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The 20-Minute Screenwriter, Part 2

A crash course with D.B. Gilles and Katherine Wessling

PRICE
$15 ($12 for )

SYNOPSIS
In the second part of our session with our screenplay experts, you'll learn crucial techniques for developing your story ideas and characters. How do you create believable dialogue? What circumstances will transform your characters throughout the film? When should you start wrapping up the story? Staying passionate about your idea will help inspire your completed work.

Featuring:

• D.B. Gilles, author of The Screenwriter Within and The Portable Film School
• Katherine Wessling, actress and mediabistro.com instructor

A detailed crib sheet tracks all the terms and sources mentioned in the video.

DURATION/TIME
1 video
20 minutes total running time

Table of Contents

Sections Length Size
PREVIEW
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Crib Sheet (PDF)
Download this outline and use it to take notes. Includes resources and other information.
  The 20-Minute Screenwriter, Part 2 20:37 58 MB
 

1. Dialogue
Dialogue is often a problem for new screenwriters. How do you get comfortable with writing dialogue? What makes your dialogue interesting and believable? Figure out who your characters are before you decide what words they are going to speak.

2. Major Dramatic Question
What's the driving force behind your story idea? Above all, your audience needs a reason to stay interested in your story and care about what happens to your characters. What is going to intrigue the viewer to keep watching?

3. Character Arc
This is the main character's journey. What is your character going to discover along the way? How is his/her personality going to transform? What circumstances occur that make this change possible? How is your main character different at the end of the screenplay than he/she was at the beginning?

4. Passion
It's imperative to have an idea for a screenplay that you love and are passionate about. Your passion should fuel you to stay motivated. Why is it important to still stay passionate about your idea even after you've finished your first draft?

5. Reading Other Screenplays
Getting familiar with the screenplays of films that you've always loved will help refine your writing skills. The more you read, the more tips and techniques you will discover to write your own stellar screenplay.

6. Closing
Once you find an idea that you are passionate about, do whatever it takes to complete the first draft of your screenplay. You'll need this passion to get through revising and writing future drafts.