Crafting a great story and ensuring it is well-told is a goal for all storytellers--whether you write screenplays, novels, short stories, or a host of other mediums at your disposal. The focus of this channel is to help beginning and intermediate storytellers, primarily screenwriters (although the story principles, writing tips, and storytelling advice applies to other formats) in crafting stories worth telling.
If you have questions about anything, make a comment on any video... I do read them and will reply as I have time. And if you have suggestions for future videos, comment about that, too. Or you can email me: ask@bigredstripe.com.
If you're gonna tell a story, tell a story that matters! And thanks for being a part of this community! -Jacob
So glad I saw this overview. Thanks a lot. I think I`ll give "writersolo" a try. It`s a simple tool with focus on screenwriting, no thousands of extras, I won`t need.
Well, screenwriting is like reading music, I get as far as EGBDF and thats it! Screenwriting has no schools. Learning to format in the internet is difficult all coaching seems to be a typical thing. I haven't rated my interest to a high level because of this, but I bet if there are traditional schools, I can make an opinion on myself. After all, I purchased Final Draft and have 25 screenplays on my hard drive.
Is there a dictation audio to text function in the mobile app? Also, can you get an audio read back of your current draft natively inside the software?
Hi, I tried to contact art studio pro on their website to get an answer to these questions but they never got back to me. Maybe you know? Number one, is there a dictation audio to text function in their mobile app? I’d really like to be able to dictate Using mobile device. Secondly, is there an audio readback function in the software natively who would be nice to illuminate the hassle of export into a PDF to hear a read back of your current draft? Thanks.
Eric Borg outlined a tool for creating a premise guaranteed to grow into a story: A (character descriptor) has to (solve problem) when a (catalyst) happens.
I would speculate that a film director may or may not follow the complete dialogue in the script " exactly " as it's written so it's important to tell a story that matters and makes it interesting scene by scene.
Thank you ! Your videos are so timely. I have been trying to figure out how not to overwrite a specific scene. I just couldn't get it; left it and came back a few times; still couldn't get it. Then BOOM! I saw this video and it came to me. Any constructive feedback is appreciated (by anyone). SARAH(20's/F) Leans in closer to the camera OLIVE has positioned directly in front of her, letting some purple strands of hair fall over her shoulders. Behind her in frame, her studio - that looks exactly as you would expect if Willy Wonka and Chuck-E-Cheese had a baby - perfectly designed to highlight the Sponsor of the Day perfectly..."Authentically". Sarah stares intently - directly at the camera in front of her. Eyes shifting from laughter to dead serious
Is it a good idea to disperse the details of a room throughout the story, like adding a little expository description of a chair or a bookshelf in dialogue tags or something like that?
This is so helpful, I always forget stories are experiences meant to be felt and not just some wikipedia page spewing facts.. I can sometimes get into so much trivial descriptions when writing that I forget there's a person behind the words. This is probably one of the most important things I need to keep reminding myself of from now on. Thanks!
@3:04 You changed the tone. The first description felt homey, like a place that may be old, but is well-loved. The others felt disdainful, like you're judging the occupants for having bad taste.
Hello. What about underwriting? Do I have to make the characters interact with the enviroment so that the reader doesn't feel a dialogue is happening in a void? Thanks!
You can. Usually action pieces like that take the place of expository dialogue. (It's also a much better way of revealing elements within the room) But only reveal the elements that make the room different from the norm. If it's a standard living room, writing "living room" in the slug line should suffice. But if the couch is big enough for twelve people to lay down comfortably and it actually is necessary for the scene, add it in. But if it's just a big couch and the characters never even sit, don't bother.
For underwriting, it's a matter of clarity. The reader / audience needs enough information to know what is going on, what is the geography, and similar things... but without going overboard. If anything is uncommon AND relevant for the story, mention it. It's fine. No one's throwing you in screenwriter jail. But if they get confused? They might continue on a bit to see if it gets resolved, but too much confusion? They're done.
Great video. But dude, do yourself a favor and join the ultrawide master race. Get yourself a good 34inch widescreen (like an LG) and never look back. :)
A screenwriting dream: I know a couple of performers that aren't actors. I'd love to see them debut with one of my stories. It feels like a great journey to share with my friends and well-wishers. A rising tide lifts all boats!
Nice! I'm getting pretty good at writing other forms of interaction but hit the wall HARD when writing a fight scene. I've been struggling with writing some battles on horseback. I'm confident this is going to help a lot. Thanks!
One of my favorite movies Mindwalk, involves 3 characters: A failed US presidential candidate, a poet (the two are old friends), & a particle physicist (whom they just met). The whole of the movie is just the three of them talking while wandering around Mont St. Michel in France. Another is Dinner with Andre. Are they blockbusters? no. But, if you start with an Ikea box of pieces, no matter how you put it together, you will never wind up with something individual.
how do you write action or traveling scenes? EXAMPLE: Man walks across a desert. He falls gets up and falls again. The sun is high and beats down on him as she stumbles. That is a single line but let's say you want it to take minutes on screen. EXAMPLE: Two guys fight which lasts for several minutes but you do not want to bog down the script with a lot of action lines or leave it up to the stunt team. I heard that in John Carpenters, They Live, that alley fight scene that in John Carpenters wrote they fight and left 5 pages blank.
The HARD TIMES script by Walter Hill has amazing fight scene descriptions, steal that style. If you want valuable minutes of screen time watching someone walk across a desert SOMETHING needs to happen, sun gets higher, his strides become irregular, a curious vulture circles overhead etc. new info in each shot is the tldr
Geoff's right. You need something to happen. Can't just be walking... needs to be purposeful walking. And there still needs to be conflict. Imagine how the reader should be feeling with each moment and write in such a way as to convey that. And John Carpenter can do whatever he wants... this is not a good strategy for an aspiring writer. :-)
Couldn't disagree more on #4. You weren't directing the actors, you were describing very specific action they were making (body language, using a pillow, jumping over couch) and that evoked tone and feel. Much better than your "fixed" example.
Hello. I know what has to happen in my scenes, but sometimes I fear that if only happens what it has to happen, the scene will feel incomplete and that the transition between scenes will not be smooth. Is anything besides what has to happen filler? Is any filler unnecessary? Any advice? Thank you!
No filler. Everything matters... like has been said. If your script is short, it's either a result of structure and not enough story OR not enough conflict. Usually both. Hopefully that points you in the right direction.
@@BigRedStripe Thanks for your answer. My story has a lot of conflict, but since it is a story of unrequited love, which can happen in any setting, I don't feel the need to make the characters interact with the enviroment that much, so I fear the reader will feel that the story happens in a void.
