Happy writing,
Peg
Peg Long
Screenwriter
peggysueresults@...
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is
not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's
indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” 
Elie Wiesel
http://peglongscreenwriter.blog.com/
Best to you link:
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4f4455354e44497a4e673d3d0d0a&blogview=true
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4e7a4d774d7a41324d773d3d0d0a&blogview=true
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May 2009







IN THIS ISSUE

THE KEY ELEMENTS OF STAGE TWO

Q&A

MAY SUBSCRIBER SUBMISSION

JUNE SUBSCRIBER SUBMISSIONS

WRITING MISDEMEANORS

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER



"I divide my career as a writer into two categories: before I encountered the
teachings of Michael Hauge, and after. His ideas are that powerful. I recently
got a very lucrative book deal for my first book. More than any other single
person, Michael is responsible for getting me to that level as a storyteller."
 
- Josh Sundquist, Author: The Sum of My Parts





Greetings -
 
I am very excited to announce that this week Write Brothers is releasing the
Michael Hauge Story Structure Template for Movie Magic Screenwriter 6. The
template allows you to get my principles, techniques and advice for plot
structure, character development, character arc, love stories and theme as you
are writing your screenplay. Best of all, it's a free download for all current
Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 users, and will be included in the program in all
future editions.
 
To give you a better idea of the kind of information and guidance it contains,
this month's article on the key elements of Stage II of your story or screenplay
is taken directly from the template.



For a complete video demonstration of the template, click here.  If you're
already MM Screenwriter 6 user and would like to download the template, just
click here. And to purchase Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 (including the free
template) at a special discounted price, click here.
I hope you enjoy the article, and all the other features in this month's
newsletter. And thank you to all of you who were kind enough to respond to our
recent survey. The new, simpler color scheme and layout of the newsletter is a
result of your responses.
 
All the best -
 
Michael 






                                   THE KEY
ELEMENTS OF STAGE TWO
(From the Michael Hauge Story Structure Template for Movie Magic Screenwriter
6)
 
Stage II of a properly structured story begins at the 10% mark of a screenplay,
where the hero is led into the New Situation that starts to move the story
forward. If you're unfamiliar with my approach to structure, please click here
for an article outlining the Six Stages and Five Key Turning Points. Or for a
detailed explanation, including the Six Stages' relationship to character arc
and theme, get the DVD or CD of The Hero's 2 Journeys.
 
Turning Point #1 - OPPORTUNITY - 10%
At the 10% point in your screenplay (page 10-12), you must present your hero
with an OPPORTUNITY: something must happen to your hero which has never happened
before, which creates a desire or need to move to Stage II: a NEW SITUATION.
 
Stage II - New Situation
For the next 15% of the script, your hero must find herself somewhere she has
never been. Often this new situation involves an actual change of location. The
hero's primary goal in Stage II is to acquire information, figure out what's
going on, and/or get acclimated to her new surroundings. The key elements of the
NEW SITUATION are:
 
1. Glimpsing the Hero's Essence
The hero's ESSENCE is what he has the potential to become - the inner truth
that  will emerge as he finds the emotional courage necessary to pursue his
goal. In Stage II, the hero should get a glimpse of what living in his essence
might look like. (When Shrek first tells the fairy tale creatures that he is
going to get Lord Farquaad to send them back home, they all cheer - and for the
first time he sees what being connected to others might mean.)

To continue reading this article, click here...




Q&A

 
We received a great response from my critique of Anne Jordan's opening scene
last month, including some interesting comments from Christopher Weismantel
which, along with my response, I think you will find helpful. (If you missed
last month's Newsletter, or would like to reread her scene and my comments,
click here).
 
Dear Michael,
 
Overall, I enjoyed your comments and thought that they were very helpful. Thanks
for letting us read them.  If you'll allow it, I did take issue with a couple
of your comments:
 
To continue reading the Q & A, click here...




                                        \
  MAY SUBSCRIBER SUBMISSION
 
Thanks again for all of the submissions we received for this month's Newsletter.
I selected an opening scene by Russ Meyer of New Prague, Minnesota. Russ was one
of the few people who submitted his opening last month, then rewrote it and
submitted it again, greatly improved. I think that kind of commitment should be
rewarded. So thank you, Russ, for your courage and your tenacity.
 
To read Russ' opening scene, followed by my comments, click here. ENJOY! 




JUNE SUBSCRIBER SUBMISSIONS
 
Next month's subscriber submissions will be much shorter. I'm going to critique
several examples of SETTING DESCRIPTIONS. So if you'd like your work to be
considered for selection in the next Newsletter, just email me a description of
any new setting in your story. It can occur anywhere - not just in the opening
scene. The passage should be no more than one or two paragraphs at most - and
might be only a sentence or two. I'll be looking to see if your description
creates a vivid image, draws us into the scene, creates a tone or mood, and is
(or at least might be) reflective of the characters that will populate that
setting. And so that my many novelist clients and subscribers are not
shortchanged, this can be a setting within a MANUSCRIPT as well as a screenplay.
I'll pick at least one of each to discuss next month.




WRITING MISDEMEANORS
These crimes may not get your screenplay or manuscript rejected, but you should
be punished for them... 
 

#2 NO DESCRIPTION: Your job as a screenwriter is to create a movie in the mind
of your readers. You must draw us into your story by providing a clear picture
of what we'll see on the screen when we watch your film. You can't do that
without description! Heading a scene EXT. CHICAGO or INT. APARTMENT and then
jumping right into dialogue creates no image at all, and is more of a felony
than a misdemeanor. It will definitely kill your chances for a deal. Even action
alone doesn't do the job. "She answers the door," or, "She pokes out his eye,"
may create a picture, but it's so vague and indistinct that the reader will
become bored or frustrated. Even if you're a novelist -- I should say especially
if you're a novelist -- you must employ succinct, vivid description along with
your narration, action and dialogue. We want to imagine your characters, inhabit
your settings and be transported into the world you've created. So describe
it!  




 CLICK HERE and Subscribe to our Newsletter! 
 
Please visit www.ScreenplayMastery.com to check out Michael's other articles,
plus his coaching packages, lecture schedule, and products.  




Until the next newsletter... 
 

Always be on the lookout for great ideas!










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