When I started out, I used to think I couldn’t call myself successful until I’d sold a screenplay or published a novel that got adapted to a film. Talk about pressure! Then I learned how very few scripts ever get sold, not to mention those that sell, but die in a studio vault somewhere. Eek! [...]
I just had a wonderful Skype call with a TV-film producer and writer friend who always inspires me. Sometimes, just talking about projects is inspiring. But often it’s the little bits, the insights, that give me a boost I didn’t know I needed. When I say “boost,” it can be both positive and negative. Here [...]
Screenwriting structure can be difficult for the right-brained writer. Before I sort this out, yes, writers must use both the right and left sides of their brains in order to write. When I say “right-brained writer,” I’m talking about someone who tends to be more creative and not always as logical as what might be [...]
How You Can Fix Plot Holes If anyone were to take a peek at my computer files, they’d see a graveyard of stories that were tinkered with, but never quite made it to the finish line. How can that be, you say, when I’ve published novels and completed screenplays? It’s not a problem with follow-through, [...]
by Renée Lukas Don’t get me wrong. Patty Jenkins has blasted a huge hole in the glass ceiling for directors who happen to be women. Gal Gadot is a gift from the casting gods. And Kristen Wiig as Cheetah? Priceless. But like most cases of films going off the rails, it all starts with the [...]
We all know that people had same-sex attractions throughout history. But how exciting it is to explore the life of one such real-life person, Anne Lister, a woman who had to navigate an unorthodox life in a patriarchal world. Today, women deal with male attitudes, especially tones that we all recognize and know their meaning—as [...]
by Renée Lukas I am not the target audience for the Twilight franchise. A middle-aged lesbian, I’m not on Team Edward or Team Jacob—no wait, Team Edward. But as someone who loves a good story, there’s something pretty great about the Twilight films. With the release of the newest book, Midnight Sun, there’s been a [...]
I’m always fascinated by people—what makes them tick, what freaks them out, why they act the way they do. When I set out to write a story, whether it's live action or animation, I often think, what kind of character would be the worst possible choice to be dropped into (x, y or z) situation? [...]
The family you were born into says a lot about who you are. You can meet someone, then meet their family and say, “Oh, it all makes sense now.” Unlike David Copperfield, I’ll spare you the “Chapter 1 – I am born” version. But here are some interesting tidbits that I believe shaped me as [...]
by Renée Lukas There’s been a battle cry, calling for more scripts with “strong women characters.” Some writers think that means more women superheroes, or bad ass women with more body armor and an arsenal of weapons that would put Arnold Schwarzenegger to shame. But is that really what is meant by “strong women characters”? [...]
Screenwriter. Novelist. Consultant.
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