The 10 KEY Building Blocks to Writing Revenge Stories

Kill Bill Revenge Stories

Revenge stories are a popular sub-genre almost guaranteed to satisfy an audience. They’re typically a visceral and cathartic response to injustice and consequently something that elicits easy emotion. We love …

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10 VITAL Ways Green, Amateur Writers Can Avoid Amateur Mistakes

Amateur Writers Bin

Screenwriting can be a maze, especially when you’re first starting out. When learning the ropes, it can be easy to fall into traps which will make you look like an …

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The Rewriting Process: 10 Key Steps to Perfecting Your Screenplay

We’re all perfectionists when it comes to our writing – whether we want to admit it or not. Developing a writing process that works for you is one thing, but …

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What is the Special Girl Trope and How Do You Avoid It?

Twilight Special Girl

As a screenwriter, a trope can be both your best friend and your enemy. How is a writer meant to stand out when the same plot line has been repeated …

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The BEST Series Finales and What They Teach About Writing TV

Sopranos Series Finale

How do you finish writing a TV series? We all know the feeling of being disappointed by a series finale, mourning not only the loss of a treasured show but …

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What’s SO Good About The Citizen Kane Ending?

Citizen Kane Ending Scene

Citizen Kane; a classic piece of cinema still studied in film schools throughout the world today. Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles, it was directed by Orson Welles, …

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Kim Wexler – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 19

Kim Wexler Original Character

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Kim Wexler from Better Call Saul.  …

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What is Circular Storytelling? The KEY Lessons For Story Structure

Gone Girl Circular Storytelling

Circular storytelling is a structural technique visible in many stories across film, TV, literature and other mediums. But what exactly does the structure entail? And could it be useful to …

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Writing Act Three: The Conclusion – An ESSENTIAL Breakdown

Fury Ending - Writing Act Three.

The third act. The end. The stroll off into the sunset or dramatic cliffhanger. Writing your third act is the finishing stretch and, therefore, vitally important in leaving the audience …

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Forensic Scene Analysis: “I Drink Your Milkshake!”

Daniel and Eli - There Will Be Blood

“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” – Some scenes in film and TV are so memorable they transcend their origin and become part of film culture. In this …

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The 22 PIXAR STORYTELLING RULES: Lessons for Screenwriters

Up Storytelling

Pixar films are some of the most well-crafted stories in cinema history. And so it’s no wonder that there appear to be Pixar storytelling rules that writers and directors of …

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Is The Godfather Opening Scene the Best Opening Scene EVER?

The Godfather Opening Scene - Bonasera Asking

What do great opening scenes do? They capture the essence of the upcoming story, whether the audience knows it or not. At their best, they lay out the story’s essential …

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5 VITAL Lessons Screenwriters Can Take from Aaron Sorkin Scripts

Social Network Aaron Sorkin Scripts

Aaron Sorkin is one of the few screenwriters whose name alone can get a film greenlit. And Aaron Sorkin scripts not only make great TV or film blueprints but are …

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Ferris Bueller- Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 18

Ferris Beuller Original Character

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on a classic …

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Writing Act Two: The Conflict – An ESSENTIAL and SIMPLE Breakdown

Dune

So you’ve finished act one. You’ve got your beginning and you probably have some ideas about your ending, but how do you create your middle? What happens between the end …

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What is Magical Realism? The KEY Steps to Using it in Screenwriting

Birdman Magical Realism

What is Magical Realism? The phrase magical realism is really an oxymoron. But though contradictory, it describes what the genre truly is; a merging of fantasy and realism. Magical realism …

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15 Great Taika Waititi Quotes for Writers & Filmmakers

taika waititi quotes

He’s one of the biggest contemporary Hollywood directors. And his wit and charisma stand him out from the crowd. It’s easy to forget though that there is some serious craft …

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How to Write an Anthology Series & The BEST Anthology Series Examples

Black Mirror Anthology Series

The wide variety of anthology series that have emerged in contemporary TV can be attributed in part to the success of series such as Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone. …

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Rue From Euphoria – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 17

Rue From Euphoria

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Rue from Euphoria. What is an Original Character? …

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6 KEY Ways to Adapt a Short Story & the Best Short Story Adaptations

Arrival Short Story Adaptation

Short stories can seem like unlikely source material for some of the best and most compelling feature films. They may be limited in their length but often it’s the confines …

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Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 16

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Tina Belcher …

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How Do You Write BRILLIANT and ALTERNATIVE Teen Drama?

Stranger Things - Teen Drama

Teen drama is one of the most enduring genres to have graced TV screens since its inception. We’ve all been teenagers at some point. And the heartbreak, emotions, journeys, discoveries, …

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15 Fascinating Alex Garland Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers

Ex Machina Alex Garland Quotes

From merciless zombies to a beautiful hidden beach in Thailand, Alex Garland has written many cult and classic films in a range of different spaces and genres. Not only is …

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How Do You Best Convey the Passage of Time in Your Screenplay?

Passage of Time Metropolis

It’s rare that you would find a script without any significant passage of time whatsoever. It’s often a vital part of how a script develops and keeps its audience engaged. …

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How Do You Write Highly Realistic Dialogue? The 10 KEY Steps…

The Master Realistic Dialogue

One of the biggest humps to get over when writing for film or television is dialogue. Even if you have a perfect story, outline, and characters, bad dialogue can bring …

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How to Effectively Weave Character Backstory into Your Screenplay

The Godfather Character Backstory

So, you made it through one of the hardest parts of writing a screenplay; you created your characters. From childhood trauma to adulthood adventures, you’ve fleshed out your entire character …

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Shiv Roy – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series Part: 15

Shiv Roy Succession Original Character

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Shiv Roy …

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The Insider Interviews – GLADIATOR Screenwriter William Nicholson

William Nicholson Interview

This latest iteration of our long-running Insider Interviews series is with William Nicholson, the prolific screenwriter behind such hits as Gladiator, Shadowlands, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Breathe, amongst many …

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Michael Scott – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 14

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Michael Scott …

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What is the Definition of CINEMATIC, in Screenwriting Terms?

Blade Runner -Defintion of Cinematic

We’ve all heard the term “cinematic”. Film reviews, job offerings, script feedback, award acceptance speeches. Many people in the industry use this term, some of them quite lightly. But what …

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The ESSENTIAL Ways to Craft a Brilliant TV Show Idea

Black Mirror TV Show Idea

Crafting a TV Show Idea How does one craft a brilliant TV show idea? First, it’s important to understand what exactly that means. Longevity of story is foremost what separates …

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How To Write an Active Protagonist (and Avoid a Passive Protagonist)

Licorice Pizza Active Protagonists

What is an Active Protagonist? An active protagonist is a main character who is not merely affected by the world around them, but affects that world too. Their actions, both …

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The 25 Best Strategies for Creating DISTINCTIVE Movie Ideas

Movie Ideas

Whether you’re an experienced writer, a recent film studies grad, or a casual cinephile who walked out of a theater and thought, “I could do that,” crafting great movie ideas …

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Writing Christmas Films & Navigating the Holidays: The ULTIMATE Guide

It's a Wonderful Life Christmas Films

When writing Christmas films there’s multiple sub-genres and elements to consider to make it the perfect holiday watch. It’s no secret that there are a range of elements to cover …

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The 10 ESSENTIAL Elements of a Historical Fiction Script

What is Historical Fiction? At face value, the definition of historical fiction is simple: a fictional story set against a real time period in the past. It is when we …

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Writing Dramatic Irony in Screenwriting: The Key Steps

Toy Story Writing Dramatic Irony

What is Dramatic Irony? Simply put, dramatic irony is a form of irony. It is both a literary and theatrical device used when the audience knows more than the characters. …

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Saul Goodman – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series Part: 13

Saul Goodman Original Character

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Saul Goodman …

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What is a MacGuffin? The KEY Points and KEY Examples

Vincent with the briefcase

What is a MacGuffin? A MacGuffin is a type of plot device that is essential to driving the plot but not necessarily important within the story as a whole. Story …

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How to Hire a Screenwriter: The ULTIMATE Guide (plus THE solution…)

hire a screenwriter

Hiring a Screenwriter: An Overview What do you do when you can’t push through writer’s block? You’ve been working on a screenplay for months or years and you can’t make …

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The 25 Best Screenwriting Podcasts for Screenwriters to Learn From

Lost In Translation Headphones 2

With a wide variety of screenwriting podcasts available, there’s plenty of content for screenwriters to learn from. You can learn the best of screenwriting with insightful success stories, or the …

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Sophisticated Plants and Payoffs: Vital Cogs in any Screenwriter’s Engine

Plant and Payoff Chris Get Out.

An essential principle not only to screenwriting but also the wider fundamentals of storytelling, plants and payoffs are one of the most effective ways of involving the audience and embedding …

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What is Five Act Structure and How Do Screenwriters Use It?

Introduction to the Five-Act Structure In this article, we’ll look into one of the most popular dramatic structures that screenwriters often utilise in order to create an exciting script: The …

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