Screenwriting : Today's Wish and Creative Tip by Laurie Ashbourne

The Screenwriter’s Conundrum day 3 Stating what happened isn’t storytelling. Storytelling is so much more than a retelling of events, yet screenwriters are commanded to NOT write in heavy prose, or word for word dialogue, in fact the script is usually referred to as a blueprint for the film. I ask you, when was the last time you were gripped and on the edge of your seat by reading a blueprint? Each day this week, I’ll offer a nugget that can help your screenplay build with blocks of emotion, as a good story should. Today is number 3: Convey the Stakes Good stories involve something important to be gained or lost. If there's nothing at stake, the listener has no incentive to get involved in the story. Often the hero is fighting for life itself or perhaps to save the entire planet from destruction in the big super hero flicks so that’s easy to set up – but the stories that really resonate are the ones where the stakes are personal and they help us empathize with not just the hero but also the bad guy in her way. Remember to give your bad guy a stake in the game too. A no mistake day to you all.