More on Screenwriting

Guest blogger Peter Floro on screenwriting and structure.

In my limited experience, I’ve found that structure is essential. If my work is ever optioned, it’s quite possible the studio might want to rewrite it, or the director has ideas, or the actor has ideas, so the dialogue can change. But if the structure is sound, then no matter what is said, the story remains the same because it is anchored in the structure. Blake Snyder's Save the Cat is one of the best examples of explaining story structure. Snyder talks to you, not down to you. My advice is to spend the time beforehand nailing the structure and getting it tight, and the rest will flow.