Minor spoilers ahead for Bridesmaids, Peppermint, Brokeback Mountain, and Sierra Burgess is a Loser. by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Last week, we looked at principles of story setups and payoffs. We examined how these elements can drive the narrative journey in your script and thus the emotional voyage of the audience. This week, we will concentrate on... Continue Reading →
3 Cures for the Third Act Blues
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) I’ve lost count of the number of writers I’ve consulted with who got stuck after the second act of their script and never finished it. At first glance, this may seem surprising to those who couldn’t imagine stopping after getting through the drudges of the lengthy second act. But most of us... Continue Reading →
4 Ways to Tackle the Third Act of Your Screenplay
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) A great deal of ink has been spilled about endings – in life, in all things we begin, and certainly in writing. Most of us are interested in finishing well. But how does one accomplish such a thing in storytelling? An entire volume could be written about the connection between a good... Continue Reading →
Quote of the Day: Charlie Kaufman
I don't know what the hell a third act is.
Climaxing the Right Way (In Your Script)
This article by Candace Kearns Read lays out some important guidelines to follow while crafting the third act of your script, and particularly the climax: The climax is the action the protagonist chooses to take after facing the moment of crisis, where he or she is pushed to the edge with no way out. This... Continue Reading →