by Jenna | May 24, 2021 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the next installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag!
This month’s question is about getting past feeling stumped and how to find an “idea person” to help make that happen:
“My writing style is that I get an idea and start writing to see where the story goes. I don’t do outlines. I’ve gotten ideas for stories from thinking up a name, or a killer last line comes to me, or from a writing prompt. I’ve written complete novels from those particular starts. A few of those I set aside for months (or years) before the idea for where to take the story comes to me. On one I’m working on now, I’m about 10,000 words in and stumped. I need an idea person. My question is: are there idea people who can take your progress and give you thoughts for where the story should go? I write really well if I have a direction to go. I don’t need someone to write the story for me, I just would love a shove in the right direction.”
I love the many rich layers in this question. Let’s dive in.
To start, there absolutely are “idea people” out there. From writing coaches to story experts to script mentors, you can find someone to help you tackle story problems and figure out what comes next. Sometimes it’s incredibly helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of and get input from to help us move past the places we get stumped.
And I want to plant the seed that this may be a place to grow your structure and development skillset as well. Even if you’re not a writer who likes to outline, you may still benefit from sorting out the big moves in your story so you can write toward them as you pants your way through your actual writing.
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by Jenna | Apr 18, 2021 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the next installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag!
This month’s question is specifically about finishing, and when — or if — to give up on a project:
“How can I deal with the indecision that comes with looking at what I’m writing and reaching a point at which I say, “I never should have started this in the first place — no one will care about this, this is unoriginal, this has no chance of selling, what was I thinking?” I don’t see a point at continuing and then go on to the next potentially shiny object. Very frustrating and totally within my control. What do you recommend?”
Great question! In order to help you answer it, I have some questions for you.
“The first thing to consider is whether or not this inner voice speaking up is the voice of resistance, or the voice of intuition.”
For my four questions to consider and my full answer,
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
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by Jenna | Mar 21, 2021 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the first installment of my new “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag!
This month’s question is specifically about the three-act structure in screenwriting:
“What I’m running into is the common criticism that my stories are not strongly three-act. They have a beginning setup, mounting problem, and ending resolution — good stories, I’m told — but tension doesn’t build in common cinematic form. Yet, I watch produced movies even less three-act structured. What am I missing?”
As your coach-of-the-moment, here’s how I’ll approach this question with you. Let’s look at the core components inherent in the question: how films get made (to address your comment about the produced movies), the source of the feedback, the value and strength of the three-act structure overall, and the impact of your own work.
“Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
— Neil Gaiman
For my full answer on three-act structure, how to look for a note beneath a note, and digging deeper into improving your next draft
Image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay
by Jenna | Feb 23, 2021 | ScriptMag Articles
My new “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag launched this week!
As a writing coach, I answer a lot of questions for writers about how to make the work of writing actually happen. As you may already know, I specialize in helping writers get out of their own way and back on track with what they were put here to do.
In this monthly column, I’ll be answering your questions, anonymously, about navigating the ups and downs of writing, being a writer, and living a writer’s life, specific to your unique circumstances.
This is a judgment-free, guilt-free zone. It doesn’t matter what you have or haven’t done, so far.
What matters is what comes next. Ask me your most pressing questions, and my goal will be to help find a solution that works for you.
For a sampling of topics writers often ask about and to submit your own question
read the article on Script Mag here:
Ask the Coach: Your Writing Questions, Answered
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by Jenna | Aug 21, 2017 | Science Fiction, ScriptMag Articles
A new article over on ScriptMag about Stasis with writer-director Nicole Jones-Dion.
Sci-Fi Circuit columnist Jenna Avery interviews writer-director Nicole Jones-Dion about her feature length film, Stasis, and her lessons learned for up-and-coming sci-fi screenwriters. [read more at ScriptMag]
Image courtesy of XLrator Media
by Jenna | May 31, 2016 | Science Fiction, ScriptMag Articles
A new article on the ScriptMag blog about making the most of sci-fi, with screenwriting expert Scott Myers.
In my ongoing quest to make my sci-fi scripts the best they can possibly be — and help you do the same — I reached out to Scott Myers to get his take on the best way to break into the sci-fi market as well as his perspective on places where he commonly sees… [read more at ScriptMag]
Image by prettysleepy1 from Pixabay
