8.5 Screenwriter Tips by Cat Duhaime https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd Screenwriters on screenwriting en-us 2021-11-10 16:33:44 UTC 2026-01-14 00:35:14 UTC hello@padlet.com Nora Ephron cduhaime1 https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894304449 Structure is the key to narrative. These are the crucial questions any storyteller must answer: Where does it begin? Where does the beginning start to end and the middle begin? Where does the middle start to end and the end begin?... Each of those things is entirely up to the writer. They are the hardest decisions for any writer to make about any story, whether fiction or nonfiction. 


]]> 2021-11-16 14:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894304449 William Goldman https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894338022 "The easiest thing to do on Earth is not write."

“Screenplays are structure, and that’s all they are. The quality of writing- which is crucial in almost every other form of literature- is not what makes a screenplay work. Structure isn’t anything else but telling the story, starting as late as possible, starting each scene as late as possible. You don't want to begin with ‘once upon a time,’ because then the audience gets antsy.”]]> 2021-11-16 14:49:10 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894338022 Emma Thompson 2026jsarno https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894340442
Mistakes and lots of drafts are normal. There's very few good screenplays that were written in one try. There should also be an event or something interesting happening in every scene. Once you finish writing something, take away the first three pieces and see what happens. Writing in order will also help the writing process. The outline for the story should be quick, funny, and straight to the point.

She has a small table where she writes in a notepad and usually she cries while writing, usually in fetal positions. She occasionally will pace or do yoga on a purple mat and will vacuum or sweep the area. She lets her emotion be present when writing.



]]> 2021-11-16 14:49:55 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894340442 Spike Lee https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894341037 Write the story you can’t stop thinking about. "Usually I have more than one story,” Spike says, “but I found that over time the one I keep thinking about is the one I'm eventually doing." Great writers often have multiple stories bouncing around in their heads at once, but how do you choose which one to write? Avoid basing your decision on what you think will sell or on current Hollywood spec scripts trends. Instead, realize that your best writing will be born from excitement and passion for the story.

]]> 2021-11-16 14:50:07 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894341037 Aaron Sorkin 2026mcarey https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894343287
  • Begin with obstacle
  • Characters traits relate to the story
  • Embrace the structure of the story
  • Make a story arc with three acts
  • Read your stories dialogue out loud
  • When you rewrite address specific problems
  • When you receive feedback make sure you know who it is from
  • When you read your writing make sure your able to go beyond your writing  


    • ]]>     2021-11-16 14:50:49 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894343287     Steven Spielberg https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894344854
    Fight for and stay devoted to your original idea. Write the screenplay from that idea.

     Sometimes an idea comes like a gift from the heavens and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

     Create     suspense and fear in the audience by not showing the actual threat for some time.

     When learning your craft it’s okay to be derivative and influenced by the works of others. 

    In movies, there is only one character-defining moment. But in life, you face them every day.

    If you fail with a project, don’t let it affect you. Throw yourself into work and start the next project immediately

     If you want to make movies, make movies. All the tools are completely available today. There is no excuse.

    Storytelling and emotion always come first. Business and cinematography are always second

    Learn from your predecessors. Not just the recent ones, but go way back to black and white films. 
    ]]>     2021-11-16 14:51:21 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894344854     Spike Lee- Antoine Hubert 2026ahubert https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894345167 Spike begins his writing process by jotting down ideas about the story in a notebook—character names, dialogue, plot points, et cetera. Once he feels like he has everything down, he transfers his notes onto index cards. He then begins the process of ordering.

    Write the story you can’t stop thinking about. "Usually I have more than one story,” Spike says, “but I found that over time the one I keep thinking about is the one I'm eventually doing." Great writers often have multiple stories bouncing around in their heads at once, but how do you choose which one to write? Avoid basing your decision on what you think will sell or on current Hollywood spec scripts trends. Instead, realize that your best writing will be born from excitement and passion for the story.
    ]]>     2021-11-16 14:51:27 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894345167     Emma Thompson https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894350224 ¨She sat barefoot at a tiny writing desk, and in between scribbling on a notepad, she dabbed her eyes with tissues, mouthed lines to herself, and occasionally stepped up to pace the stage or practice a yoga pose on a bright purple mat. She then got a vacuum out and swept the stage before finally stepping out of the theater altogether, to laughs and applause.¨

    ¨That’s how I write. I’ve got a purple yoga mat, and I have a little table about that size. That’s sort of what it looks like. I hoover; I find odd places to polish – places that I haven’t seen in a long time, sometimes parts of my own body. And there’s a lot of crying in fetal positions.¨
     
    Some tips she has are do not spend too long on your drafts keep them short and funny. To keep the plot entertaining have an event in every scene.

    ]]>     2021-11-16 14:53:02 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894350224     The Duffer Brothers https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894358827 1. Introduce characters through conflict
    2. Don't be afraid of redemptive character arcs
    3. Sometimes less is more with dialogue
    4. Don't forget the power of kids to carry a story
    5. Don't be afraid to mix genres







    ]]>     2021-11-16 14:55:46 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894358827     George Lucas https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894361746 1. Follow your passion:
    “Everything I did I was following something I really cared about. Something I loved. Something I was passionate about. And I kept following that passion… had I done what my father had wished me to do, which was to go into the office equipment business with him, which I knew wasn’t what I wanted to do, my life would have unpleasant.”
    2. Discover your talent:
    “Everybody has talent, and it’s just a matter of moving around until you’ve discovered what it is. A talent is a combination of something you love a great deal, something you can lose yourself in, something you can start at nine o’clock and then look up from your work and discover it’s ten o’clock at night… also something you have a natural ability to do well. And usually, those two things go together.”
    4. Be true to yourself:
    “I’ve got to really write my movies the way I see them and the way I want them to be. And then people can take them for whatever they are and like them or not like them, that’s their privilege.”
    5. Never give up hope:
    “I haven’t met anybody at the Academy or anywhere else that hasn’t been able to describe years and years of very difficult struggle… there’s no way around that. The secret is to not give up hope.”    ]]>     2021-11-16 14:56:41 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894361746     Jordan Peele 2026khagopian https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894362764 Advice for Screenwriters and Filmmakers
    “First off, write your favorite movie that you haven’t seen. Don’t worry about whether it is going to get made. Write something for yourself. After you have that draft, then worry about what you need to do to sell it. I also say, as a director, enjoy yourself, and if you take the time to take a breath and have quiet moments for yourself."

    Advice for Writing a Screenplay
    His process starts with creating a compelling protagonist. Make sure the audience goes on the journey with the characters, next he said to never make the protagonist dumber than the audience. Because the audience can see the bigger picture more than the character. Be very subtle of the things that happen in the beginning of the film, you have to be conscious, and too always have a deeper purpose and push the boundaries of what the movies could be. 


    ]]>     2021-11-16 14:57:01 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894362764     Emma Thompson 2026shebert https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894378531 1. Begin with a comfortable space that you can focus and relate to

    2. Have an open mind

    3. Think about things that you have not thought about in a long time (place, thought, memory, idea)

    4. Don't be afraid to go back to sad memories or cry

    5. You want to stick to a theme whether it's comedy, musical/theatre, horror, etc.

    6. your outline is important to have comedy and stay on the point

    “If you want to make a good film, your screenplay needs to be all good scenes, no bad scenes and one great scene”



      
    ]]>     2021-11-16 15:02:16 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894378531     Stanley Kubrick https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894378680 writing process: After reading the book or thing your film is based, you turn different thoughts that the character has into visuals. You want to find ways to portray your character in ways other than there thoughts in there head. An easy way to do this is the create a part of the story where the character vents, like in a journal or a therapist.

    tips: 
    • If it could be written or thought, it could be filmed.
    • Adapt any source material

    • Let the actors take charge
    ]]>     2021-11-16 15:02:18 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894378680     Wes Anderson 2026ggerecke https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894391776 -No conflict, no story
    -Embrace how personality is
    -Don't worry about theme
    -Don't bother wida genre
    -Let yourself write
    -Follow story

    He writes from scratch with inspiration from storiez and costumes.]]>     2021-11-16 15:06:40 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894391776     Steven Spielberg 2026galbertelli https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894392716

    Learn from your predecessors. Not just the recent ones, but go way back to black and white films. 

    Fight for and stay devoted to your original idea. Write the screenplay from that idea.

     When learning your craft it’s okay to be derivative and influenced by the works of others. 

    In movies, there is only one character-defining moment. But in life, you face them every day.

    If you fail with a project, don’t let it affect you. Throw yourself into work and start the next project immediately

     Sometimes an idea comes like a gift from the heavens and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

     Create suspense and fear in the audience by not showing the actual threat for some time.
     If you want to make movies, make movies. All the tools are completely available today. There is no excuse.

    Storytelling and emotion always come first. Business and cinematography are always second



    ]]>     2021-11-16 15:06:59 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894392716     Seth Rogen 2026jschwartz https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894414450
  • Actively think of ideas during your everyday life; writing about personal stories can be a good idea
  • Begin to write a lot of ideas
  • Keep the ones you like; you will know these ones because you will be thinking about them a lot
    • Tips

    • Don’t put maximum effort into everything you write
    • Remember that you’re writing for someone else
    • Don’t be afraid to write; writing a lot can make the process of writing easier
    • You will know the good ideas because you will think about them a lot
    • Come up with a lot of ideas, that will give you more good ones
    • Personal stories can make good movie ideas
    • Don’t force yourself to make ideas, they will come eventually


    ]]>     2021-11-16 15:14:02 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1894414450     Seth Rogen 2026lcurcio https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1895425931 Tips
    • Keep the story simple
    • Make yourself the viewer
    • Any screenwriting rule can be broken
    • Ideas can come from anywhere
    • Find an idea you love
    • Make a list and see what ideas you gravitate towards

    His Process
    Seth Rogen makes a list of ideas with Evan Goldberg and they try to gravitate towards one idea. They just get one idea like a title and than go off that for the whole movie. An example of this is in sausage party when all Seth and Evan had was the title they managed to link ideas together and make a whole movie.


    ]]>     2021-11-17 00:11:01 UTC https://padlet.com/cduhaime1/swpfg5afcuunq4bd/wish/1895425931