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 [...]
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? [...]
An Idea vs. a Premise by Renée J. Lukas We writers are often immersed in our stories for so long, it’s sometimes hard to sit back and look at the big picture of our story. Sometimes, while writing our treatment, the story still feels like a piece of dough that’s not taking shape. If your [...]
by Renée J. Lukas Screenwriting is the art of telling a story in the most economical way. That’s why it’s so difficult, because many of us writers want to explain the heck out of everything. When you try to master the craft of screenwriting, you have to cut the fat and get to the heart [...]
If you’re in middle age, you hope you have a roof over your head and can look in the mirror without saying, “Where in hell has my face gone?” If you can say yes to both of those, you’re already ahead of the game. If, according to Oprah, your life has been whispering to you [...]
by Renée Lukas (In a previous blog I mentioned how hard it can be for writers approaching middle age to steer their career in the right direction. Today’s topic: screenwriting.) As Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, “If it was easy everyone would do it.” Some careers feel more like a calling. [...]
by Renée Lukas Me at my first book signing I’ve always defined myself by what I do. I’m a writer. I can’t imagine retiring. In fact, I expect to have a notebook in my hand on my deathbed. Imagine how unsettling it is to realize I’m in middle age and wondering about—and still working toward—the [...]
by Renée J. Lukas It’s the bane of every writer’s existence: “Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, it doesn’t meet our needs at this time.” It’s so vague! You wonder, what exactly didn’t meet their needs? Why don’t they say: “Your main character isn’t likeable,” or “You really use the word ‘really’ too much”? They [...]
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