Tag Archives: Screenwriting

Guidelines for a New Year

Posted on January 3, 2022 by heidihornbacher

I’ve spent the last year learning hard lessons and getting my creative house in order. 2021 was a slow and painful but hopeful process of taking steps to honor myself and my work, to exit negative situations, and to learn … Continue reading →

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LUCA and the Missing Stakes

Posted on August 2, 2021 by heidihornbacher

As lovers of all things Italy, we naturally couldn’t wait to see the new Disney Pixar animated feature, Luca, set in a fictionalized version of Cinque Terre’s Riomaggiore on the Ligurian coast. The film is a sort of updated mash-up of The … Continue reading →

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The Central Line: Giri/Haji

Posted on February 8, 2021 by heidihornbacher

One of my favorite concepts we discuss in our rewrite workshops is the central line. I challenge writers to find a line of dialog in their script that reveals who the protagonist is. Sometimes they are surprised to discover these … Continue reading →

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The Queen’s Gambit: The Narrative Power of a Strong Character Arc

Posted on December 8, 2020 by heidihornbacher

As we sat engrossed by the last episode of the marvelous Netflix limited series, The Queen’s Gambit, it hit me that one of the (many) reasons it succeeds is the strong character arc of protagonist Beth. Sure, the solid source material, … Continue reading →

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Scene Transitions: A Secret Weapon for Story Momentum

Posted on November 19, 2020 by heidihornbacher

You may already know the fundamental ways of increasing momentum and tension in your script: get into scenes late and get out early; craft scenes around your protagonist’s pursuit of a goal; hold onto your central mystery as long as … Continue reading →

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Consistent Character

Posted on August 31, 2020 by heidihornbacher

One thing I talk about with writers is the importance of doing background development work on your characters. This helps ensure they behave consistently throughout your story, run by the fears, hopes, and dreams that shaped them. As the story … Continue reading →

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Made In Italy – In Search of Stakes

Posted on August 17, 2020 by heidihornbacher

“You haven’t seen Made in Italy?” one of our Orvieto alums gasped. I know. I’m a cliche. I love Italy to the point I married an Italian; I have my citizenship; and we run our annual screenwriting retreats there. I … Continue reading →

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Secondary Characters

Posted on April 8, 2019 by heidihornbacher

I’m working on a script right now, and I have been intently focused on nailing the protagonist and antagonist arcs to perfection. They are best friends who end up as enemies when a difficult coming-of-age event sets them on different … Continue reading →

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Wrong Reasons

Posted on March 25, 2019 by heidihornbacher

I was chatting with a fellow script coach about her new client. She was excited about his project; it was a really cool premise; and he seemed open to feedback—always important to ask even though it seems obvious. She was, … Continue reading →

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Barf Drafts

Posted on March 4, 2019 by heidihornbacher

“The outline’s done! Write the script and we’ll be in production!” declared a director friend I’d been working with. My heart palpitated. As one of my favorite Coen brothers character says: “would that t’were so simple.” We’d worked on the … Continue reading →

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