The Screenwriter's Troubleshooter: The Most Common Screenwriting Problems and How to Solve Them

by Emmanuel Oberg

Overview

Note: ISBN 9780995498150 has color interior, ISBN 9780995498167 has B&W interior.

In The Screenwriter's Troubleshooter, Emmanuel Oberg offers a unique and indispensable survival kit for Film and TV creatives.

Are you an experienced writer dealing with development notes , sometimes unsure how to translate them into actionable steps? Would you embrace advice that could lead you past the symptom or suggestion straight to the core of the problem and to finally cracking that rewritein time to meet your looming deadline?

Are you a new writer, eager to figure out why some of your manuscripts are getting rejected or why you're having trouble attracting an agent? Do you wish you could quickly and efficiently diagnose what's not working in your projects, improve all aspects of your writing and advance your career to the next stage?

Or maybe you're a producer, director or story editor working with writers. Do you ever struggle to articulate in a precise yet non-prescriptive way what you intuitively know isn't working in a script? Would you welcome a development resource designed to increase your chances of receiving a new draft that's not only different but better?

Emmanuel Oberg, author of the international bestseller on script development Screenwriting Unchained, delivers all this and more with the eagerly second volume in the Story-Type Method series, The Screenwriter's Troubleshooter.

Building on his groundbreaking approach, Oberg identifies forty of the most common screenwriting problems and helps anyone involved in the script development process to resolve them. He explains in a clear, conversational style the causes leading to each problem and offers no-nonsense, actionable advice towards an organic, effective and creative solution.

So if you'd like to know what to do when no one cares about your protagonist, or how to address a weak set-up, avoid the dreaded sagging midpoint, tackle an unsatisfying ending and solve dozens of other common screenwriting problems, look no further!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780995498150
Publisher:	Screenplay Unlimited Publishing
Publication date:	10/02/2019
Series:	With the Story-Type Method , #2
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Use This Book

The Most Common Screenwriting Problems

01. We Don’t Care About the Protagonist

02. We Don’t Care About the Story

03. The Story Takes Too Long to Start

04. The Story Is Linear, Feels Predictable

05. The Characters Are Flat, Two-Dimensional

06. The Character Logic Is Fuzzy

07. The Story Sags in the Middle

08. The Story Is Confusing

09. The Screenplay Is Too Dry or Not Visual Enough

10. The Ending Doesn’t Work

11. The Screenplay Is Written Like a Novel

12. The Characters Are Too Similar

13. The Characters Are Stereotypes or Clichés

14. The Characters’ Backstories Are Irrelevant / Pointless

15. The Dialogue Is Cheesy, Full of Action Movie Clichés

16. The Scenes Are Aimless, There Is No Dramatic Conflict

17. The Script Loses the Plot in the Third Act

18. There Is No Clear Protagonist

19. The Script Feels Formulaic

20. The Conflict Is Artificial or Inconsequential

21. There Is Too Much Dialogue

22. The Ending Is an Anti-Climax

23. The Ending Is a Deus Ex Machina

24. There Is No Clear Antagonist

25. The Narrative Is Episodic or Repetitive

26. The Villains or Antagonists Are Weak or Unconvincing

27. The Script Is Cold, Unemotional

28. The Protagonist Is Not Strong Enough

29. The Plot Is Slowed Down By Unconnected Storylines

30. The Script Contains Too Much Exposition

31. The Drama / Conflict Is Told But Not Shown

32. The Script Privileges Style Over Substance

33. The Tone of the Script Is Unclear

34. Too Many Questions Are Left Unanswered

35. The Script Is Unnecessarily Complex

36. The Supernatural Element Is Too Vague

37. The Protagonist Is a Conventional Hero

38. The Plot Is Contrived

39. The Theme Overshadows the Story

40. The Premise Is an Artificial Excuse For Action

Conclusion

Story-Type Method Glossary

If You Want to Find Out More...

Editorial Reviews

What People Say About Oberg's Story-Type Method

"A highly refreshing approach to the subject and one highly recommended to everyone, from the aspiring screenwriter to the overburdened development exec." —Dan MacRae, Head of UK Development, StudioCanal

"The Story-Type Method cuts through to the essence and guides you when you are lost." —Matthias Hoene, Multi-award winning film and content-branded director

"The way Oberg devises a properly 'unified theory' that is creatively rather than orthodoxy led makes it a fabulous one-stop, practical tool box for writers and developers." —E. J. Clarke, Head of Film and TV at ShoeBox Films and author

From the Publisher