This article examines a few of the many techniques outlined in "Secrets of Film Writing" and provides examples of screenwriters who succeeded with Tom Lazarus' guidelines.
First, let us define it in some useful way: Writer’s block is the inability to
1) Produce new text. 2) Edit and polish existing text 3) Finish projects on a reasonable schedule 4) Send those projects out for editorial judgment. 5) Continue sending them out until they are sold.
Accepting the above, I’m going to give you a definition of the root cause of Writer’s Block that will actually help you in every arena of your life.
How do you, personally, define character? You MUST have some theory or feeling for the human condition, or you’ll have nothing to write about. The best and simplest way to learn characterization is to study psychology. And the best psychological study is yourself. Why? Because you have more information about what makes you you than you will ever have about what makes anyone else tick.
Over the years, I've found that new screenwriters frequently have confusions and misunderstandings on the proper way to write slug lines, also known as master scene headings. This article covers the basics of writing industry accepted screenplay slug lines.
The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
Screenwriting
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