Writing Process – Plot (Part 2: Character and Premise)

by paulneuhaus | Aug 27, 2018 | Writing

I’ve concluded that plotting for plot’s sake is a mathematical exercise doomed to yield soulless results. Starting with plot and ending with plot isn’t storytelling, it’s puzzle-making. There is now and always has been a market for these sorts of puzzles — the Mystery...

Writing Process – Plot (Part 1: Coming to Grips)

by paulneuhaus | Aug 26, 2018 | Writing

I have a mental/emotional block when it comes to hashing out plot. I take some comfort in knowing I’m not alone in this, but Ive decided that it’s time to address the problem directly. Heres a window into my longstanding M.O.: I create a character and follow him...

The Riskin Test

by paulneuhaus | Aug 24, 2018 | Writing

Listen up. This is important. There’s a test people apply to movies and television called the Bechdel Test. Here’s the gist from Wikipedia: “The Bechdel test asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a...

Learn From My (Other) Screenwriting Fail

by paulneuhaus | Aug 4, 2018 | business, Writing

I’ve already talked about my Lost Weekend away from screenwriting. In a nutshell, I choked and sank into a deep depression, unable to produce a word for months. This time I want to talk about something more practical. I can sum it up with a cliche: “Check yourself...