Álex Hernández-Puertas

Some people say writing is their passion, their life, their this and that, their everything. You hear it from well-known authors and amateur scribblers.

For others, however, making a living by putting words together becomes an unbearable burden, but these are rarely seen. It was the case of Frederica Sagor Maas,who died a few weeks ago at the amazing age of 111. Hollywood scripwriter since before the dawn of sound, her texts helped launch the career of several contemporary stars. Her memories, however, focus on the chauvinism, misoginy and discrimination that, as a woman, she had to suffer in that industry in the 20s.

Her filmography in IMDB lists many of her works as “uncredited”:

I would work so hard on some of the scripts and the minute I’d turn it in, someone else would take credit for it. You’d be ticketed as a troublemaker. Unless you wanted to quit the business, you just kept your mouth shut.

She finally did quit the business and took a job as a policy typist with an insurance agency in 1950, quickly working her way up to insurance broker. she never regretted her decision and in one of her last interviews she claimed that if she had the chance again, she would still quit writing and would rather clean floors.

Not sure if that’s some consolation for those of us who don’t make a living with our writing. Or as they say in Disney films, be careful what you wish.

With this last day of Screenwriting Tips we introduce a topic which I expect to discuss in depth soon: the construction of SCENES.

874: Instead of just throwing characters into arguments, try thinking about their goals for the scene. Who’s trying to achieve their goal, who’s blocking someone else’s goal, and whose goal changes halfway through?

865: When writing action lines, stop trying to make the reader see exactly what’s in your head. Instead give them clear, sparse description and let their head do all the work.

833: Scenes feeling flabby and slow? Create a subconscious ticking clock counting down to the end of the scene. By setting scenes at a bus stop or in a waiting room, elevator, moving car, etc., you suggest a natural end-point before the dialogue even begins.

824: Don’t let your scenes sputter out like candles in a poorly ventilated room. If a scene feels too long, or ends too softly, here’s what you do: work backwards from the end, find the most dramatic line/funniest joke, and end it there.

804: The primary objective of every scene — before being funny or clever, before advancing the plot or developing the protagonist’s arc — is to make the audience want to know what happens next.

773: The first joke you think of (“Teens text a lot”, “Men always want sex”, etc.) is always going to be a cliche. That’s why you thought of it first. Same goes for action scenes — we’ve all seen the same car chases and firefights. Think past the obvious answer.

With this we complete our week devoted to the advice from Screenwriting Tips. Did you like it?

Our Screenwriting Tips selection today deals with PLOT.

866: The most powerful method for refining motivation and stakes in your script is to ask, “So what?”. So what if the protagonist loves a man her parents disapprove of? So what if the villain learns all about the hero’s plan? So what if the main character doesn’t get that big promotion she wanted? And so on.

863: The point of plot is to break through your protagonist’s outer persona and reveal the true character within. To use an unsavory metaphor: you’re the interrogator, your protag is the prisoner, and your script is the rack.

850: Every skill, trait or item your protagonist uses to get out of a tight spot should be set up earlier in the script. A hitherto unmentioned ability to speak Latin is just as jarring as a hitherto unmentioned gun.

848: Don’t think of the end of Act Three as being about answering questions and tying off threads. Think of it as getting the protagonist to the point where there’s no more story to tell.

828: Your job is to upset the scales. Force characters who love each other into conflict and competition. Force characters who hate each other to work together.

811: Your protagonist’s past is not the key to their character arc. Their present is. The most important events in their emotional journey need to take place in your script’s timeline, not before it.

781: If you find yourself writing a scene in which one character walks in and describes what just happened off-screen… stop. You’re writing a play. This is supposed to be a screenplay — “show, don’t tell”, remember?

733: In reality, people don’t always have perfect back-and-forth conversations. They’re often just waiting for the right moment to say something they really want to say. Use this fact to create turning points that flip your scenes around.

722: When you come up with a ‘big idea’ (e.g. a world where nobody can lie, a future where vampires rule over humans), don’t go with the first protagonist or plot that springs to mind. Think around the big idea — consider every angle and version until you find the right one for you.

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