Technique

How To Write A Great Short Film

Learn all the steps of writing a great short film

How To Write a Film Treatment in 5 Steps: Examples Included

Film treatments for features and television show scripts and screenplays can be difficult. Here are tips on how to write a treatment.

The Art of Plot Twists

Lessons from The Sixth Sense will help you write your next plot twist

How To Make an Audience Fall in Love With a Movie

Learn how to develop your movie's relationship with the audience so they'll keep coming back!

8 Screenwriting Lessons from There Will Be Blood

Learn what made There Will Be Blood so great, and how to apply those lessons to your own scripts

The Two Secrets of Writing Better Scenes

Write strong scenes in your script with these two simple tips!

The Ultimate Guide to Scene Headings in Your Script

Learn everything you need to know about scene headings in your script!

Parasite Shows the Power of a Great Midpoint

Learn how to write a powerful midpoint in your screenplay

The Easiest Way To Make Your Characters Different From You

Learn how to write characters who aren't like you.

DIY Filmmaking: Basic Editing Skills Every Screenwriter Should Learn

Learn DIY filmmaking with basic editing skills every writer needs. Discover screenwriting tips to turn your script into a great visual story.

My Favorite Arc Studio Features as a Pro Screenwriter

Get the most out of Arc Studio with these features

Antagonists 101: What They Are and How To Use Them in Your Script

Everything you need to know about creating antagonists in your screenplay

Can You Write What Your Character Is Thinking in a Script?

Learn when and how to write what your character is thinking in your screenplay

How Do You Answer the Dreaded Question "Why Now?"

Learn what executives mean when they ask you "Why now?" and how to answer

How Much Character Backstory Do You Need in Your Script?

Lean how to use character backstory without weighing down your script

Improve Your Script with Tension and Suspense

The Art of Character Intros

Learn how to hook the reader with character intros

Writing the Most Important Pages of Your Script: The First 10

Learn how to use the first 10 pages of your script to hook the audience

Keep Readers Hooked with Scene Structure

How to write scenes that make readers want to keep reading

Write Better Action Lines

Improve your script with crisp, impactful acton lines

The Dangers of Expository Dialogue

Learn how to share information with the audience.

The Art of Parentheticals

Learn how to use parentheticals to improve your script

Cut that CUT TO:? When to use scene transitions

Learn the art of using transitions between scenes in your script.

Write A Bad Script

Learn how bad first drafts can lead to great final scripts

The Necessity of Notes: Why Script Notes (Even Bad Ones) Are Essential

Learn how notes can improve both your script and your screenwriting abilities

How To Write Like Martin Scorsese

What Can We Learn From One The Greatest Writers of the Last 50 Years?

How to Write Like Jed Mercurio

Jed Mercurio is one of Britain's most celebrated and succesfull screenwriters

How to Write like Jack Thorne

What Can We Learn From The Prolific Writer Jack Thorne?

How to Write a Comedy - Step-by-Step Guide

All You Need to Know About Slapstick Comedy as a Screenwriter

Why Writing Slapstick Comedy as a Screenwriter Doesn't Have to Be Hard

What Is Auteur Theory?

Auteur theory can help us understand how meaning is created in films.

Bildungsroman: Examples & Definition

A bildungsroman or coming of age story provides an excellent built-in structure that you can use to your advantage.

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: Explained

Plato’s Allegory of The Cave helps us understand how philosophy and narrative intersect.

What Is Foreshadowing in Film? Definition & Examples

Foreshadowing can be one of the best ways to create mystery and drama in your scripts.

What Is a Documentary Film?

What is a documentary film? And what are the conventions of the genre that you need to be aware of?

What Is Dramatic Irony: Examples & Definitions for Screenwriting

Dramatic irony is a form of irony. This plot device is extremely powerful and can help you build suspense for your viewers.

3 Plot Devices To Elevate Your Screenplay

Is your story stuck or bogged down? These 3 plot devices will elevate your screenplay!

What is Mise En Scène in Screenwriting?

Mise en scene refers to everything that is within the frame on screen, including actors, sets, props, background, and more. Understanding how to place these ideas in a script can help a production team further the story’s artistic vision.

How To Break the Fourth Wall

Learn what breaking the fourth wall means, how to use it when you're writing a screenplay, and some of the best and funniest uses in film and TV.

What Is Situational Irony?

What is situational irony? How is it different from other kinds of irony? What it does to help your story? Learn all of this and more!

What Is a Motif in Film

What is a motif in film and why are they important? They can be symbols, places, or even pieces of music. Here’s how to use them to your advantage.

Screenwriting 101: What Is Chekov’s Gun?

What is Chekhov’s Gun and why is it used in film? This term is an important screenwriting term to know and utilize.

Point of View: A Guide for Screenwriters

Whose story are you telling? What kind of story are you telling? These are the key questions screenwriters should ask when considering what point of view to adopt in your script.

Method Writing - What, Why, and How

Method writing is the technique a writer can use to get under the skin of a character. It promotes empathy and genuine reactions - learn about the what, why and how of method writing.

Writing Unreliable Narrators

Is your narrator reliable or unreliable? Are they telling the truth or are they telling their truth?

High Concept vs. Low Concept: What's the Difference?

What's the difference between high concept vs. low concept stories? This article contains examples, and how the term is thought of in the industry.

Writing the Perfect Flashback in Your Screenplay

Writing the perfect flashback in your screenplay doesn’t have to be complicated. Arc Studio Pro can help you avoid major pitfalls and format it correctly.

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Beginner Screenwriters Make

Here are a few of the recurring happy accidents that beginner screenwriters make (and a few that some more established ones still do) that you can hopefully avoid in your own approach to the craft.

20 Screenwriting Terms Every Writer Needs To Know

Understanding the jargon helps you become a better writer. Here are 20 screenwriting terms every writer needs to know.

How to Write Dialogue for the Screen

Writing great dialogue for the screen is about knowing what you want every line to accomplish, and how you can better transmit your message.

Breaking Down the Monologue

David Wappel analyzes the different kinds of monologues and gives some tips to write your own.

The Present Tense, and When NOT To Use It in Screenwriting

The present tense is the most used in screenwriting. David Wappel explains why and how other tenses can provide storytelling opportunities.

Why Nouns and Verbs Are the Most Important Words in Your Script

David Wappel explains why nouns and verbs do the heavy lifting in your script and how you can use adjectives and adverbs to supplement them.

How to Pick a Genre for Your Movie

David Wappel examines genre and the questions you can ask yourself about your project that will help you understand which box it fits in.

3 Tips to Writing Good Dialogue

Good dialogue can make or break your script. In this article, David Wappel lists three tips to keep in mind when writing dialogue.