Derek Rydall
Articles by Derek Rydall
10 Power Principles to Screenwriting Success
Bring your screenwriting up to the power level with these 10 quick-reference tips from author/screenwriter/script consultant Derek Rydall.
1. DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE EVERY DAY
Write something every day - whether it's your project or an assignment. If you find yourself stuck just staring at a blank screen, try staring at a great script instead -- and try t... (read more)
Bulletproof your Script against Reader Rejection
As a produced screenwriter and script consultant, I have had the privilege of interviewing and working with dozens of studio and production company script readers. And what I've discovered are a handful of key things that they look for when judging a script - things other than overall storytelling - things that get you rejected, or seriously discredited, before the... (read more)
Opening Your Art
As conscious artists and enlightened-entertainers-in-training, we have to fight a never-ending battle for our art. Or so it seems. Our implements of war are not guns and bombs, but awareness and attention. And the only enemy we ever truly have to face is "the enemy within our own household." (Mystically speaking, this refers to our consciousness.) Finally, the greatest "act of war" we can take is... (read more)
Writing is Rewriting
As a screenwriter, you may use other script consultants to critique your material, but inevitably you'll need to master the ability to analyze your own work. This can be a difficult task, somewhat akin to trying to look at your own face (without a mirror). If you are going to write at a level that sells, however, you will need to rewrite.
And rewrite. And rewrite.
But do not des... (read more)