Do you ship it? Character-driven fiction involves managing relationships. Not just romantic relationships, but the dynamic between any two characters who share space in a story. When you’re writing, defining those fictional relationships helps give a sense of where two characters are at in the story, and what feels
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In Episode 649 of Scriptnotes, John talks with Simon Rich (Miracle Workers, American Pickle) about what makes a strong comedic premise, and how the format changes the focus. What’s funny in a three-minute SNL sketch often doesn't translate to a 100-minute feature. This week, let’s go
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Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was at work writing a second volume of the stories of Don Quixote when a curious thing happened: A different author published a second volume. Cervantes then made the effort to use his own sequel to criticize the unauthorized volume, yet in doing so made some
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In an episode of Tim Harford's podcast Cautionary Tales, Tim narrates the biography of William McGonagall, aka The Worst Poet in the World. But the focus of the story isn't on the quality of his writing, but the ferocity with which he pursued it and promoted
Every two characters in a story have some kind of relationship. It doesn’t mean they’re best friends or arch rivals. Being a complete stranger to someone describes a relationship. But what if you could be a stranger to yourself? Severance has a core premise where the employees of
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Comfort viewing wasn't invented during COVID lockdown, but since that moment it's become a larger talking point. What makes a comfort watch, and how do we talk about it? Kathryn VanArendonk looks at the relationship between prestige TV and comfort TV, pointing out how the latter
Make the antagonist’s greatest strength the cause of their downfall Sometimes brute force isn’t enough – there’s no way to train longer, punch harder, or science faster. The hero faces an opponent who feels too strong to overcome. Is there a way to make the antagonist’s power
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How many hyphens do you want in your title? We look at when actors write and writers act.
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Let's take a look at some real events that made it to the screen more than once.
A well-executed twist leaves an audience feeling like a story makes more sense now that they know this new information. We'll unpack how Conclave's ending doesn't upend the story, but fulfills the promise of its premise.
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Forget saving the cat. Show the reader your hero's inner dog.
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With scenes and sequences in a story, who has the power? Who's in control? And what will it take to change the character in the driver's seat?