by Ann Marie Williams This was originally posted back in April 2019, but NaNoWriMo seemed like the perfect time for a revisit (since the post pertains as much to novel writers as it does to screenwriters). I hope you enjoy and find it beneficial! In the writing world, you often hear terms like theme, concept, … Continue reading Writing Tips: The Differences Between Concept, Plot, Structure, Formatting, and Theme (and how they all interrelate)
Does Writing Ever Get Any Easier?
by Ann Marie Williams Have you noticed that professional, successful, writers — writers whose work has been produced and praised time and time again — often comment they still find writing difficult? And that no matter how many successful stories they’ve written, they frequently question whether the story they are currently penning will amount to … Continue reading Does Writing Ever Get Any Easier?
Rewriting Tips: Save, Delete, Test
Except from Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script by Ann Marie Williams © 2019 Finding the best version of my story often means having to delete beloved parts from my script. For the sake of the story, I’ll have to sacrifice a beautiful … Continue reading Rewriting Tips: Save, Delete, Test
Halloween Writing Prompt
by Ann Marie Williams Keep those creative juices flowing this Halloween! What if each group of trick-or-treaters was a writing prompt? What story could you conjure up in which those characters all come together?
Quick Tip: Are Screenwriting Competition Critiques Written By Your Script’s Competition Judge?
by Ann Marie Williams The critique you purchase in conjunction with your screenwriting competition entry will not necessarily be written by your script's judge/s in the competition. Instead, you may be purchasing one of the critique services offered by the organization that runs the competition (usually there's a discount on the critique as incentive to … Continue reading Quick Tip: Are Screenwriting Competition Critiques Written By Your Script’s Competition Judge?
Writing Tips: Conveying Story and Pacing
Except from Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script by Ann Marie Williams © 2019 As a screenwriter, you need to be aware, not just of the pacing of your story, but also of the pacing of your script. The two should be the … Continue reading Writing Tips: Conveying Story and Pacing
Dealing with Critiques and Rewrites: Try to Find Something Actionable in Every Critique You Receive
Except from Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script by Ann Marie Williams © 2019 It’s important to realize that you don’t have to take every suggestion from every critique you receive. However, if you find that you’re disregarding all your critiques, then it could be because you’re too … Continue reading Dealing with Critiques and Rewrites: Try to Find Something Actionable in Every Critique You Receive
Quick Tip: Writing Dialogue
by Ann Marie Williams Sometimes, while reading through my script, I like to ignore the character cues before each chunk of dialogue. If I can't tell which character is speaking without the aid of the character cue, then that's usually a sign I need to rewrite the dialogue.
Dealing with Critiques and Rewrites: Be Honest with Yourself
Except from Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script by Ann Marie Williams © 2019 A fundamental skill you need as a writer is the ability to be honest with yourself. No critique, including your own, will ever be as effective as it could … Continue reading Dealing with Critiques and Rewrites: Be Honest with Yourself
Screenplay Competitions Questionnaire: Which screenwriting competitions helped advance your writing career?
by Ann Marie Williams, author of Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script I've created this (totally unofficial) survey so that writers can share which screenwriting competitions helped move their careers forward (anything from having received a great written critique that helped you improve … Continue reading Screenplay Competitions Questionnaire: Which screenwriting competitions helped advance your writing career?
