screenwriter's toolkit creative screenwriting exercises (Get the book for all 101 exercises)

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Letting It Get to Me

01.15.2006 · Posted in Scenes

How do movies influence, change or effect us? How can 1 scene have so much staying power in our lives? I’ve seen it many times. Friends will refer to a specific scene from a movie to relate experiences in their lives. They’ll use scenes in movies to justify a decision. It goes on. Your Task: ...

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Made You Laugh

05.06.2005 · Posted in Genre

Focusing on comedies, let’s take a look at what makes you laugh. The Exercise Watch a comedy that you think is actually funny. Watch it again. On the second time through, note the jokes that made you laugh. Journal What are the common threads in the jokes that really make me laugh? ...

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Being The Writer I Want To Be

05.06.2005 · Posted in As A Writer

What internal or external forces impede your ability to write? Our capacity to understand and permeate these forces can build our power as a writer. The Exercise List 10 things that stop you from being the writer you want to be. Brainstorm three possible solutions for overcoming each obstacle on your list. Plan a date ...

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What If?

05.06.2005 · Posted in The Idea

It’s been said that a writers’ main tool is the question, “What if?” With this simple query, we can explore any ordinary event’s limitless plot possibilities. Your task: Get a copy of today’s newspaper. Read 5 articles with our question in mind. What if she stole the money? What if those soldiers were plotting something? ...

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They're After ME

01.23.2007 · Posted in Action

Go! The Exercise Pick two travel methods (boat, car, foot, helicopter or horse). Write a one-page chase scene. Switch the method of travel and write the scene again. ...

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From My Life

01.22.2007 · Posted in Outline/Structure

Use transformational moments in your life to explore screenwriting structure. The Exercise List three transformational moments in your life. Pick one incident and answer these questions: What was your life like before the transformation? What took place during the transformation? What were the obstacles to transforming (both internal and external)? How did you face these ...

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The Hero's Journey

05.06.2005 · Posted in Plot

A Hero is often considered to be someone who was born with extraordinary talents and abilities. But are heroes really superior beings? I think not. In my opinion, heroes are everyday people who take on challenging obstacles to reach noble goals. Everyone has been or will be a hero in their lifetime. Your task: Write ...

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Defense Against the Critics

12.28.2005 · Posted in Rewriting/Editing

Can you defend the choices you’ve made in your own writing? Try it. Your Task: Take a screenplay that you’ve written. Pick out the major plot points and defend your decisions for the way you’ve written them. Write a short essay detailing the decisions you’ve made for the plot of your story and defend these ...

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What Does It Take?

01.06.2006 · Posted in Scenes

What changes in your scenes when you reduce or expand them? Screenwriting books almost unanimously call for an economy of words — choosing your words wisely and using less to say more. Practice this. Your Task: Come up with a scene from a movie and write 3 versions of the same scene. Write the first ...

Beyond Google

01.29.2007 · Posted in Research

Google has become so popular as a search tool that it often becomes the only instrument used when doing internet research. Expanding our horizons gives us more information from a variety of sources. Your Task: Read “Conducting Research on the Internet.” Now, using 3 methods from this article, research a random subject to come up ...

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