by John | May 22, 2017 | Writing Insights
These WriteMovies Writing Tips will help with your struggles to go beyond the first part of the script – the stumbling block can often be going further..
“They say it is the first step that costs the effort. I do not find it so. I am sure I could write unlimited ‘first chapters’. I have indeed written many” J. R. R. Tolkien.
The idea, the first page, that first act can all come so easy to use, but the stumbling block can quite often be going further. Every story has a beginning, middle and end, but we never anticipate that the middle will be the tough part – yet it is. As writers, we may know where our story starts and where it ends, but getting from A to B can be difficult.
But don’t stop writing – keep pushing forward. If you don’t know what to write next we suggest two options:
- Go back to your outline, or create one if you haven’t already. Some don’t need one, but it’s so helpful to have one.
- Write what you DO know is going to happen, then fill in the blanks later. This might not be the most conventional work around, but if this helps you finish that script then what does it matter!
Use this for motivation this Monday to finish that script that never got past the first ten pages, or that book that is only a chapter old – then take a chance on it and enter it in the Spring 2017 Contest…
Exclusive to WriteMovies – To syndicate this content for your own publication, contact ian (at) writemovies dot-com.
© WriteMovies 2017
by John | May 17, 2017 | Competition Offers, Updates, WMC, WriteMovies News
If you’ve entered WriteMovies Spring Screenwriting Contest already, then you can enter extra scripts from just $20 each! Offer ends May 28th.
Thanks to everyone who’s entered so far, for what’s proving to be a very interesting contest. We changed our price/prize weightings this competition to encourage earlier submissions and spread our judging workloads out more evenly – which was even more successful than we intended! As we were still expecting a big influx of later submissions, and maybe some of you were counting on us adding an extra week for submissions as we’ve done before, we’ve now got spare judging capacity for the coming weeks, and we’d like to use it to make a bonus offer to you. If you’ve submitted to the competition already, you can now submit further scripts easily for just $20 each!
So, if you’ve not entered yet, we’re keeping the contest open for another 2 weeks: and once you’ve submitted once, you can submit us a further script for a combined cost of $79 for 2, $99 for 3, £119 for 4 and so on! That’s a great deal and keeps getting better the more scripts you submit! CLICK HERE to get your script to us now…
To take the advantage of this great bonus offer, just email us at info@writemovies.com and we’ll send you a link where you can submit your extra scripts from just $20 extra each! Whatever your story… it won’t get you anywhere by staying on the shelf! Maybe it’s a new passion project, or one you’ve had sitting on the shelf for while – either way, this could be your time to shine! Take your chance in the Spring 2017 Screenwriting Contest NOW!
by John | May 8, 2017 | Featured Script of the Month, Our Winners, WriteMovies News
We are proud to be able to announce IDLE OF MAN by Joseph Campbell as the winner of our Featured Script of the Month for scripts submitted in April 2017.
This bonus prize has been created to reward and develop the most interesting script we receive in the previous month, and the result has no bearing on the result of other entries to any of our competitions. As always, it was an enjoyable challenge to pick the most interesting script from such a wide variety of scripts written to a high-quality, but Joseph’s certainly catches the eye.
For winning the Featured Script of the Month, Joseph receives free Judging Feedback, plus a free resubmission for a redrafted version of his script, IDLE OF MAN, to our latest main Competition! On top of that, we give Joseph and his script the kind of publicity that our previous Monthly Contest winners have received.
Honorable Mentions:
FAITH by Patrick Gamble.
NOBODY TRACKS by Guy Harvey.
HALLUCINATIONS by Mohammad Sadeghifard.
Here is a short biography on Joseph…
My name is Joseph Campbell. I am a highly imaginative Screenwriter/ Director. I began my interest in entertainment in theater, this is where i was able sculpt my knowledge of storytelling and directing. I aspire to be known for my Sci-fi/ Fantasy films for their dynamic and compelling story lines. I have always been a fan of really detailed Science fiction films especially the ones that were emotionally driven. This is what inspired me to begin the independent production company J. Wolfe. Productions.
Another venture that I have founded is a non-profit organization called The Lupo Production Company. There I and my Officers will conduct free Acting and Filmmaking classes for underprivileged youths in the surrounding Los Angeles area. Providing a safe place for children to learn about film.
My passion for film as an art form keeps me striving to create original pieces. I am constantly writing new scripts to make my place known in the world of film. My mind is constantly churning out new ideas that i will eventually make into award winning projects. Soon to come is a play I have been working on, Royal Flush, a play that is sure to dazzle the audience.
And here’s a quick synopsis on the script itself:
IDLE OF MAN follows the life of a depressed psychiatrist who is all of a sudden abducted by aliens and returns seeking a new perspective on life.
Congratulations once again to Joseph for winning the Featured Script of the Month! To be in with a chance of winning the Featured Script of the Month yourself, all you have to do is submit your script to a contest (CLICK HERE) or order a consultancy package (CLICK HERE) and you’ll be entered into the Featured Script of the Month FOR FREE!
by John | May 5, 2017 | Studio Consulting, Trainees' Examples
An example script consultancy on a reading of GONE GIRL script, a film that starred Ben Affleck and Rosalind Pike.
“The script is long, but tightly constructed and there is no superfluous detail…” Extracts from a script report by our trainee Sandy chapman, based on a reading of the GONE GIRL script: If you want to learn more about the internship, too, just email info@writemovies.com.
To see the full industry-standard format we use for Studio Coverage, purchase The Confidential Studio Manual to get the inside track on how the industry will really assess and process your script (CLICK HERE)!
WRITEMOVIES STORY DEPARTMENT COVERAGE
TITLE: GONE GIRL LOCALE: Missouri
AUTHOR: Gillian Flynn SETTING: Urban
PERIOD: Modern FORM: SP
PRODUCER: N/A BUDGET: Medium
SYNOPSIS
Sinister voice over suggests Nick is a threat to Amy, but also that she is guilty of something. This is a tense relationship. Nick drives to the bar he runs with his sister, Go. It’s his fifth wedding anniversary. Flashback/Amy’s diary entry of when she met Nick at a party. There was an instant connection between them.
Present day, and Nick complains to Go that Amy’s anniversary treasure hunt will reveal all his shortcomings. Back home, Nick finds the front door open, the living room wrecked and no sign of Amy. Boney and Gilpin arrive. Boney recognises the ‘Amazing Amy’ books – her disappearance will grab the media spotlight. Gilpin questions Nick, who comes across as remote, detached. Police teams find ‘Clue One’ of the anniversary trail and evidence that Amy paid for everything the Dunnes own.
Nick heads to a press conference with Amy’s parents. He appears uncaring, is photographed smiling. Her parents have a big campaign launched. Boney wants Nick to solve the anniversary treasure hunt, to retrace Amy’s steps. They get as far as Nick’s office, where Boney finds a red lacy thong. Flashback/diary entry: Amy has given her parents most of her trust fund. Nick is unhappy as they’re both unemployed, but accepts the situation…
COMMENTS:
Amy’s disappearance, the inciting incident, occurs early in the script and is an immediate hook: will Nick be charged with murder? It’s already been revealed that their relationship had soured, and this, combined with a series of media gaffs, points the finger firmly at Nick’s guilt. Yet the opening voice over has already alerted us that things will not be as they seem in this script: we might suspect Nick isn’t guilty, but have no idea how he will prove his innocence. The script drips mounting evidence against him carefully throughout act one and the beginning of act two, from money worries to violent behaviour. The most damning evidence is his affection for Andie. Her appearance urges the audience to think that perhaps Nick is guilty after all, he’s certainly less likeable, and that perhaps we were wrong to be rooting for him thus far.
The audience are thrown another twist at the mid-point. Even if we weren’t convinced of Nick’s guilt, the extreme measures Amy took to frame him are incredible and the initial hook remains intact. The shift is that we are no longer in any doubt that Amy is the driving force behind this story, and behind Nick’s future. Her motives and actions are believable: she may act beyond the boundaries of ‘normal’ behaviour, but she is disturbingly real. Nick is forced to play by her rules, and in a last-ditch attempt to save himself appeals to any vestiges of love she may have for him. Amy responds, but in true Amy fashion her plans require more extreme action that will keep the audience enthralled. Nick may have proved his innocence, but he is, in effect, sentenced to a lifetime with Amy. The ending avoids the cliches and neatness that one might expect from the genre, but is completely fitting for the characters, adding depth to the story and drawing greater empathy from the audience.
The script is long, but tightly constructed and there is no superfluous detail. It retains the feel and the drive of the bestselling novel on which it is based and has the advantage of having been written by the same author…
To see the full industry-standard format we use for Studio Coverage, purchase The Confidential Studio Manual to get the inside track on how the industry will really assess and process your script (CLICK HERE)!
by John | Apr 27, 2017 | Studio Consulting, Trainees' Examples
An example script consultancy on a reading of MOONLIGHT script, winner of Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 2017 Oscars.
“This screenplay is beautifully written, the central theme elegantly expressed in an almost poetic style…” Extracts from a script report by our trainee Edward Smith, based on a reading of the MOONLIGHT script.
This example report was completed by Edward Smith as part of his internship with us, which has recently been successfully completed.
To see the full industry-standard format we use for Studio Coverage, purchase The Confidential Studio Manual to get the inside track on how the industry will really assess and process your script (CLICK HERE)!
WRITEMOVIES STORY DEPARTMENT COVERAGE
TITLE: MOONLIGHT LOCALE: Miami, Atlanta
AUTHOR: Barry Jenkins SETTING: Urban U.S.
PERIOD: Present FORM: SP
PRODUCER: N/A BUDGET: Low
SYNOPSIS
This screenplay is divided into three chapters, each focusing on a different stage of the protagonist’s life and titled after the name he is currently using; in the first part, aged twelve, he goes by the name LITTLE. Chased by a gang of bullies, he takes refuge in an abandoned crackhouse, where he is found by the drug dealer, JUAN. Little spends the night with Juan and his girlfriend, TERESA, and starts to become close to them because his own mother, PAULA, is neglectful of him.
When Juan discovers Paula doing drugs, they argue about raising Little, with Paula implying that he is gay. That night, having been confronted by Paula, Little goes to speak to Juan, asking him what the word “faggot” means and whether he is himself gay. Juan reassures him, but is then forced to admit, to his shame, that he is a drug dealer and that he has sold Paula drugs.
In the second chapter, the protagonist, now sixteen-years-old, goes by his real name, CHIRON. In the intervening years, Juan has died and Paula has become even more abusive, but Chiron still regularly visits Teresa. He is now struggling with his attraction to his friend, KEVIN, while also still coping with bullies – particularly his classmate, TERRELL…
COMMENTS:
This screenplay is beautifully written, the central theme elegantly expressed in an almost poetic style. It deals with an oft-overlooked issue, studying what it is like to be a gay black man, charting the struggles the protagonist faces in establishing his own identity in a culture that is hostile to his sexuality; this is dealt with both delicately and realistically thanks to the high quality of the writing…
By portraying three distinct stages of Chiron’s life, we are able to see the intricacies of his situation and better understand how he develops as a character. He is forced to change because of the physical and emotional abuse he suffers, with very few nurturing figures to help him. From being a gentle, vulnerable child, he violently lashes out against his bullies and eventually reinvents himself as a drug dealer to hide who he truly is. In the end, he is only able to come to terms with his sexuality because of Kevin’s influence, bringing him full circle back to his true self after all the challenges he has faced.
Each chapter also has its own, miniature three act structure. For example, the first chapter has an inciting incident when Little meets Juan; the first act sees them become attached to one another, the second develops their relationship, and the third deals with the conversation between them when Little asks about being gay. Similarly, the other two chapters also have a three act structure, allowing each one to stand on its own as an independent story – albeit strengthened and given context by the others.
To see the full industry-standard format we use for Studio Coverage, purchase The Confidential Studio Manual to get the inside track on how the industry will really assess and process your script (CLICK HERE)!
by John | Apr 24, 2017 | Our Winners, Results, Updates, WMC, WMC-Archive, WriteMovies News
Meet our Winter 2016 Screenwriting Contest Grand Prize Winner: BLACKOUT.COM by Ruben Bush III
The winner of the strongest field we’ve had in a long time… truly an achievement to be proud of for Ruben Bush III, the Grand Prize winner of the WriteMovies Winter 2016 Screenwriting Competition for his script BLACKOUT.COM. This was a provocative and ambitious script with real originality. We’re excited to get working on this and our other new winners Belinda and Elliott and Michael’s scripts. (more…)
by John | Apr 17, 2017 | Our Winners, Results, Updates, WMC, WMC-Archive, WriteMovies News
Congratulations to THE ARENA by Belinda Whitney.on being named our Winter 2016 Screenwriting Contest Second Placed Winner.
Belinda entered the screenwriting contest arena and impressed us to claim second place. Her script, THE ARENA did well in a competition that contained the best field of scripts we’ve had in a while! Second is still a great place to finish in our contests and here’s why…
- Belinda receives 1 Full year of script mentoring on her script, including development notes on all re-writes of winning scripts. Worth $3,200.
- Up to $1 million in option monies from the A-List producers we work with. If an established studio/production company with theatrical credits wishes to option the script, we will fly the winner to Los Angeles and pay (up to $4,000) for their accommodation.
- We will pitch the top three projects to relevant production companies (such as Neal Moritz Productions, Bruckheimer Films, Scott Rudin Prods.) & studios (Paramount, Warner Bros, Universal, etc.). Writer keeps ALL the option/sales money. The names of the top three winners and their projects are mentioned in press releases and on the web. The names of the top three winners and their projects are mentioned in press releases and on the web.
Here’s some background on Belinda:
“Belinda Whitney is a professional violinist, as well as fiction writer and screenwriter. She received a Certificate in Screenwriting from NYU. She has published science fiction and fantasy and been anthologized in several short story collections, including those of the Minnows Literary Group.
A Juilliard graduate, she has served as concertmaster of The Savannah Symphony, and numerous Broadway shows. Currently concertmaster of the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra, she has played for many film scores and recordings. Belinda is enjoying being on both sides of the film industry, musical and literary.”
And here is a short introduction to the script:
A futuristic gladiator battles for his life while trying to shield the son he loves from the brutality of the arena.
Congratulations to Belinda on being named our Second Placed winner!
Follow in Belinda’s footsteps and enter in our current main international contest, the Spring 2017 Screenwriting Competition RIGHT HERE – Second Place now wins $300 in cash!
The idea, the first page, that first act can all come so easy to use, but the stumbling block can quite often be going further. Every story has a beginning, middle and end, but we never anticipate that the middle will be the tough part – yet it is. As writers, we may know where our story starts and where it ends, but getting from A to B can be difficult.
