Scriptcake

Your protagonist wants something. You've made that perfectly clear. But what if they want the wrong thing? In this episode, we look at the difference between having a goal and having a goal powerful enough to drive an entire screenplay.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

You want the audience to like your protagonist. Of course you do. But sometimes trying too hard to make a character likable does exactly the opposite. In this episode, we look at why being "nice" might be one of the things keeping your protagonist from coming alive.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Welcome to our new series on issues with Protagonists in your screenplay. In this series, we will look at a number of issues with protagonists and help you try to solve them. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode in this series.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It happens to us on a regular basis. We deny something that is inevitable. We deny our hopes and dreams. We deny so many things that we know we shouldn't. Once you figure out why, then you've figured out a massive plot point for a screenplay.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It is imperative that you do and don't write about your life. Is that confusing? If so, listen to this weeks podcast and get a little clarity.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Don't do it. Overexplaining is an epidemic in screenwriting. Find out why and how to avoid it in this episode. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Sometimes we get lost during the screenwriting process. It's hard to stay clear on what we're writing about. External factors influence us. We research things that impact our original ideas. How do we keep it all clear? Well, we go back to the beginning, to our Focus Point. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Alvaro Rodriguez is a writer, producer, and composer. He began his career by working as a composer on El Mariachi in 1992. He has since expanded into film and television writing and producing. He has written on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Machete, Seis Manos, American Rust, Chicago Fire and Florida Man.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Have you completed a feature film and people love the idea of it but when they read it, it doesn't resonate with them? That's probably because there's no story behind your story. Listen to find out what the issue is.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Paul Chitlik is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, director, and internationally respected educator who has written for major studios and networks in both English and Spanish. He served as story editor for MGM/UA’s The New Twilight Zone and staff writer for Showtime’s Brothers, and has developed features for numerous production companies. He earned a Writers Guild of America nomination for The Twilight Zone, a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Los Beltrán, and a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family film.He wrote, produced, and directed the feature The Wedding Dress. A longtime UCLA instructor and clinical professor at Loyola Marymount University, Chitlik has taught screenwriting worldwide and is the author of the influential craft book Rewrite. In this podcast, we discuss Paul's latest book - The Screenwriting Sensei.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Are you having a hard time adapting a real life experience to a screenplay. It's probably because of the personal story problem. Listen and see if fixing this can help you write a better screenplay.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

As a new year is upon us, it's time to think about what we want to accomplish this year as screenwriters. What are your screenwriting resolutions?Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

A lot of screenwriters get confused when rewriting their screenplays. What constitutes an actual rewrite? Listen and find out. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It's probably the most overlooked element in a scene. Understand the power of choosing the right location for your scene to take place. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Diane Drake is a screenwriter who is best known for writing Only You (1994) and What Women Want (2000).She is also the author of the screenwriting book, Get Your Story Straight. Click the link to get it on Amazon.Diane will be a mentor at the Rocaberti Writers Retreat in Figueres, Spain, March 2026To find press and podcasts featuring Diane, click here.To read an extended interview with Diane, click here.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Oftentimes, screenwriters miss writing half of their movie because they never ask the question and, as a result, they never answer it. Listen to find out if you're asking the right question.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

What are the layers of information that an audience receives when they are watching a scene? It's a lot more data than you think. Listen to learn more!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

As a former script reader, I've seen it all. There are so many things that make a reader, producer, financier or distributor pass on your film. If it's the story, that's one thing but if it's any of these mistakes, you're cutting your legs off before you even begin walking through your screenwriting career. Make sure you avoid all of these mistakes before you send your screenplay to anyone!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Sabrina Dhawan's debut feature as screenwriter, Monsoon Wedding, won the ‘Leon D’Oro’ at the Venice Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination. Sabrina’s other produced screenplay credits include Kaminey, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj for UTV; Ishqiya, directed by Abhishek Chaubey for Shemaroo Entertainment. 11.9.01, directed by Nair for Canal Plus; Cosmopolitan for PBS; Rangoon, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj.  She served as co-producer on Bollywood Hero, a mini-series for IFC and as story consultant on Bharadwaj’s Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola and wrote a documentary Greatest Love Story Ever Told to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema for UTV and Shekhar Kapoor.Sabrina has been commissioned to write for include UTV, 20th Century Fox, HBO, Disney, Fox-Star, Killer Films, ABC Family and Fox Searchlight.Her student short Saanjh – As Night Falls won ‘Best of the Festival’ at the Palm Springs Film Festival; ‘Most Original Film’ from New Line Cinema, ‘Audience Impact’ Award at Angelus Awards, and was nominated for a Student Academy Award.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Sometimes I get confused. I stick to structure to such an extent it keeps me from maximizing my scenes. Though I still believe you need a solid foundation structure to make your screenplay work, I now also believe that you can sway from it on a scene-by-scene basis to maximize your scenes, to take them to 11.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Ever wonder what it's like to have your film nominated for an Academy Award? Krushan Naik walks us through his experience as a producer/editor of the Oscar-nominated short film Anuja.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Do you ever get bogged down while writing your screenplay wondering what you should focus on? Do I need to work on the protagonist, the antagonist, the concept, the visuals, the action, the dialogue, the sub plots or what? I know that happens to me and I finally figured out a way to look at it that helps me clearly see what I need to focus on - The Primary Objective!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

This fabulous talk with Jacob Krueger is full of amazing insight, valuable lessons and thoughtful commentary on the screenwriting process. I know I learned a lot and I'm pretty sure you will too!Learn more on Jake's teaching at: www.writeyourscreenplay.comSupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It a question that I get asked all the time. Listen to hear my thoughts on it!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

This week I've heard a lot of excuses from a lot of screenwriters and I'd like to address them. Enjoy!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

This is a fantastic, fun interview with Screenwriter Jeff Bushell who has written for The Bernie Mac Show, Drawn Together, MADtv, What I Like About You, and Zoey 101. He most recently wrote Ricky Stanicky starring Zach Efron and John Cena.He also created and wrote the film Beverly Hills Chihuahua which was inspired by his dog, Maggie. Bushell won the Peabody Award and the Television Critics Award for his work on The Bernie Mac Show.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Enjoy this great conversation with RB, a screenwriter and filmmaker who created Stage 32 to help artists learn and network with one another. RB discusses his journey into filmmaking as well as sharing his advice on how to advance your career in the industry. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

A great way to make sure your plot works is to find a model movie to work off of. I do it with every project I can. I find a movie that has a similar core and it helps me figure out what needs to happen fairly quickly. Listen to find out more!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

What makes you pick a location for a scene? What is your thought process? Is it random, deeply thought out or wherever? Listen to this podcast to learn a great way to pick your locations. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

This is a device that helps inspire me to write and it also helps to keep me in touch with the many layers of a screenplay that I need to be thinking of when writing. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

What is it that connects your conceptual story to your emotional story? Listen and find out!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

I'm excited to introduce you to one of my mentors, Jessie Keyt. Listen as we talk about her book, Alternative Scriptwriting: Contemporary Storytelling for the Screen.Her research interests include climate-change storytelling, alternative scriptwriting, and artist-built environments. I was blown away by how much I learned from her in such a short time and I'm sure you will be too. For more information on Jessie, check out her website:www.jessiekeyt.comSupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Most screenwriters don't realize what decisions they need to make first. It may surprise you.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

One question I get asked all the time is: 'How do I stay motivated?'The first thing I say is you're asking the wrong question. Listen to find out more. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

In this episode I want to share a little about my experience at the Nostos Screenwriting Retreat as well as. one of golden nuggets of information I learned - The Zero Draft.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Kevin J. Anderson is the bestselling author of more than 160 science fiction and fantasy novels. He's written original novels and in the following worlds: Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan AE, and more. The TV series Dune: Prophecy is based on a novel he co-wrote with Brian Herbert. He is also a creative consultant on Dune Part One and a co-producer on Dune Part Two.Learn about his creative process and the advice he has for aspiring writers.He also heads the publishing track of the  Graduate Program for Creative Writing at Western Colorado University. CLICK HERE ==>> FOR FREE SCREENPLAY OUTLINE COURSESupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

I'm feeling reflective because this is our 100th Scriptcake Podcast. I'm looking back on all of the little steps we took to get here. I think you should take a few minutes do the same and see how far you've come. I raise a glass to you - Cheers! Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

I don't know about you, but I often feel like an imposter. I think it's a struggle we all have and the only way to deal with it is to go through it. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of screenplays from up and coming screenwriters and they all seem to have one thing in common - they are one-dimensional. That's not a good thing. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Bryan Dick has been a prolific writer in the cable movie space, having amassed nearly 30 credits of produced projects. His latest "Prey For the Bride" premiered on Tubi in 2024.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Too many screenwriters think that the concept for your movie is the story. Learn what its job really is in this podcast. Check out our YouTube page here: ScriptcakeWant to take our screenplay outline video course for FREE? Then click here: https://www.scriptcake.com/free-accessSupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It's a question I get asked all the time. Do you really need to take a screenwriting course? Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

An insightful conversation with Chris Lockhart, Hollywood’s foremost story professional.  He is an executive,  filmmaker, and educator with over 30 years of industry experience.  As Story Editor at WME, the world's largest diversified talent agency, Chris curates film and TV projects for A-list actors such as Denzel Washington. He has read over 60,000 screenplays in his career. ​Chris also founded a Facebook group called The Inside Pitch, where he moderates 15,000+ creatives and offers daily advice and feedback on the Hollywood script maze.  Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

I came across an interesting term called 'Multiple Discovery' while doing some research for a project. Though it is a scientific term it really hit me how well it applies to the arts. Take a few moments to listen to my comments on Multiple Discovery and how we can use it to motivate ourselves on our projects.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

We have a lot of expectations for ourselves. We expect to improve and to grow and live great lives but sometimes we let our expectations out of hand like I did after I wrote my first screenplay. We need to learn from our own expectations.We also need to make sure we know what our characters expectations are in every scene. Check out this podcast to learn more.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Amazingly insightful Talk with Alan Watt who is an L.A. Times best-selling author and screenwriter as well as consultant to some of Hollywood's top writers and producers. He has won a number of awards for his writing including France's 2004 Prix Printemps (best foreign novel) for Diamond Dogs. He is also the writer/director of the award-winning feature film Interior NightHe founded L.A. Writers' Lab in 2002 as a place for writers to deepen their craft by learning to marry the wildness of their imaginations to the rigor of story structure. He has taught everyone from award-winning authors and A-list screenwriters, to journalists, poets, actors, professional athletes, war veterans, housewives, doctors, lawyers, television showrunners, and anyone else with a story to tell.Learn more about Alan and his work here ==>> https://lawriterslab.comSupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

The five W's are standard questions that every writer uses but when writing screenplays two of them are more important than the others. Listen and learn which ones and why!To learn more about my new screenplay outlining course, click the link below:www.scriptcake.comSupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

This is an amazing conversation with Tom Schulman encapsulating the following:- His screenwriting process- Writing "Dead Poets Society", "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", "Medicine  Man" and more- Being a part of the 2023 WGA negotiations team Watch Tom's latest movie "Double Down South" here:https://geni.us/DoubleDownSouthSupport the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

There is often a tug-of-war going on between structure and creativity. Which one of them is more important? Which one of them should you focus on? Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

How do you write a layered story before you even start? You have to have your concept connected to your story. Well, how do you do that? That's what this podcast will tell you how to do. Check it out!Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.