What Defines "good" Notes?
So yesterday we talked about free notes and their distinct possibility of being, ultimately, “bad” notes. Today, let’s talk about good notes. Good notes don’t mean that your script was GOOD. Good notes...
View ArticleOne Scene, One Page, Three Keyword Competition REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for February, 2013 features the keywords: Candy Cold Primrose General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleHope and Realism: the Endless Battle
Recently, I had a client who was rather new to the craft, tell me that his goal for 2013 was to be a working writer. His writing had a lot of promise and his enthusiasm was wonderful but his goal was...
View ArticleThe Big Picture
Have you ever been told that your script is not “big” enough or that it read like an episode of a television program? What does “not big enough” mean? It means your story does not have enough...
View ArticleWhy Mediocrity is Nothing to Inspire To
I have been troubled, in a few instances lately, by writers proclaiming that in so many TV shows and movies, characters are clichéd and inorganic – so why should they go ass over teakettle to work so...
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Quality Writing Time
So you've made the time to write which feels terrific except now...you have to write. You stare at your computer screen. And you wonder...do they have wireless at this cafe? I should check. You check....
View ArticleOne Scene, One Page, Three Keyword Competition REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for February, 2013 features the keywords: Candy Cold Primrose General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleWhy Enter Screenwriting Competitions?
It is that time of year. The 2013 Just Effing Screenwriting Competition has formally opened its doors for submissions. The Special Guest A-list writer we have on tap but are waiting to confirm is so...
View ArticleOne Scene, One Page, Three Keyword Competition REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for February, 2013 features the keywords: Candy Cold Primrose General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleThe Power of Goal Setting
We all know the importance of having goals in life. It motivates us, it gives us direction and fuels our efforts. It gives us milestones when the path is dark and bumpy. You know that annoying question...
View ArticleDown to Earth Structure
Structure is a topic that for many screenwriters, makes the blood run cold. Three acts or four? Inciting incident on page five or 10? First act break on page 25 or 30? Get character up in tree, throw...
View ArticleOne Page Competition Deadline REMINDER: Feb 26th!
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for February, 2013 features the keywords: ADDED PRIZE from now until June 15th: Each month’s winner will also receive a FREE ENTRY to The Just Effing...
View ArticleKen Lemm Interview
It seems every time I check my Facebook page I see yet another status update by screenwriter Ken Lemm and it’s always good news about his writing! Curious, I decided to chat with Ken to find out just...
View ArticleCharacter Arc Exercise
Here is a quick exercise I give to my clients and workshop attendees that I thought you might enjoy. Write a 50 word paragraph (short, I know, but that’s screenwriting, get used to it!) about how and...
View ArticleOne Scene, One Page, Three Keyword March Competition
Congratulations to Eric Troyer, for his very chilling, very winning entry, A Pretty Warm Ride! Eric used the February keywords: Candy Cold Primrose and has received a $25 gift certificate and free...
View ArticleBigger Set Pieces
One day this could happen to you. You’re sitting in a meeting with an agent, manager or producer (okay in my case, I am talking about a producer) who says to you - I really, really like the script....
View ArticleWriting for Machines, Writing for Money
We typically categorize people trying to break into writing (be it publishing or screenwriting) into two or three categories: professional, amateur, and that grey area in between, struggling....
View ArticleWhen Will You Arrive?
Being an aspiring screenwriter is like jumping into a giant funnel. The top of the funnel being the widest part – where literally thousands of people say – I’m going to write a script! But the funnel...
View ArticleTo Drama or Not to Drama
Be aware of some of the pitfalls of writing in the drama genre. It is not a genre that sells well on the marketplace and it can also be a trap for newer writers, one in which they work out personal...
View ArticleMarch One Scene, One Page, Three Word REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for March, 2013 features the keywords: Irish Imp Emerald ADDED PRIZE from now until June 15th: Each month’s winner will also receive a FREE ENTRY to The Just...
View ArticleBreaking in: The Pie Chart
This from the mailbag: Dear Julie, is there a strategy to writing things that are seasonal? Cart, meet horse. If by seasonal you mean a script in which the plot is focused and centered around a...
View ArticleThe Opening Image
We all know by now that screenwriters have very little time to grab the attention of a reader. Some say 10 pages, some say five – I’m going to blow your mind and say one page. Most experienced readers...
View ArticleDo Not Compare Yourself Unto Others
Argh. Yet again, you see on your Facebook page, a status update in which some writer says they finished a draft and are starting a new script! Or they are making SUCH headway on their novel! Or they...
View ArticleMarch One Scene, One Page, Three Word REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for March, 2013 features the keywords: Irish Imp Emerald ADDED PRIZE from now until June 15th: Each month’s winner will also receive a FREE ENTRY to The Just...
View ArticleGet Your Reader On Board!
They say that the first ten pages of your script are the most important. That is true… mostly. One cannot judge a script solely on its first ten pages and yet… it is on those first ten pages that you...
View ArticleColor Your World
The “world” of your script has to do with the setting you have chosen (urban, rural, fantasy, etc.) but it also means literally the place itself. If you have set your script in San Francisco, do we see...
View ArticleMarch One Scene, One Page, Three Keyword REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for March, 2013 features the keywords: Irish Imp Emerald ADDED PRIZE from now until June 15th: Each month’s winner will also receive a FREE ENTRY to The Just...
View ArticleMarch One Scene, One Page, Three Keyword FINAL REMINDER
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for March, 2013 features the keywords: Irish Imp Emerald ADDED PRIZE from now until June 15th: Each month’s winner will also receive a FREE ENTRY to The Just...
View ArticleThe Dreamer’s Disease
You think about it all the time. In the middle of other conversations, while driving, when you go to bed at night. After some time alone with it, you’re spent and exhausted. But you can’t wait to go...
View ArticleIs Your Script N Sync?
Zeitgeist. It’s an odd sounding German word. It literally means “ghost” of the “times”. It refers to what is in the air – what people are thinking about socially, politically, economically. Think about...
View ArticleGracefully Receiving Feedback: Deep Breath!
You just didn’t get it! That’s what a fair percentage of writers say when they don’t like the notes they receive. This to a consultant, exec or agent who has read upwards of a thousand plus scripts....
View ArticleMarch Competition Winner!
Congratulations to Caroline Moran, who won the March competition with her playful one page scene, In Deep With a Dragon (keywords: Irish Imp Emerald). I received TONS of submissions and it was not easy...
View ArticleLily Sprung Tax: April One Page Script Competition!
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for April, 2013 features the keywords: Lily Sprung Tax General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleNotes For the Writer Who…
In my day to day work, which I adore and cannot believe I do for a living, I run across writers of every possible stripe. I mean – every stripe. Beginners, hobbyists, working writers – the entire...
View ArticleWhy the Classics Matter
…This from the mailbag: Dear Julie, I’m just curious what you think the classics add to writing skills? -Rufus in Redding Dear Rufus: Seeing the classics doesn’t add to your writing skills. It adds to...
View ArticleReminder: One Page Script Competition
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for April, 2013 features the keywords: Lily Sprung Tax General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleSweat The Small Stuff: PROOF READ
I hate to sound like a school marm. I do. I’m a fun person. And I’m not a stickler in life. If my dinner order is pretty hot but not piping hot, I don’t send it back. If someone cuts me off in traffic,...
View ArticleNotes For The Writer Who…
This is the 2nd in an occasional series of notes sent directly to a client with a specific problem. In this case… Notes For The Writer Who… Worked Hard and Still Got A “meh” Coverage Bottom line for...
View ArticleSoft Scripts: Part One
So I have read – oh gosh – a thousand scripts? Fifteen hundred? Two thousand? I have no idea anymore, I’ve stopped counting. Now more than ever, I realize the value of having another pair of eyes on a...
View ArticleOne Page Script Competition Reminder!
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for April, 2013 features the keywords: Lily Sprung Tax General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleSoft Scripts: Part Two
Yesterday we talked about the most common problem I see novice screenwriters wrestle with: the soft script. Today, we talk about just what to do about that: A soft premise is the result of not really...
View ArticleNotes for the Writer Who…
Another in my occasional series, Notes For the Writer Who… which is literally notes that I sent to a client, addressing a specific issue in his or her script. Key information is of course changed to...
View ArticleWhat is the Organizing Event?
The organizing event in your script is the main event that everything is centered around. It can be a national spelling bee, a devastating earthquake or the arrival of the aliens. It is closely related...
View ArticleOne Page Script Competition FINAL Reminder!
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for April, 2013 features the keywords: Lily Sprung Tax General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three keywords,...
View ArticleOne Scene Winner
Lily Sprung Tax Winner! Congratulations to Rachel Lefever, with her the hilarious Cut and Dried using April’s keywords: Lily Sprung Tax. Rachel has won a FREE entry fee to The Just Effing Entertain Me...
View ArticleShould You Rush a Great Idea?
Say you have a script idea. And it is HOT – I mean red HOT! You’ve talked to a couple of friends-in-the-know, you’ve gone to IMDB to look up keywords, you’ve scanned the trades – nobody is doing it....
View ArticleMay Writing Prompt
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for May, 2013 features the keywords: Pretzel Horizon Pier Please take note that this month, the deadline is only five days from today. So I’m looking for...
View ArticleMay Writing Prompt Reminder
The One Scene, One Page Keyword Competition for May, 2013 features the keywords: Pretzel Horizon Pier -DEADLINE TOMORROW- General Guidelines Write a (strictly enforced) ONE page scene, using the three...
View ArticleAvoiding Obvious Themes in Your Writing
Notes For the Writer Who…Wants to Explore and Expand Upon Theme This writer of a horror/thriller script dealing with a culture obsessed with beauty had the following theme: Do celebrities set the...
View ArticleMay One Scene Winner
Pretzel Horizon Pier Winner! Congratulations to Harry Cardillo, who has won this month’s competition using May’s keywords: Pretzel, Horizon, Pier! Read Ketchup Krazy here and enjoy! Harry has won a...
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