84
votes
Is it wrong if I kill off a black character?
Killing a minority character isn't a problem in itself. The problem is that western media (particularly film) has a long tradition of killing of minority characters and leaving white protagonists to ...
- 11.2k
32
votes
Is it wrong if I kill off a black character?
There are two simple rules when it comes to writing which trump all else:
Always write for the reader (or in this case viewer).
Never let anything get in the way of your writing.
The second rule ...
26
votes
Accepted
Can you completely skip bridge scenes in movies or comic books?
What is the story you actually want to tell?
Is it "Mario gathers information about where the Princess is being held?" or is it "Mario rescues the princess?"
When the whole process ...
- 6,215
24
votes
Accepted
Is it ok to introduce something in a flashback if you forgot to introduce or foreshadow it before?
Not really, it is not ok. You can do a flashback; but it will still seem to the audience a deus ex machina.
Readers aren't stupid and they expect characters to survive by wits, not luck. This seems to ...
- 99.6k
13
votes
Accepted
What does (beat) refer to in a script and what other elements can we put instead of (beat)?
A beat is a pause in the dialog. It indicates he says the first part and then, after a bit, the second.
If you want something to happen between the parts, you put that in. If not, you want "(...
- 8,652
11
votes
Is it ok to introduce something in a flashback if you forgot to introduce or foreshadow it before?
If you really are releasing your story in pieces, and at the high point of piece #7, you want your character to use an item that they must have obtained back in piece #3, but you didn't mention in ...
- 3,692
9
votes
Is it wrong if I kill off a black character?
I had the same dilemma recently with one of my older stories (i.e. 6-7 years old), which is in need of redrafting. One of the supporting characters, a black woman, dies halfway through; this is a ...
- 10.7k
8
votes
Is it wrong if I kill off a black character?
Why is the character black?
This Wiki contains a chart, based on the US Census bureau and self-identified race, that shows 72.4% of Americans identify as White alone, and 12.6% of Americans identify ...
- 99.6k
8
votes
Accepted
How to write dates shown on screen
It’s not necessary in the body of a scene to inform us as to the setting, the time of day, or whether it’s an interior or exterior, as this is already known from the scene heading.
If a legend, such ...
- 56.5k
7
votes
Is it wrong if I kill off a black character?
Some phenomena we see are statistical in nature, and racism is one of them. It isn't a single event, it is a tendency. There is a reason why it is so closely related to stereotyping.
Black people ...
- 219
7
votes
Can you completely skip bridge scenes in movies or comic books?
Skip the boring bridge scenes that are not required for plausibility. If skipping a scene might break audience immersion, include enough to patch that leak in your story.
For example, in many shows, ...
- 99.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Is an unseen character in phone call (V.O.) or (O.S.)?
A character that is off screen speaks from off screen.
Voice over refers to a n̲a̲r̲r̲a̲t̲o̲r̲ who narrates the story (e.g. in a documentary, where the narrator never appears in the film).
6
votes
Accepted
What's the minimum panel for a single scene in a comics?
This is not how comics work
Comic panels are not storyboards. They do not need to be sequential. They do not need to depict actions. They do not need to depict time. They do not need to depict a film'...
- 27.1k
5
votes
Is it okay to sum up unimportant dialogue in the description? Let me explain
Yes, it's normal to leave out unimportant dialogue and descriptions.
Would the dialogue move the story forward? Does it give the reader insight into the characters? If not, it's probably best to ...
- 126
5
votes
Accepted
Sample Script Submission
Typically, the advice for sample scripts is to write a sample for a close competitor of your target. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it shows that you can write in the immediate ballpark of what ...
- 56.5k
5
votes
Should I create a fictional college if students go missing in my script?
Maybe it is easier for you to decide, if you make a distinction between your feelings as an author on the one hand, and the impression on the readers, and the feelings you invoke in them, on the other....
5
votes
Should I create a fictional college if students go missing in my script?
You are asking for legal advice, on whether you slander or libel the college in question, which even a lawyer would have to read everything you write about the college in order to provide you with ...
- 99.6k
4
votes
How do I introduce a room of 4 new characters?
Since you're editing the question, I assume you’d like more input. (Did not realize this was screenwriting, should perhaps delete this.)
I’d say, don’t throw us a laundry list of traits. Interweave ...
- 23.8k
4
votes
How do I introduce a room of 4 new characters?
Once I saw a great video about the way the movie The Predator introduces the individuals of the raid party.
A group of mercenaries is on the helicopter which is taking them on the mission spot. ...
- 3,827
4
votes
How do I format dialogue for an AI chatbot in a screenplay?
The biggest limitation of most modern chatbots is only replying to the last message stated. They can give great responses, that seem funny or clever, but only to the last sentence said.
So when you ...
- 3,729
4
votes
Is it wrong if I kill off a black character?
Unless racial issues are part of the plot, simply don't assign any race to any character whatsoever.
If pressed, say that each character is full-blooded Fictionese, but that you are agreeable to ...
- 1,581
4
votes
How should I write this scene heading? Let me explain
It is just EXT. BRETT'S HOUSE - DAY
You are over thinking it. It doesn't make a difference if he owns it, rents it, whatever. He lives there. Nobody gets confused. Who cares if he owns it or not? If ...
- 99.6k
4
votes
I’m considering adding a flashback to my script. Are they so bad?
Flashbacks are fine and used all the time. In film in particular, this is part of "show don't tell" the story, and what that phrase originally meant: Anything you want to say, try to put in action and ...
- 99.6k
4
votes
How to show a flashback in a screenplay?
According to http://www.storysense.com/format/flashbacks.htm, you should bookend it with "BEGIN FLASHBACK" and "END FLASHBACK" as action lines, and then treat it as any other new ...
- 56.5k
4
votes
Accepted
How do I write transitions between thinking and speaking?
Using V.O. for the thought parts should be sufficient. Eventually, you can also add the word "thinking" or similar in parentheses for that piece of dialogue.
For example:
CHARACTER
It ...
- 168
4
votes
Screenwriting using codenames
Keep in mind, a script is a technical document intended to aid actors and the director in creating a play or a movie. It is not (directly) for the characters or the audience. The characters might ...
- 56.5k
4
votes
Accepted
Podcast Script - Recurring Elements
My favorite podcast is probably Writing Excuses, with the tagline "Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart." They manage to signal the entire tone, plus an idea what ...
- 27.1k
4
votes
Accepted
What are some documents you can write prior to writing a TV show script on a weekly basis in order to nail the plot?
You are looking for something equivalent to a screenplay "beat sheet".
Google "beat sheet screenplay" (without the quotes) and pick several links to get familiar with the concept, ...
- 99.6k
4
votes
Can you completely skip bridge scenes in movies or comic books?
The question is whether you confuse the reader. Therefore the important thing is to convey any information that the reader would have learned in them.
For instance, if the first scene ends with ...
- 8,652
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible