WHEN WRITING A STORY FROM SCRATCH (especially if you are making it up as you go along) the subconscious is continually asking questions, mainly:     ‘what happens next?’ And if you come up with an answer to your subconscious question you will call this a ‘creative thought’. But really it was the answer to a question you asked on autopilot.   Questions and answers are the single most important thing in the CREATION of your story.  ...

SO, YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A SCREENPLAY?   If there is something you can learn how to do—and providing you want to learn how to do it—you could learn how to do that thing to an OK standard, right? And if you can learn how to do it to an OK standard, there is no reason you couldn't learn how to do it to an excellent standard, no? So tell me something that you can’t learn how to do? Don’t listen to people who say things like you either have it or yo...

Industry Screenwriter agrees to be ManIFF’s Stig! FREE SCREENWRITING WEB COURSE Every great film begins with a great story and Manchester International Film Festival is excited to announce its very own ‘Secret Screenwriter’ web course. ManIFF’s chosen ‘Stig’ of the film world is donning his screenwriting helmet and is offering his knowledge to all our followers in the run up to the inaugural Manchester International Film Festival 2015. Whether you follow his...