Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats who has worked for Pixar on many of its production shared on Twitter (some time ago) a few words of narrative golden advice for any scriptwriter or writer out there. Read, learn and remember. #1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. #2: You gotta keep…
screenwiting tips
Aaron Sorkin’s Recommended Writing Exercises
Aaron Sorkin is an American screenwriter, director, producer and playwright. His writing credits include: “Steve Jobs”, “Moneyball”, “The Social Network” and “West Wing”. If you haven’t seen any of his films or shows, I strongly recommend you do. 1. Find a short story you like and adapt it to a screenplay. Adapting a story, which…
What Is Spike Lee’s Writing Process Like?
Spike Lee is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for such films as: “She’s Gotta Have It”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Malcolm X” and, most recently, “BlackkKlansman”. Spike always dedicates one notebook, in which he collects ideas for a story, names of the characters, dialogue, plot points, etc. Once the…
7 Writing Tips From Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin is one of the most celebrated and accomplished writers working in Hollywood at the moment. He writes for film, TV, and theatre. He is the creator of “West Wing” and “The Newsroom” and the scriptwriter behind “The Social Network” and “Steve Jobs”. In 2017 he directed Jessica Chastain in “Molly’s Game”, which I…
Scriptwriting In A Nutshell: External Antagonist and/or Obstacle
As a writer, you need to care for your external antagonist as much as you care for your main character. The external antagonist or the external obstacle that the main character is trying to overcome is going to drive your story; and a strong, consistent obstacle or antagonist can only benefit your story. Things, bad…
Scriptwriting In A Nutshell: Obstacles We Care About
As screenwriters, our job is to make our main character’s journey throughout the whole film as exciting and challenging as possible. If we don’t put any obstacles on the protagonist’s way, our film will be very short and most likely uneventfully boring. Film is a kind of imitation of life, and real-life is filled with…
Scriptwriting In A Nutshell: Make Your Characters Different
When creating characters, a common mistake many new writers make is to create characters that are too similar to one another. I made that mistake countless times myself. If the characters we have created are too similar to one another, they will act in the same way, will wear identical clothes, or will order the…
Scriptwriting in a Nutshell: Character’s Goals and Stakes
Most stories begin with the main character/s wanting something, something the character cares for genuinely, has a lot invested in but for some reason can’t get. The character’s goal/s or want/s should be something the audience will also care about deeply and will be able to identify with. If you give your character/s what they…
How Do I Write My Scripts?
1. I have my initial idea. I don’t need to know what is going to happen from the beginning to the end. I just have an idea and play around with it in my head. 2. I search for my characters’ names around me and inside me and come up with some necessary information. I…
Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting at masterclass.com
Aaron Sorkin is a scriptwriter behind such successful films as “The Social Network”, “Steve Jobs”, or a TV shows like “West Wing” or “Newsroom”. In 2017 he wrote and directed “Molly’s Game” with Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom. Personally, I loved the film and how strong and resourceful Molly’s character was despite her disadvantage circumstances…