Screenwriting 101
http://www.4screenwriters.com/screen_101.html

Professional instructor!
Published author & writer

August & September, 2008 class

Rated “Top” Online Screenwriting Class by Screenwriter’s Monthly

Screenwriting 101 is an online class for beginning writers or writers wanting to brush up on the fundamentals. For four weeks you will interact and study under the guidance of your instructor to jump start your writing and hit the ground running. (Register below).

The class presents the fundamentals of screenwriting: character development, plot development, structure, conflict, and dialogue. Mainly focused on beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals. Students gain enough knowledge to continue writing their screenplay, start their first screenplay, and finish.

Course Certification?: Yes!, you receive a certification of successful completion!
Course Format: Online & instructor based
Course Length: 4 week(s)
Cost: was $150, NOW: $75
Deadline: 8/15/08

For more information and read testimonials or to register:
http://www.4screenwriters.com/screen_101.html

Why take a class? Every year about 50,000 or more screenplays will be registered with the Writers Guild of America and other services. Less than 1,000 will be purchased by Hollywood studios and producers. The competition is fierce. You’re competing with professionals as well as everyone else. Start your screenwriting career (or first screenplay) by taking a professional level class taught by a professional.

Class Breakdown:

Finding the Heart of your story
Plot or Character driven, which is best?
Cause and Effect (Characters and Plot)
Thinking about Characters
Fully fleshed Characters
The Paradigms of a Story
Screenplay Structure
What is Structure and why is it important?
What Structure best suits your Story?
Structure and Genre
Classic Structure: Linear, Journey, Chase, Search
Types of Alternative Narrative Structure
Writing your first ten pages
The Setup: the or else scene
Establishing genre and drama
Connecting the Audience
Case Studies
Looking Ahead towards your Second and Third Acts (setups and payoffs)
Writing the Scene
Types of Scenes
Scene Dialectics
Ins and Outs
Functions
Structures
Sequences

Who is the instructor?

The instructor is Chris Wehner, a published author, journalist, critic and professional screenwriter. He has worked in the field for over 10 years. He was recently Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Screenwriter’s Monthly and VP of Development for MoviePartners. Currently his screenplay, EL CAMINO, is in development with Area 51 Films in Los Angeles and is scheduled to go into production this year. He recently optioned his latest script, THREESOME, to producer Ted Melfi and is also scheduled to go into pre-production this year. His book, “Screenwriting on the Internet: Researching, Writing & Selling Your Script on the Web” was a Top Seller at The Writer’s Store and his latest book “Who Wrote That Movie?” has received praise as well.

For more information and registration:
http://www.4screenwriters.com/screen_101.html

THE MOVIE DEAL! Screenplay Competition Deadline is fast approaching! August 15th is the deadline but you can still save $10.00 on your submission! We’ve extended the discount deadline for ScreenwritersUtopia.com Friends until the end of the Regular deadline!

Enter NOW before the entry fee goes up! Use the PROMO code: WU7248 on the ‘Enter Now’ page at http://www.TheMovieDeal.com to save today!

GRAND PRIZE: The winning writer of The Movie Deal! Screenplay Contest will receive an honest-to-gosh PRODUCTION DEAL!

www.TheMovieDeal.com

*To use code, go to the ‘Enter Now’ page on our site or use Withoutabox.com for $5.00 off.

You Got Close To Page 60 But… In general, there are many reasons why you “Lost it in the Second Act.” There are usually several major issues that arise when one hits that wall during the Second Act, for example:

* Failure to outline your Dramatic Arc (This I cover in detail and show you where your script is going wrong and pinpoint early warning signs.)
* No exit strategy for your Second Act (I will provide you with specific and proven strategies for properly setting up and getting through your second act.)
* Overt awareness of screenplay structure (Seems like a simple thing but there are ways to manage your narrative and also increase tension and conflict without sacrificing tempo and beat.)
* You took your eye off the ball (Doing more re-writing than writing? I’ll help you avoid this with some helpful tips.)
* Your desire to complete the story wanes (You lost the passion, why? We’ll look at the dynamics of effective story selection and development.)

Who should take this class? Anyone who has one or more screenplays they can’t seem to finish; feels their completed screenplay is missing something, and/or feels overwhelmed after only 30+ pages of writing. You do not need a finished screenplay to take this ISP!

For more information on this excellent Seminar!

Call for Entries! Sponsored by several top production and management companies, Screenplay Festival offers an honest opportunity for undiscovered writers to get their work into the right hands. And Screenplay Festival is proud of our high report card rating on several screenwriters’ websites. As a writer we respect that you prefer to enter a contest that you know you can trust.

Importantly, Screenplay Festival gives awards for each of the following five categories: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, and Thriller/Horror.

Why should a drama and an action movie compete for the same prize? Screenplay Festival recognizes all great writing regardless of genre.

Prizes include cash, software, announcement to thousands of industry professionals, and direct contact with several top agencies, managers and producers.

Early Entry Deadline: August 1.
Final Deadline: October 1.

http://www.screenplayfestival.com/in_su.html

Write the first draft of your screenplay – and the next chapter of your career. Turn the page with National University’s MFA in Creative Writing, a 10-course online program that polishes your writing skills and prepares you for the screenwriting profession.

Learn more about the MFA in Creative Writing

Right now you’re a good writer. The MFA in Creative Writing transforms you into an excellent screenwriter. And upon completing the degree, you’ll also have the flexibility to teach writing at the college level.

Plus, National University makes learning convenient:

Register when you please: Enroll at any time, year round, without waiting for a new quarter or semester.
You’re in control: Begin any month, whenever you’re ready.

Take one course per month: Learn at a reasonable, comfortable pace.

Study and learn online: Study at any time, day or night, without cutting into work or family time
Learn fast: Complete the degree in as little as months.

National University is a private, fully accredited, and nonprofit institution

Write the new script for your life. Become the writer you’ve always wanted to be.

Learn more about the MFA in Creative Writing at National University.

http://e.nvero.net/eas?camp=17384;ty=ct;kw2=1×1

In filmmaking, directors employ a variety of different types of shots.  One of them is called the Two Shot.  As writers, we don’t really get anything cool or fancy to do with lenses.  We have our imaginations and minds to work with, which arguably is much better and less limiting than a camera with a set of lenses.

Even the best of us gets stuck sometimes.  We want to write, but what?  Where is the story we want to tell?

It can get downright frustrating at times.  However, there’s lots of different things out there to try to get the juices flowing.  I’m going to present one idea that you can put in your toolbox, based on the concept of the Two Shot:  The Two Clip Mashup.  It’s something I’ve put out in my classes for the frustrated writer trying to put together a story concept.

It’s real easy.  Take two totally unrelated newspaper articles, and connect them together no matter how crazy or strange it seems.   Don’t limit yourself to just the local newspapers, or print for that matter.  Take two completely random articles online if you want, from different countries or periods of time.  Then try to shape a story that uses both of them as the central plot.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just two articles either, but any more than that and you’ll end up stacking the deck against yourself in most cases.  The important thing is to do this going in “blind”, i.e., without any kind of pretext of articles to pick.  To make it more interesting, you can get someone else to pick them for you.

From there, you’ll have to construct characters in this mashed-up world.  How would they act, talk, operate, under those conditions?

If you’re looking for a quick way to put together a story, try it once and see what happens.  Although I can’t guarantee the outcome.  That’s entirely up to you.  So get writing!