Hello, screenwriters. My purpose in these posts is to provide knowledge you wouldn’t normally hear in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting class or screenwriting workshop. This certainly fits that bill.

We’re going to talk about SLAMS. What are they? A Slam is when a character has his greatest fear or weakness thrown in his face.

One of my favorites is from “Black Swan,” screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin, story by Andres Heinz.

All these writers are unproduced, which goes to show you that original material can get made, even by beginning screenwriters — who also happen to have a great concept with strong characters.

Nina is played by Natalie Portman. She is incredible in this role, totally believable as a prima ballerina.

The following scene and analysis will not ruin the film for you if you haven’t seen it yet. But please go out and rent or stream this movie if you haven’t already done so. I want to talk later about its structure, so if you’ve seen the film it will give you greater insights into what we’ll discuss.

This scene takes place right after Leroy, the head choreographer for the New York City Ballet introduces Nina to the rich and famous at a fund raiser. She has been chosen to dance the lead in Swan Lake. Extremely arrogant and controlling, Leroy brings her to his apartment, where she thinks he’s going to seduce her. She is more than ready and willing for this to occur as she has a major crush on him – she in fact idealizes her mentor. As you will see, Nina is very sheltered with very little experience about men and sex.

INT. LEROY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT

Tasteful but spare loft. Modern and expensive furniture. Large windows.

Nina stands alone, looking around his inner sanctum, wide-eyed.

She explores the pieces of art, the furniture. She touches some of it, in awe.

LEROY (O.S.)

Here.

She turns, finds Leroy holding out yet another flute of champagne. For himself, a scotch.

NINA

Thanks.

She looks up at him, expecting him to make a move. Instead, he walks away, and sits in a chair. He gestures for her to sit as well.

Confused, she sits across from him, alone on the large couch.

He takes an unceremonious sip of his drink and studies her. Uncomfortable, she takes a drink as well.

LEROY

I thought it’d be good to talk about the role. Ground us a little.

NINA

Yes.

LEROY

The better we get to know each other,

the more productive we’ll be.

I don’t want there to be any boundaries between us.

NINA

Me neither.

LEROY

Good. So, do you have a boyfriend?

She’s caught off guard by his question and just smiles

uncomfortably. He waits for an answer. Finally she manages a

reply.

NINA

No…

LEROY

Have you had many in the past?

NINA

A few. No one serious.

LEROY

You’re not a virgin, are you?

Her expression sours at this line of questioning. She shakes her head.

LEROY

Then there’s nothing to be embarrassed

about, is there?

(she shakes her head)

And you enjoy making love?

NINA

Excuse me?

LEROY

Sex. Do you enjoy it?

Blushing and feeling awkward, she takes a sip of champagne.

LEROY

We need to be able to talk about this.

NINA

Okay.

LEROY

So?

Nina looks at him, embarrassed and shrugs.

He smirks, and joins her on the couch.

LEROY

I have a homework assignment for you.

NINA

Yes?

LEROY

Go home and masturbate. Live a little.

She blanches, scandalized. He finishes off his scotch and stands.

LEROY

It’s late. Lots of work tomorrow. The doorman will find you a cab.

He leaves her alone in the living room.

Here, we have a great scene where it takes unusual twists and turns. We easily identify with Nina, who is enthralled by her teacher.

She expects a seduction, instead she gets an interrogation. She is thrown, tries to keep her cool but feels totally vulnerable and exposed. Leroy doesn’t seduce her at all, at least not physically. In fact he emotionally rips into her. Nina expects something intimate and emotional, instead she gets an emotional assault.

Instead of taking her into his bed, he dismisses her. We feel her vulnerability and pain with very little dialogue – but lots of subtext. We get Nina’s confusion and pain and Leroy’s cold manipulation, all in a few pages.

This is an obligatory scene in the film. Leroy is there to rip apart Nina’s defenses and get to her dark side – the black swan. The movie is really about whether Nina will be able to reach into the recesses of her soul and find the deeper, darker part of her personality which will bring her ballet character to life.

This scene exemplifies perfectly what David Freeman calls a “SLAM,” an assault on that part of the protagonist’s flaw, limitation, block or wound (FLBW).

There are good Slams and bad Slams, this is clearly a negative Slam that forces Nina to face the very thing she’s afraid of facing. The more we can Slam our protagonists, the better; because it forces them to confront the very thing they are afraid of confronting. Their ability to overcome this FLBW is what will determine their success or failure in the story.

We’ll talk more about Slams in the future.

Until then — KEEP WRITING!

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Hello, screenwriters. As you all know, I do my darndest to provide information you wouldn’t normally get in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting class or screenwriting workshop. This certainly fits the bill.

Here is the end of the first scene from the Social Network by Aaron Sorkin.

MARK

Final Clubs. Not finals club and there’s

a difference between being obsessed and

being motivated.

ERICA

Yes, there is.

MARK

Well, you do – that was cryptic – so you

do speak in code.

ERICA

I didn’t mean to be cryptic.

MARK

I’m saying I need to do something

substantial in order to get the attention

of the clubs.

ERICA

Why?

MARK

Because they’re exclusive.

(beat)

And fun and they lead to a better life.

ERICA

You think Teddy Roosevelt got elected

president because he was a member

of the Phoenix Club?

MARK

He as a member of the Porcellian and yes I do.

ERICA

Maybe he sang in a Capella group.

MARK

I want to be straight forward and tell you that

I think you should be a lot more supportive.

If I get in I’ll be taking you to the parties

and you’ll be meeting people you wouldn’t normally

get to meet.

ERICA

(smiles)

You would do that for me?

MARK

You’re my girlfriend.

ERICA

Okay, well I want to be straight forward

and tell you that I’m not anymore.

MARK

(beat)

What do you mean?

ERICA

I’m not your girlfriend anymore.

MARK

Is this a joke?

ERICA

No, I’m sorry, it’s not.

MARK

You’re breaking up with me?

ERICA

You’re going to introduce me to people

I wouldn’t normally get to meet?

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

MARK

Take it easy.

ERICA

What was it supposed to mean?

MARK

It was – Erica, the reason we’re able to

sit here and drink is that you used to

sleep with the door guy.

ERICA

(pause)

I want to really try not to lose it now. The

door guy’s name is Bobby. I haven’t slept with

the door guy, the door guy’s a friend of mine.

He’s a perfectly good class of people and what

part of Long Island are you from – England?

MARK

I’m from Westchester.

ERICA

I’m going to my dorm.

MARK

Wait, wait, this is real?

ERICA

Yes.

MARK

I apologize, okay? Siddown.

ERICA

I’m going back to my dorm, I have to study.

MARK

Erica –

ERICA

Yeah.

MARK

I’m sorry and I mean it…

ERICA

I appreciate that but –

MARK

Come on.

ERICA

I have to study.

MARK

You don’t have to study. Let’s just talk.

ERICA

I can’t.

MARK

Why?

ERICA

Because it’s exhausting. Going out with

you is like dating a stair master.

MARK

All I meant is that you go to B.U. and so

you’re not likely to – I wasn’t making a

comment on your parents – I was saying you

go to B.U.

ERICA

I have togo study.

MARK

You don’t have to study.

ERICA

How do you know I don’t have to study?!

MARK

Because you go to B.U.!

Erica stares at him…

MARK

(beat)

Do you want to get some food?

ERICA

I’m sorry you’re not sufficiently

impressed with my education.

MARK

And I’m sorry I don’t have a rowboat.

ERICA

I think we should just be friends.

MARK

I don’t need friends.

ERICA

I was being polite. I had no intention

of being friends with you.

MARK

You’re really leaving.

Erica takes Mark’s hand and looks at him tenderly.

ERICA

(close)

Listen.You’re going to be successful and

rich. But you’re going to go through life

thinking that girls don’t like you because

you’re a tech geek. And I want you to know,

from the bottom of my heart, that that won’t

be true. It’ll be because you’re an asshole.

And with that stinger, Erica walks off and we stay on Mark as the pulsing intro to Paul Young’s “Love of the Common People,” crashes in –

ERICA

And you’re never getting into a final club.

Along with the music, we slowly push in on Mark. A fuse has just been lit.

So here we have a scene that’s already about 4 pages long, there is nothing happening except this verbal rivalry between the future founder of Facebook and the girl he’s trying to impress.

When you watch this scene it is incredibly riveting because it reveals character – an extremely complex character of our protagonist – Mark Zuckerberg. The rule of thumb from any pundit of screenwriting would be to never open a movie with a scene like this – because it is talky, there is no great conflict and there is nothing really visually happening. And yet it draws us in.

The dialogue goes back and forth from one topic to the next with blinding speed, as it does, we get a glimpse into the genius of our hero – he is extremely intelligent but he is also a mess emotionally, trying so hard to impress his girlfriend with a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas.

He is arrogant beyond belief, a brilliant nerd who wants to be something a lot more; he is relentlessly competitive and yet humorless, and worst of all, he’s completely clueless about the needs and wants of other people.

This is a guy who desperately wants “friends,” but doesn’t really know how to make them or how to keep them and will eventually create the greatest “friend” network on the planet.

We’ll continue on with more examples of great dialogue and great scene construction.

Until then – KEEP WRITING!

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Hello, screenwriters. As you all know, I try as much as possible to provide information you wouldn’t normally receive in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting class or screenwriting workshop. This excerpt certainly applies to that principle.

We started a couple of week ago looking at the first scene of “Social Network” by Aaron Sorkin.  Here’s the continuation of that scene —

ERICA

Have you ever tried?

MARK

I’m trying now.

ERICA

To row crew.

MARK

To get into a final club. To row crew?

No. Are you, like-whatever-crazy?

ERICA

Sometimes, Mark – seriously—you say two

things at once and I’m not sure which one

we’re talking about.

MARK

But you’ve seen guys who row crew, right?

ERICA

No.

MARK

Okay, well they’re bigger than me.

They’re world class athletes. And a

second ago you said you like guys who

row crew so I assumed you’d met one.

ERICA

I guess I meant I liked the idea of it.

The way a girl likes cowboys.

MARK

The Phoenix is good.

ERICA

This is a new topic?

MARK

It’s the same topic.

ERICA

We’re still talking about the finals clubs?

MARK

Would you rather talk about something else?

ERICA

No, it’s just that since the beginning of

the conversation about finals clubs I think

I may have had a birthday.

MARK

We can change the subject.

ERICA

(can’t get over it)

There are more people in China with genius

I.Q.’s than the entire population of …

MARK

It’s about exclusivity.

ERICA

God… What is?

MARK

The final clubs. And that’s how you

distinguish yourself. The Phoenix

is the most diverse. The Fly Club,

Roosevelt punched the Porc.

ERICA

Which one?

MARK

The Porcellian, the Porc, it’s the

best of the best.

ERICA

I actually meant which Roosevelt.

MARK

Theodore.

ERICA

Okay, well, which is the easiest to get into?

Mark takes a cigarette from a pack, lights it, takes a drag and blows the smoke out before he says…

MARK

Hmm.

ERICA

What?

MARK

Why would you ask me that?

ERICA

I was just asking.

MARK

They’re all hard to get into. My friend

Eduardo made $300,000 betting on oil futures

last summer and he won’t get in.

Money or the ability to make it doesn’t

impress anybody around here.

Everybody can do that.

ERICA

He made $300,000 in a summer?

MARK

He likes meteorology.

ERICA

You said it was oil futures.

MARK

If you can predict the weather you can

predict the price of heating oil.

You asked me because you think the final

club that’s easiest to get into is the

one where I’ll have the best chance.

ERICA

The one that’s easier to get into

would be the one where anybody had the

best chance.

MARK

I just think you asked –- the placement of

where you asked the question –

ERICA

I was honestly just asking. Okay? I was asking

just to ask, Mark. I’m not speaking in code.

MARK

Erica—

ERICA

You’re obsessed with the finals clubs.

You have finals clubs OCD and you need

to see someone about this who’ll prescribe

some sort of medication. You don’t care

if side effects may include blindness,

okay, just do it.

What about that? The voices for these two characters are so clear. Aaron Sorkin without a doubt writes the best dialogue known to man. Many writers try and capture brilliance and here we have it. Here is a brilliant mind that is also very troubled and flawed. The dialogue are bullets coming out of a gatling gun.

We’ll finish this scene next week.

Until then — Keep Writing!

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Hello screenwriters. As you all know, I try and provide information you wouldn’t normally hear in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting class or screenwriting workshop.  Now that Oscar season is upon us, I wanted to share with you some great dialogue from Aaron Sorkin, who has another Oscar contender up for an Oscar this year, JOBS.  This reminded me of SOCIAL NETWORK, I believe an even better example of great screenwriting.  Listen in:

FROM THE BLACK WE HEAR—

MARK (V.O.)

Did you know there are more people with

genius IQ’s living in China than there are

people of any kind living in the United States?

ERICA (V.O.)

That can’t be true.

MARK (V.O.)

It is true.

ERICA (V.O)

What would account for that?

MARK (V.O.)

Well, first of all, a lot of people live

in China. But there’s my question.

FADE IN:

INT. CAMPUS BAR – NIGHT

MARK ZUCKERBERG is a sweet looking 19-year-old whose lack of any physically intimidating attributes masks a very complicated and dangerous anger. He has trouble making eye contact and sometimes it’s hard to tell if he’s talking to you or to himself.

ERICA, also 19, is Mark’s date. She has a girl-next-door face that makes her easy to fall for. At this point in the conversation, she already knows that she’d rather not be there and her politeness is about to be tested.

The scene is stark and simple.

MARK

How do you distinguish yourself in a

population of people who all got 1600 on

their SAT’s?

ERICA

I didn’t know they take SAT’s in China.

MARK

I wasn’t talking about China anymore,

I was talking about here.

ERICA

You got 1600?

MARK

You can sing in a Capella group.

ERICA

Does that mean you actually got nothing wrong?

MARK

Or you row crew or you invent a 25 dollar pc.

ERICA

Or you get into a finals club.

MARK

Or you get into a final club, exactly.

ERICA

I like guys who row crew.

MARK

(beat)

Well, I can’t do that. And yes, it means

I got nothing wrong on the test.

This is a technique for writing better dialogue. You start with one subject, getting 1600’s on your SAT’s, then going off subject to another topic, then returning to your original subject, “And yes, it means I got nothing wrong on the test.” We do this to throw curve balls at the audience, make it more interesting and stay away from the typical dialogue which is:  Question? Answer. Question? Answer. Always surprise your audience!  Take them by storm!

We’ll have more examples of dialogue techniques in the future.  Never stop learning.

Until then — KEEP WRITING!

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Hello, everyone. I try in these posts to provide information to screenwriters that wouldn’t normally be heard in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting class or screenwriting workshop. In this post, I’m sharing a bit of dialogue from the first episode of My So-Called Life.  Enjoy this great dialogue:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – DAY

All the colors in school are WASHED OUT, DESATURATED.
SHARON CHERSKY, perky and chatty, comes up to ANGELA from
behind. They walk down the hallway, filled with other
students.

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Hello, everyone. I always start off these posts by saying I do this to provide information you wouldn’t normally get in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting workshop or screenwriting class. So I just did it again, didn’t I?

We will continue looking at great scenes with another selection from television.

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Hello, everyone. As  you all know, I try my best to provide information that you wouldn’t normally get in your typical screenwriting course, screenwriting class, or screenwriting workshop. And for my money, the best screenwriting happening today is on television. This is a scene from THE WEST WING – by Aaron Sorkin, also one of the best screenwriters in features as well (Social Network, Jobs).

Joshua “Josh” Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. Josh is portrayed as having one of the sharpest minds on the President’s staff; he is a witty, somewhat cocky, boyishly charming know-it-all.

EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE – MORNING

A grey day. There might be a light drizzle outside.

INT. WEST WING – SAME TIME

As Josh punches in his I.D., DONNA crosses to meet him.

DONNA

C.J.’s looking for you.

JOSH

Hmmm?

DONNA

C.J.’s looking for you.

We FOLLOW JOSH and DONNA as they head toward Josh’s office.

JOSH

Donna?

DONNA

Yeah?

JOSH

“Good morning, Josh” is a pretty good way to start the day.

DONNA

Good morning.

JOSH

What’s up?

DONNA

C.J.’s looking for you.

JOSH

Tell her I’m in the office.

DONNA

Josh. I’m saying C.J. is looking for you.

Josh knows what this means and stop walking, holding onto Donna’s arm to get her to stop walking as well. They speak in hushed tones.

JOSH

What did I do?

DONNA

How would I know?

JOSH

Because you know everything.

DONNA

I do know everything.

JOSH

Donna…

DONNA

I’m saying you say that now, but anytime

I want to make a substantive contributions –

JOSH

You make plenty of substantive contributions.

DONNA

Like what?

JOSH

This. This could be a substantive contribution.

DONNA

I need a raise.

JOSH

So do I.

DONNA

You’re my boss.

JOSH

I’m not the one who pays you.

DONNA

Yes, but you could recommend that I got a raise.

JOSH

Donna, she’s looking for me. Do you think

this is a really good time to talk about a raise?

DONNA

Mmmm. I think it’s the best time to talk about a raise.

JOSH

Donna, you’re not a very good person.

DONNA

You gotta get to know me.

JOSH

Donna…

DONNA

The best I can cobble together from the

small shards of information I’ve been able

to overhear in the restroom and at the Danish car†…

JOSH

(frustrated)

Donna…

DONNA

Is it possible there’s a situation

involving Sam, a woman and C.J. being

denied information about something?

It only takes a moment for the penny to drop.

JOHN

Okay. Here’s what I’m gonna do.

DONNA

Hide in your office?

JOSH

No. I’m not gonna hide in my office.

I am gonna go into my office. And devise

a strategy. That’s what I do.

They continue on the short distance to the office –

JOHN

I’m a professional. I’m not a little boy.

DONNA

That’s the spirit.

JOSH

But if she calls, I’m at the dentist.

I’ll be back in an hour.

DONNA

Got it.

JOSH opens his office door and –

JOSH

Aaghh!

C.J.’s sitting in Josh’s chair, her feet up on the desk.

C.J.

Wow, are you stupid.

The short sentences and increasing speed of the action really adds to the comedy. You’re never quite sure what the characters are going to say or do next.

Also notice, there are two lines of conversation happening at once. This is a dialogue technique which contributes to the complexity and layering of the scene and characters. It also makes the dialogue a lot more fun to follow.

CHARACTER ROOTING INTERESTS:

The characters are both bright and witty, this gives them empathy. Sorkin also pokes fun at Josh wonderfully by undercutting his sense of self-importance. He tells her: “I’m not a little boy,” then gets surprised by C.J. and acts just like a little boy. This is an effective button to the scene (as we keep noticing in our analysis of great scenes) and gives a great comeuppance to Josh.

In this short scene we get a complexity of their relationship:

Josh likes the banter

He respects her knowledge

He’s annoyed by her.

These are layered feelings and makes their relationship more interesting.

So there you have it. I hope you all are watching some of the better television shows on TV today – The Walking Dead, The Americans, Homeland and many others.

That’s it for now. We’ll look at some more great television writing next week. And by the way, if you guys haven’t seen Joy, The Big Short and Revenant, please do. We’ll discuss those films in the weeks to come.

Until then – KEEP WRITING!

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Hello, screenwriters. We’ve been talking about writing great scenes and what makes them exceptional.

The following is a scene from ‘UNFORGIVEN,’ by David Webb Peoples. I’m going to present this scene for this week’s discussion and see why it merits such recognition. In fact, if you’re reading great screenplays, which we should all be doing, this is one for your list.

In this scene, William Munny (Clint Eastwood), an ex-bandit and ex-killer, who was reformed long ago by his now deceased wife, needed money to help his children survive.

And so he goes for the $1000 reward posted by the prostitute Delilah Fitzgerals (Anna Thompson) and her two fellow prostitutes, Alice and Silky, to hunt down the two men who cut up Delilah’s face.

Sheriff Little Bill Dagget (Gene Hackman) had earlier beat up Munny in town, putting him in a coma. In this scene, Munny has just awakened after three days. He meets Delilah, the woman who hired him, for the first time.

EXT. WOODS NEAR SHED – DAY

MUNNY

I wouldn’t normally pay no notice to

high country like this…trees…but

I sure notice them now. I thought

I was dying for sure.

DELILAH

I brought your hat. You…left it

down at Greely’s.

MUNNY

Thanks. And the sheriff… He

still lookin’ for me?

As he looks over at her Munny’s eye falls briefly on her

exposed ankle and Delilah feels the look.

DELILAH

Little Bill? He thinks you went South.

Munny can’t help it and his eye flicks back to the ankle.

DELILAH (CONT’D)

Are you really going to kill them cowboys?

MUNNY

(unenthusiastically)

I guess.

(suddenly)

Still a payment, isn’t there?

She nods and she moves so that more ankle is showing, but

Munny’s eye is drawn to her breasts as she moves, then he

looks away quickly, guiltily and they sit there silently

until…

DELILAH

Them other two, they been takin’

advances on the payment.

MUNNY

Advances?

He can’t help looking at her body and she knows it.

DELILAH

(shyly)

Free ones.

Her body is getting to him.

MUNNY

(stupidly)

Free ones?

DELILAH

Alice an’ Silky gave them…free ones.

MUNNY

(understanding,

embarrassed)

Hmmm…I see.

DELILAH

(shy, timid)

Would you like a free one?

MUNNY

(looking away,

embarrassed)

No, I…I guess not.

And Delilah is hurt… crushed. She gets up and covers it

by picking up the remains of the chicken and Munny is too

embarrassed to look at her.

DELILAH

(covering her hurt)

I ah…I didn’t mean with me. I

meant Alice and Silky, would be

happy to give you a free one if

you wanted…one. That’s…that’s

all I meant.

Notice how much emotion and vulnerability is elicited within this short scene. So little is actually said and yet a wealth of information and feeling is conveyed underneath the lines.

You also see the writer is conveying a lot of information and feeling with looks, how Munny is glancing at Delilah’s body, becoming aroused and yet trying to repress his sexual desires.

Don’t be afraid to communicate feelings and impulses through how a character looks at others or at things, this can communicate far more than simple words.

Until the next time then – KEEP WRITING!

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Hello, screenwriters. I do everything possible in this blog to provide information you wouldn’t normally get in typical screenwriting course, screenwriting workshop or screenwriting class.

Previously, we were talking about great reversals that happen in screenplays that make those scenes really pop.

The example I’m using is “The Proposal,” a masterful romantic comedy written by Pete Chiarelli. If you’ve ever tried to write a rom com you can appreciate how hard it is, because the rules are pretty iron clad and it’s extremely hard to do something original.  Pete Chiarelli accomplishes that and more in this brilliant work.

In this scene, Richard (played by Ryan Reynolds) finally get to hold the whip over his boss (Sandra Bullock), who needs to get married so she won’t be deported. She proposes Richard be her fake husband, but now he can set the terms and this reversal makes for great drama and comedy.  Let’s listen in:

EXT. CENTRAL PARK – DAY

Richard and Margaret walk in silence through the park. Richard

finally speaks.

RICHARD

Your plan is psychotic.

MARGARET

Well I’d rather poke my eyes out than play

pretend girlfriend, but this is the big

time. Sometimes you need to sack up.

RICHARD

OK. Fine. You’re promoting me to editor.

MARGARET

I’m doing what?

RICHARD

We go to Alaska and lie to my family? I

risk going to jail? Well, you’re making me

editor for that. I mean, did you think I’d

do this out of the kindness of my heart?

MARGARET

You work for me!

RICHARD

You know, during my employee orientation,

the HR rep didn’t mention anything about me marrying you.

MARGARET

Look, I came to this town alone and with

nothing. I’ve worked my ass off for fifteen

years and this guy wants to ruin me because

he wrote the shittiest book of all time? No way.

RICHARD

Nice story Little Orphan Annie, but that

sounds like your problem. Not mine.

Margaret is stuck. Richard really does have the upper hand.

MARGARET

Fine. You take me to Alaska this weekend,

and I’ll make you editor. Deal?

Margaret puts out her hand to shake, Richard takes it.

MARGARET (cont’d)

And I’m not sleeping on your parent’s hide-abed,

we’re staying in a hotel. Do they even

have hotels in Alaska?

RICHARD

No. But they have huts. Teepees really.

And you have to poop in a bucket. But

otherwise, just like the Four Seasons. But

with bears.

Great, funny scene with lots of sharp dialogue. But what makes this scene really play is Richard’s sudden courage, the boy has some balls and he’s not afraid to stand up to his boss. This delights and surprises us, and from here on in this romantic comedy will really soar.

Find this moments in your script as well and milk them for all they’re worth. We’ll analyze more great scenes in the weeks ahead.

Until then — KEEP WRITING!

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