All in Screenwriting

Likable Leads: How To Write Movie Protagonists That Connect (With Examples)

Likable Leads: How To Write Movie Protagonists That Connect (With Examples)

Thomas Waschenfelder
Screenwriting

The note on your screenplay comes in many forms: I’m just not with the main character. The protagonist is not very likable. I’m not connected to their journey. I don’t care enough about them. All of these comments boil down to this: your lead character just isn’t jumping off the page and connecting with your reader. So what do you do? How do you create a likable protagonist in the first few pages that jumps off the page and into the heart of your reader? Here are some ideas to help you write a main character that connects.

Every Scene In Your Screenplay Must Turn

Every Scene In Your Screenplay Must Turn

Thomas Waschenfelder
Screenwriting

Every scene in your screenplay needs a “reason to be.” And that reason is change. If nothing *changes* for your lead character in the scene, it shouldn’t be in your movie. This change can be thought of as a “turn” - the moment where things go from good to bad, bad to worse, bad to good, etc. for your character. And these turns can happen in two ways: through action or information.

How To Write A Screenplay With Enough Conflict To Fill 110 Pages

How To Write A Screenplay With Enough Conflict To Fill 110 Pages

Thomas Waschenfelder
Screenwriting

If you write a screenplay that lacks conflict, it will be boring. And no one will ever tell you it’s boring. They will either 1) ignore you or 2) tell you it was a nice read and to update them as the project moves forward. Both of these are bad. Your writing cannot be boring. Life is boring enough. Writing must be packed full of so much conflict, action, pain, and suffering that your lead character barely makes it out alive (physically or emotionally). Don’t be boring - write conflict instead.

Write A Screenplay With One Lead Character

Write A Screenplay With One Lead Character

Thomas Waschenfelder
Screenwriting

If there’s a single piece of advice I’d give to new screenwriters after reading hundreds of scripts, it would be to AVOID writing an ensemble movie. The task is just too hard. A screenplay must do one thing: connect emotionally with the reader. And the easiest way for the writer to do that is by following the emotional journey of a single character.