flying wrestler
thoughts on screenwriting from writer-producer erik bork
Subtext
Subtext is often talked about as the key to good dialogue. But what is it, exactly, and how do we use it? Subtext is what characters are really...
Screenwriting contests
Screenwriting contests — are they a good idea? Agents and managers I’ve talked to have emphasized that there are handful of top competitions that...
B Story
What is a B Story? It's a secondary story that has its own beginning, middle and end, and is focused on its own problem, separate from but...
It’s about EMOTION
At the core of what we're trying to do with any script is to make strangers care. Virtually every note I give on any script ultimately connects to...
Punch – Counterpunch
The show runner of a drama series I once worked on described what he wanted in the middle of an episode as being a "punch - counterpunch" dynamic...
Talking about THE IDEA
I've been making the rounds of the screenwriting podcasts, blogs and other venues lately, talking about my new book THE IDEA: The Seven Elements of...
The 7 Elements of a Viable Story
In my experience as a professional screenwriter (on projects like Band of Brothers) and in the years that I've been teaching and coaching writers,...
Emotional Investment
When I read a script (or watch a movie or TV episode), there is one question running through my mind, which forms the foundation of my reaction to...
The Elements of a Scene
When I first started writing, I wish someone had explained to me what the necessary elements of a scene were. (As well as the key criteria for a...
Fool Triumphant
"Fool Triumphant" is one of Blake Snyder's ten "genres" -- which I think are the most useful and revolutionary tool in his Save the Cat books. I...
Hollywood Will Find You
"If you write a great script... Hollywood will find you." Scott Myers began a post this way in 2016, on his great "Go Into the Story" blog. It...
Being Mysterious
Someone has been murdered. Or at least it looks that way. Or some other dastardly thing has happened, or will happen. The main character has to get...
