TRICKS OF THE TRADE: KEEPING YOUR READERS ATTENTION

1. Find the Whys

“We look at why you want to tell this story, you know, what’s keeping you up late at night. We’re in the business of connection, so be you on the page. We’re in the business of transparency, so we just want to see you on the page – it doesn’t matter in what form.” – Jen Goyne Blake (Founding Director, Episodic Lab at the Sundance Institute; Executive Producer, Diversity Hire, Ltd.)

 

2. Be in Command of Your Language

“What you’re looking for is some sort of twist or some sort of surprise or some sort of you know something unexpected. I can tell within the first couple of lines on a page, are you confident in your writing? So we want to make sure that you’re confident, that you are in command of your language, that your character is popping.” – Kelly Edwards (author The Executive Chair)

 

3. Dialogue is key

“When I read a script, I look at characters and dialogue because I want a 20-year relationship with this writer, and concepts come and go and we can figure out new concepts but if you can’t get that dialogue that’s a problem.” – Eric Williams (Founding Partner/Literary Manager, Zero Gravity Management)

 

4. Earn Their Attention

“You do your best because you’re competing for attention. You think, how do I earn the next minute of focus? Because you never know what the reader is dealing with.” – Jenna Bond (former Manager of Outreach & Member Services, WGAE)

 

5. Less is More

“It really doesn’t take much to say a lot, that’s what this is about – this is about really trying to convey some really deep things with just a few words.” – Rebecca Windsor (Head, Warner Bros. Television Workshop)

 

Visit onstory.tv for a closer look inside the creative process from today’s leading writers and filmmakers.