inspiring, talented panel included the brilliant Carl Reiner, hilarious as ever (at 91); Norman Lear, ("All in the Family"), Vince Gilligan ("Breaking...
“I Wish I’d Written That” – Writers Guild Foundation Evening – May 23
The Writers Guild Foundation and the Humanitas Organization, (a wonderful group – more on them here), are co-sponsoring what sounds like a terrific panel called “I Wish I’d Written That – What Makes a Great Movie” featuring writers Stephen Gaghan, Lowell Ganz, Nicholas Meyer, Paris Qualles, David Seidler and moderated by Robin Swicord. General admission is $20, $15 for WGA members and a mere $10 for students. If you’re anywhere near LA, you owe it to your writing self to take advantage of these opportunities to learn from and be inspired by some of the best. More info on the evening here.
My Interview on Screenplay Design for “Women and Hollywood”
I recently had the pleasure of doing another interview, this one on screenplay design, with the fab Ann Baldwin and it’s now up on a terrific site called “Women and Hollywood” run by Melissa Silverstein. In it, I cover what I consider some of the structural essentials to consider when mapping out a screenplay, as well as some useful tools and examples…
So love this
Click on the image to see the large version.
“Works-in-Progress”
I like to think we’re all this, in a good way. I’ve long believed that a sense of forward momentum is one of the essentials to human happiness. Everyone wants to feel like they’re moving forward, like they’re ‘progressing’ in life in one way or another. It’s like that old advertising tag line, “I’m not getting older, I’m getting better.” But the key word here is “work”. There’s the rub. Alas, real progress in any arena almost never simply happens all by itself. It takes effort, and usually a lot of it. And the same is true for our characters…
#Scriptchat — I’m doing one live, Jan 27, at 5pm Pacific Time
For those not familiar with #scriptchat, it's an online gathering of writers of all levels that takes place live on Twitter at #Scriptchat on Sunday evenings, 5pm Pacific time. I'll be participating on Sunday, Jan, 27th, and the evening will be hosted by the fab...
The Path of Most Resistance
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFLICT
In the world at large the idea of peace on Earth is a noble, if seemingly unattainable, goal. But in the world of drama, it’s death– because the essence of “drama”, (and by that I mean both drama and comedy), is conflict…
And speaking of the Black List…
Congratulations to my clients Nick Pollack and Ryan Hayward for their recent great review from the Black List for their script, "Any Girl Who Loves the Beatles is Bound to Break Your Heart", and for making the list's weekly "Scripts of Interest". I'm so pleased for...
The Black List Opens to Unrepresented Writers
This is an interesting development. Franklin Leonard, (a fellow Sydney Pollack alum), has opened his famous Black List to unrepresented writers– for a fee. Yep, there’s money involved, a monthly $25 fee to have your script hosted on their website. But given the Black List’s excellent reputation, it might be worth doing IF, and only if, your script is truly ready to be seen. Sometimes cliches are cliches for a reason, and here’s one of them — you only get one chance to make a good first impression. So, before you pony up and submit, be sure you bring your script to its highest possible realization. I can help you with that. Click here for the details on this new wrinkle in the business.
My Interview with Kim Krizan, writer of “BEFORE SUNRISE” and “BEFORE SUNSET”
I recently sat down with my good friend, the talented Kim Krizan, co-writer of BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET to discuss writing, creativity and her hilarious and insightful new book, “Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatale” for Scriptmag.com. You can read it here, and can order your own copy of her book at Kickstarter.com
“Mapping the Journey for Professional Screenwriters”
I recently had the pleasure of doing an interview with Ann Baldwin for Scriptmag.com on “Mapping the Journey for Professional Screenwriters”.
How to Win a Best Screenplay Oscar
A FEW THOUGHTS ON INCREASING THE ODDS:
I have a theory– if you want a best screenplay Oscar, (and who doesn’t?), one way to stack the odds more in your favor is to write a script about a particularly unlikely, yet not fantastical, event or relationship. If you can find a way to somehow make us buy in and believe, as far-fetched as the story might seem on its surface, (and the more far-fetched, yet still very human, the better), you’re onto something…
Ask Me if I Care
HOW TO CREATE A SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER
A common note which writers frequently hear is that they need to make their lead character more ‘sympathetic’. Which begs the question of how, exactly? Blake Snyder’s answer to this question even engendered the title of his well-known book on writing, “Save the Cat”. I.e., have the character engage in some sort of altruistic behavior early on that tells us they’re a good person. There’s admittedly some truth to this, but if all you’ve got is some obligatory bit of Bobby bringing hot soup to the old lady shut-in next door, it seems like a cop out to me– too cheesy, too easy and worst of all, too tired…
What’s the Big Idea?
THREE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU START WRITING YOUR NEXT SCRIPT
In today’s marketplace, the critical importance of a strong log line cannot be over-emphasized. You need to be able to boil your idea down to its essence, i.e., two to three sentences at most, and other people need to be able to grasp the movie in that description, and ideally be intrigued by its creative possibilities. If you can’t do this and you’re trying to write a major motion picture, I’d maintain that not only will you have trouble marketing it, but also that you haven’t really nailed your story yet….
Nora Ephron – The Heroine of Her Own Life
“Above all, be the heroine of your own life, not the victim.”
Of all the moving things written and quoted in the wake of her far too early passing, the line above touched me the most. What wonderful, wise advice, and how clearly she seems to have lived it. She’s been quoted as saying, “My mother wanted us to understand that the tragedies of your life one day have to potential to be the comic stories the next.”
An interview with Diane Drake
from: adelaidescreenwriter.blogspot.com.au Diane Drake is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She is best known for writing Only You (1994) and What Women Want (2000), and also teaches screenwriting at the UCLA Extension Writers' program. I first came across her...
Writing Secrets from Hemingway
I love me some Ernest. Okay, sure, there’s the philandering and the alcoholism, the excessive machismo and animal slaughter, (special condolences to the bulls of Spain, the elephants of Africa and the marlins in the Gulf Stream. Though, on balance, he did seem to...