Screenwriting

Happy Thursday, Stage 32 Community! I hope that the last month has been joyful and productive for you all! Our Stage 32 Education Team has certainly been hard at work to bring incredible education opportunities and resources to this fantastic community. This August, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, award-winning screenwriters, producers, directors, cinematographers, actors, consultants, authors, script coordinators, attorneys, financiers, and representa...

Hey, Stage 32 Community! The best action/thriller movies combine intense, well-choreographed action sequences with a gripping, suspenseful plot, strong character development, exciting action set pieces, and unexpected twists to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Classic action/thriller shows like CSI or GAME OF THRONES are some of the most watched series of all time and keep spawning spin-off series. Current action/thriller franchises like JOHN WICK, MISSION...

Happy Summer, Stage 32! I have some exciting news to share! "Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want" has been recognized as the winner of the National Indie Excellence Awards in two categories: Wellbeing Winner and Personal Growth Finalist. The National Indie Excellence Awards honor presses that go the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect. That now makes four awards my book has won, and I share all of them with those who have been suppor...

Hello, Stage 32 Family! It’s been another fantastic month in the Stage 32 Community, and we always love celebrating the progress of our incredible members. This is our monthly opportunity to put the spotlight on some of the writers and creatives in our family and share their progress and successes with everyone! We’re so inspired by their hard work and persistence, and it’s made all the more satisfying when that hard work starts to pay off. So kick back, relax, and read on to learn all about...

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community! Our Stage 32 Team has been working diligently to bring in as many new resources and opportunities as possible to enrich your experience here in our community! At Stage 32 you have direct access to award-winning industry executives and professionals who’ve written, produced, developed, created VFX, and represented acclaimed projects such as ANYONE BUT YOU, GRAN TURISMO, BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE, BLACK BIRD, BOARDWALK EMPIRE, TOKYO VICE, THE WHITE LOTUS, WE OWN...

Happy Thursday, Stage 32 Community! I hope that the last month has been joyful and productive for you all! Our Stage 32 Education Team has certainly been hard at work to bring incredible education opportunities and resources to this fantastic community. This July, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, award-winning screenwriters, producers, directors, showrunners, actors, consultants, dialect/voice coaches, authors, script coordinators, VFX artists, attorney...

I have been working on my teleplay for my TV Rom-Com, NUMBER 54, since 2004. Yes, it’s been twenty years of working on and polishing the Pilot script. I would sit at my desk and write a little, scrap it, and start over. I felt something was missing, but what was it? After twenty years of writing and rewriting, I finally figured it out. It was too long and it wasn’t funny enough. So as a member of STAGE 32 since 2015, I decided to write my best rendition and pitch it to someone who could help fin...

Crafting captivating narratives is an art form that elevates screenwriting to new heights. If you’re seeking success in screenwriting, understanding the concept of beat sheets is paramount. These guides provide a roadmap for plot development and creating engaging narratives. In this exploration of the Heroic Journey as a beat sheet in screenwriting, I will unravel their significance, their applications, and how they intertwine with the timeless allure of the Heroic Journey. Join me on this fi...

In part 1 of this blog series (which you can find HERE), I delved into character and plot development inspired by Nic Pizzolatto's work. Now, let's focus on content aspects: themes, tropes, and conflicts. Unlike the first part, there's no specific order here—it's a writing toolbox to be used as needed. Themes are the flesh of a story, giving it depth beyond the plot. They offer an interesting perspective on everyday life, resonating with audiences long after the story ends. For example, True...

In The Beginning… Five years ago, I made the bold decision to try my hand at writing for the screen. I had just had two musicals (written with the brilliant composer/lyricist Eamonn O’Dwyer) published and licensed by Samuel French at Concord Theatricals and until that point, my experience was mainly in period adaptations for the stage - it was time for something new. Making the decision was the easy part – trying to execute it was almost impossible! I live in the UK, in the predominately rural...