Minor spoilers for Widows, Boy Erased, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Front Runner, First Man, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, and Creed II. by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Fleshing out characters can be a complex and tedious task. Deciding what details open up the character for the audience and what's simply minutiae takes maturity that usually only comes with practice... Continue Reading →
Minor spoilers ahead for Widows, A Star is Born, Better Call Saul, and A Beautiful Boy. by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) As often as we all strive for perfection, we rarely appreciate it when we see it in others – including characters in stories. The woman that never has a bad day, the co-worker that’s never in a bad mood, and... Continue Reading →
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Psychologist Carl Jung popularized a term he assigned to fellow analysts with a desire to heal others because they themselves were wounded in some way. He called these individuals wounded healers. This archetype has appeared time and again throughout storytelling. The Greek myth of Chiron tells of a centaur who spent a... Continue Reading →
by Ashley Scott Meyers In this week's episode, I talk with multi-hyphenate Josh Folan about his numerous projects and how he was able to bring them to completion. You can listen to the audio portion of the podcast by clicking here or through iTunes by clicking here. You can also read a transcript of this... Continue Reading →
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Certain archetypal characters seem to appear again and again throughout storytelling history. Many early narratives told tales of youngsters without one or both parents. From Moses to Little Orphan Annie, orphans have served as heroines and heroes in countless stories, even when the plot does not specifically revolve around their abandonment. There’s... Continue Reading →
by Ashley Scott Meyers This week screenwriter and producer Erik Bork (Band of Brothers) talks about his new screenwriting book, The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction. He talks about a number of the lessons that he teaches in the book, including how crucial the basic concept is... Continue Reading →
We are thrilled to announce our very first online course, On Character, presented by John Bucher and Jeremy Casper. Hopefully many of you already know John as your favorite story guru -- he shares insights on LA Screenwriter every Wednesday. What you may not know is that John also teaches writing and filmmaking with his... Continue Reading →
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) There are a number of ways that a writer can begin crafting a story. Many begin with a character – the protagonist. Others begin with a concept. While there is not one “right” way to begin constructing a story, there are many ways to help jump-start the process. One method is to... Continue Reading →
Minor spoilers ahead for Cray Rich Asians, Coco, and Operation Finale. by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) One of the most vital yet least discussed aspects of effective storytelling is the ability to execute potent setups and payoffs. While it may seem like common sense, the demonstration of this skill is often the factor that separates amateur scripts... Continue Reading →
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) The way that a protagonist moves through the world should be filled with challenges and tests of the ego. There is perhaps no better way to accomplish this than by thoughtfully creating differences in power between your character and the others she interacts with. Because there are so many types of power... Continue Reading →
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