Screenwriter Blog Posts

5 Quick & Easy Ways To Establish Credibility In Your Query Letter

When you write a query letter, your first and foremost challenge is to summarize your 100+ page story to a paragraph-or-two-long pitch that gets people ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

How Do I Get a Literary Agent for My Script so Producers Will Read It? — ASK SMART GIRL SERIES

I have just started a new series of posts called ASK SMART GIRL! Each week or so I will be answering some of the questions ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

The Truth About Getting Your Screenwriting Credit

Along with selling a screenplay, early on, one of your first goals should be to get a “Screenplay By” credit on a produced movie—even if ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Planning for Success in Screenwriting: Actions (Part 2 of 2)

As I covered in Part 1 of Success in Screenwriting, there are two types of goals: 1. Results Goals: These are the final results you ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Interest A Star With A Great Character Arc

A great Character Arc not only makes a story work, but it’s “acting bait” for a movie star. Every action your main character takes should be toward ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

How To Write a Good Screenplay: 3 Key Objectives For Every Scene

https://youtu.be/5rR_kFsjeR4 When writing a screenplay, many screenwriters want to hurry and get their first draft on the page without doing a lot of planning because just ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

How to Write Captivating Script Dialogue

One of the biggest challenges in writing a great screenplay, even for seasoned writers, is writing strong script dialogue. The truth is that if you ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Do You Have a Hook In Your Screenplay Logline?

When you pitch your screenplay to a Hollywood executive, whether in a one-on-one pitch in person or in a query letter, your story needs to ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Three Screenplay Pitch Openings That Hook Audiences Instantly

When it comes time to market and sell your screenplay, you will need to learn to pitch your screenplay -- both on paper and out ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Is Your Screenplay Dragging, Confusing, or Too Short? Check This First

Is Your Screenplay Dragging, Confusing, or Too Short? Check Its Central Question In this blog post, I want to address one of the problems I ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Five Tips For Making Sure Your Screenplay Has Commercial Potential

You may have lots of ideas for screenplays or you may have only one. But before you write any of them, consider whether your premise ...

Written by

Melody Jackson

Screenwriting 101: A Practical Guide for First-Time Screenwriters

Just finished your first screenplay draft? This practical guide for first-time screenwriters offers a step-by-step checklist to strengthen your concept, structure, formatting, and rewrites.

Written by

Melody Jackson