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How To Write a Screenplay

Learn how to write a screenplay through detailed analysis of feature films.

  • Screenwriting Tips
  • How To Write A Screenplay

Breaking Down Story Maps

September 17, 2014 By Matt Lazarus 2 Comments

Breaking Down Story Maps

Story Maps are one of the greatest resources on ScreenplayHowTo. They provide a great way for a novice writer to get a handle on the many moving parts and information that’s included with a screenplay. Story Maps are wonderful tools. I strongly encourage people to spend as much time as possible making their own.

Once you get a good grasp on how Story Maps work, you’re going to want to push them beyond that, so you can better identify the part that helps you write the second act.

[Read more…]

Lessons From Looper: The Difference Between World-Building and Story

July 6, 2014 By Matt Lazarus 1 Comment

Lessons From Looper

Good screenplays have both world-building and story and they have them in the right balance.

  1. The WORLD of Star Wars has planets and aliens and mythology. You could tell any number of stories in the Star Wars Universe, as evidenced by all the sequel and spin-off novels that exist.
  2. The STORY of Star Wars is what’s portable, that has nothing to do with the setting.

[Read more…]

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