by Ann Marie Williams © 2021 As mentioned in my previous post, after finishing another season of screenplay competition judging, I'm taking a look at some of the more common issues I saw among submitted scripts. However, today's topic applies as much to novels as it does to scripts. That's because today I'm look at: … Continue reading Conveying Exposition Through Dialogue
Category: Posts on Writing
Common Script Concerns: Script vs Story
by Ann Marie Williams, © 2021 After finishing another season of screenplay competition judging (something I always enjoy, and always learn from) I thought I’d focus my next posts on some of the more common issues I see among submitted scripts. First up: Script versus Story Something that stood out to me this past year … Continue reading Common Script Concerns: Script vs Story
When You’re Stuck on a Problem in Your Story…
Two "Simple" Questions to Ask Yourself by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 Some problems a story faces are easy to fix. But, sometimes I'll find myself deep into my work in progress, struggling to fix a fairly massive issue (or, at least, it sure feels massive when I can't find the solution). I don't mind … Continue reading When You’re Stuck on a Problem in Your Story…
A Solution Exists
by Ann Marie Williams, © 2020 One of the biggest roadblocks to my writing doesn’t stem from plot holes, character arcs, or finding ways to hide exposition. It’s that little voice that whispers, “There might not be a solution to this.” I firmly believe there is a solution for every problem a story encounters. That … Continue reading A Solution Exists
Quick Tip: Honing Your Story and Deciding What to Delete
Think through your script: is there a moment where the audience would say, “Now’s a good moment to get more snacks”? If so, probably a good idea to revise (or delete) that part of the script.
Holidays and Writers…
Scenes are like Dominos…
by Ann Marie Williams For the majority of a story, scenes should fall into each other like dominos. In other words, each scene should be the catalyst for the next. One domino (scene) causes the next to fall — a scene unable to play out without the one before it. This applies to the story … Continue reading Scenes are like Dominos…
Hating your writing…
by Ann Marie Williams There comes a time in (I'm guessing) every writer's journey, where they simply hate the story they are working on. Everything about it seems terrible. And the "I've never been any good at writing" monster of doubt creeps in. However, just because you're at a point where you hate your writing, … Continue reading Hating your writing…
QUICK TIP: WHY SCREENPLAY DESCRIPTIONS NEED TO BE SHORT
by Ann Marie Williams Proper screenplay formatting requires that a certain amount of white space (a mix of description and dialogue) should appear on nearly every page of a script. Not only does this standard help measure the number of minutes the story will be once filmed, but it is also an accurate way to … Continue reading QUICK TIP: WHY SCREENPLAY DESCRIPTIONS NEED TO BE SHORT
QUICK TIP: HONESTY IN WRITING
One of the most important aspects of writing is honesty. The ability to be honest with yourself about your own work. And within the story, being honest with your audience.
