Guides for Scriptwriting in All Genres: Our Screenwriting Collection
In the world of screenwriting, the creative journey can often be a challenging one. However, with the right resources and guidance, writers can navigate the messy middle of the process and bring their stories to life. One such resource is the Screenwriting Series, a guide for writing in every genre, offering practical advice and focusing on the realities of writing.
The series forms a masterclass in developing screenwriting craft across formats, moods, and storytelling conventions. Each article in the series explores a specific genre and discusses what makes that genre work and how to make a script shine within it. The series provides practical insights, industry news, script libraries, and expert advice from working writers.
Struggling with the writing process is a normal part of the journey, and the series aims to help writers face the blank page with purpose and confidence, find and refine their writing voice, and tackle specific genres with precision and authenticity. The series does not just teach structure, but also covers the struggle, the revision, the doubt, and the joy of writing.
The series aims to be a companion to writers as they navigate the creative process. Revisions are a crucial part of the screenwriting process, where the script becomes the story, themes get stronger, pacing gets tighter, and characters become real. Feedback from readers helps shape the direction of the series and is encouraged.
Signing up for the website is free and can help bring a story to life from the start. The website offers various tools to support the screenwriting journey, including Beat Sheets, Script Goals & Insights, Read Through, Collaborators, Call Sheets, Production Catalog, Storyboards, Scheduling and Stripboards, and more.
In addition to the Screenwriting Series, there are several other resources that can help writers master the craft. Lajos Egri's "The Art of Dramatic Writing" focuses on character development and theme, while Aristotle's "Poetics" introduces classic concepts of plot and structure. Tom Vaughan's "Mastering Structure" teaches screenplay structure, and Conclave and the Ten-Minute Sequence Structure provide insights into sequence structure within screenplays.
Cole Haddon's resource collections encourage writers to actively deconstruct films and TV shows, understand audience reaction, and develop a personalized toolbox for storytelling. The Successful Screenwriter podcast offers insights from working screenwriters on inspiration, development, casting, production challenges, and practical advice for breaking into the industry.
By studying foundational texts like Egri and Aristotle, taking practical courses on structure, engaging in critical film analysis, and learning from the experiences of working screenwriters, writers can expect to learn how to create complex, believable characters, understand and weave thematic elements throughout the script, master the three-act structure, sequence breakdown, and innovative pacing techniques, and develop critical analysis skills to deconstruct films and TV and apply insights to their own writing.
Whether you're writing your first script or your fifteenth, the Screenwriting Series and these other resources provide the tools to help writers approach structure, pacing, dialogue, and tone in each genre, revise, rewrite, and elevate their screenplays. So, let's get writing!
- The Screenwriting Series serves as a comprehensive guide for writers to master screenwriting across various genres, addressing practical advice, industry news, and expert tips from working writers.
- Struggling with crafting a script's structure is common, but the series tackles these issues head-on, offering insights about the revising, doubting, and joyful aspects of screenwriting.
- To help writers face the writing process with purpose and confidence, the website associated with the series offers tools like Beat Sheets, Script Goals & Insights, and Collaborators, facilitating work on the script and collaborative efforts.
- In addition to the Screenwriting Series, literary works such as Lajos Egri's "The Art of Dramatic Writing" and Aristotle's "Poetics" provide foundational knowledge in character development, plot, and structure.
- For a deeper understanding of screenplay structure, Tom Vaughan's "Mastering Structure" can be a valuable resource, while Conclave and the Ten-Minute Sequence Structure unveil insights into sequence structure in screenplays.
- Cole Haddon's resource collections invite writers to analyze films and TV shows, comprehend audience reactions, and develop a tailor-made toolkit for storytelling.
- The Successful Screenwriter podcast offers insights from industry professionals on inspiration, development, casting, production challenges, and strategies for breaking into the industry.
- Armed with fundamental texts, practical courses on structure, critical film analysis, and real-world screenwriter experiences, writers can expect to learn how to construct complex, credible characters, weave themes throughout the script, excel in the three-act structure, sequence breakdown, innovative pacing techniques, and develop critical analysis skills to deconstruct films and TV and apply those insights to their writing, whether they are newcomers or seasoned screenwriters.
