Screenwriting Tips, You Hack: 150 Practical Pointers for Becoming a Better Screenwriter walks readers through the process of writing a screenplay. Get tips from a script reader, from the trenches, who can clue readers into how to keep your first audience interested. Easily digested chunks of wisdom, short tips sugar-coated in humor, and expanded tips offer examples of what works and what doesn't. Sometimes writers just need a few short pointers and reminders to set us on the path again. Learn about the differences between film and television structure, how to force yourself to write when you really don't want to, and why you probably shouldn't base your first spec script around an alien invasion.
About the Author
Xander Bennett is a screenwriter and has been a Hollywood script reader. Frustrated by the quality of the screenplays he was reading as a script reader, he started his blog, "Screenwriting Tips.You Hack," as a snarky diatribe. The blog now delivers a tip per day and is the home of the online script reading service, Hack Notes. Bennett has written for television, videogames, role-playing games, and comics, and is the author of a 2008 graphic novel.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1. Fade-in: Before You Put Digits to Keyboard
Chapter 2. No-Idea: Concept is King
Chapter 3. Rebel Without King: Outlining is the Best Present You can Give your Future Self
Chapter 4. Inciting Incident: Away We Go
Chapter 5. Structure: Learn the Rules or Get off the Field
Chapter 6. Description and Word Choice: Say What You Mean
Chapter 7. Your Protagonist: The Most Interesting Girl in the Room
Chapter 8. Showing Character: Surprises, Sock Puppets, and Bad Bad Men
Chapter 9. Dialogue: We Need to Talk
Chapter 10. Genre: Waiter, There’s a Comedy in my Thriller
Chapter 11. Productivity: Writing Equals Chair
Chapter 12. The Dark Point: Why are You Doing This Again
Chapter 13. Advanced Structure: Getting From Good to Great
Chapter 14. Rewriting: Now the Real Work Begins
Chapter 15. Common Mistakes: Don't Be That Guy
Chapter 16. Extremely Specific Mistakes: Hey You! Yes, You
Chapter 17. Selling Yourself: Loglines Queries and Managers
Chapter 18. Fade Out: Why We Write
Afterword
Appendix
Chapter 1. Fade-in: Before You Put Digits to Keyboard
Chapter 2. No-Idea: Concept is King
Chapter 3. Rebel Without King: Outlining is the Best Present You can Give your Future Self
Chapter 4. Inciting Incident: Away We Go
Chapter 5. Structure: Learn the Rules or Get off the Field
Chapter 6. Description and Word Choice: Say What You Mean
Chapter 7. Your Protagonist: The Most Interesting Girl in the Room
Chapter 8. Showing Character: Surprises, Sock Puppets, and Bad Bad Men
Chapter 9. Dialogue: We Need to Talk
Chapter 10. Genre: Waiter, There’s a Comedy in my Thriller
Chapter 11. Productivity: Writing Equals Chair
Chapter 12. The Dark Point: Why are You Doing This Again
Chapter 13. Advanced Structure: Getting From Good to Great
Chapter 14. Rewriting: Now the Real Work Begins
Chapter 15. Common Mistakes: Don't Be That Guy
Chapter 16. Extremely Specific Mistakes: Hey You! Yes, You
Chapter 17. Selling Yourself: Loglines Queries and Managers
Chapter 18. Fade Out: Why We Write
Afterword
Appendix