Month: December 2021

Welcome to your first D&IA (Diversity & Inclusion Anonymous) meeting. I am Shannan E. Johnson, your sponsor. Hi, Shannan… For the past decade, Hollywood has been focused on diversifying the stories told for the screen and the people who get to tell them. Diversity & Inclusion departments have been established at the major networks and studios and programs have been initiated to give access to those people in underrepresented communities who have been waiting for an opportunity to break into the industry. There are programs for writers, actors, directors, producers, and even executives to help bring new and unique voices to the table of storytelling. Some of us, if we’re honest, see these new voices as a threat. And how do human beings react when threatened: Fight, Flight or Freeze. As screenwriters, none of the above options are constructive. Storytelling begins with us, which means so do diverse characters.

Sigh… then how, how, Shannan, do I check the correct boxes in my screenplay to play this new Hollywood game called diversity and inclusion? Well, I’m glad you asked:

Movies and television shows are complex machines, and to learn how to create your own, you need to see the inner working parts of one that is fully functioning. The best way to learn how is to READ SCRIPTS. Binge-watching Netflix is not enough to fully internalize what it takes to tell a great story. By breaking down a script to its bare bones, you’ll garner the ability to understand and tell stories just like your favorite writers. Here are some tips to help you break down your favorite movies and TV shows to see what makes them tick.

There is only one rule in screenwriting that you must follow. DON’T BE BORING. Telling a story from beginning to end isn’t enough to get your script bought or get you staffed. Your baby must entertain and compel the reader to finish or it’ll be tossed to the side with the rest of them. Using tools, devices and tricks will enhance the reading experience and increase your chances of meetings, competition wins, and purchases. So, let’s talk about different ways to entertain your reader and make your baby as compelling as possible.

Great stories are marked by change and one of the main ways to implement change in your story is by using character arcs. Arcs are essential story tools that directly or indirectly show change from the beginning to the end of the story. There are 4 types of character arcs: Hero’s Journey, Positive Change, Negative Change, and Flat Arc. By using arcs effectively, you will create engaging and 3-dimensional characters that push your story all on their own. So, here is a breakdown of each arc with examples that’ll help you implement them into your own story.

A story’s ending is the most important part of the experience. It’s what an audience will leave with when exiting the theater or when a television series comes to an end. Crafting an ending that serves your story is a difficult process, so here are some tips that may make closing the curtain a little easier.

Show don’t tell. The screenwriting golden rule. We hear it all the time, but what does it really mean? Show don’t tell means showing your character’s emotions and thoughts through action. It turns your script from a didactic Sunday service to a shootable and visual masterpiece. So, if you’re getting notes back saying show don’t tell or want to understand how to apply the rule, here are some tips to help you to go from preacher to professional screenwriter.

You can have great characters, an engaging plot, phenomenal dialogue but without a strong theme, your story may feel like something is missing. The theme is the underlying subject of your story and without one, you’ll fail to make an emotional connection with your audience, which is the reason we write stories in the first place. So if you’re struggling with adding a theme to your script, here are some tips to help you out.

Flashbacks can be a very powerful device. They make us relate to the character by bringing us into a character’s past so we can understand their actions and motives. But if used incorrectly, they will interrupt the narrative flow of the story, slow down the pacing, and draw the reader out of the story. Flashbacks can be difficult to pull off. So if your story could use a trip down memory lane, here are some tips to help you out.

Whether on the page or on the screen, stories that fully envelope an audience all have a strong and compelling world that their characters live in. Whether it be location, time period, or industry, the believability of your world will make or break your story. Here are some tips to help you turn a narrative into an immersive experience.