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BASIC INSTINCT, BLADE RUNNER, inevitable surprise, plot twist, SEVEN, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, THE SIXTH SENSE, TOTAL RECALL - February 09, 2022

CRAFTING THE TWIST ENDING

A plot twist at the end is always fun. And when it comes to the thriller genre, a twist ending is almost a requirement. However, I have read a lot of thriller scripts that lack the end twist. Or: the writer is aware of the need for a twist, but simply dumps it on the page without crafting the story toward it; the twist is just a thing that happens, empty non sequitur. Instead of “Ah-ha!” it’s “Er… huh?” The best way to get a twist ending to land is to craft it around what is called “inevitable surprise.” That...

Combining Genres

In this article, I want to talk about genre. I believe it’s commonly overlooked by new writers and often leads to scripts that aren’t commercially viable, and even if they have a strong concept or story, they aren’t executed in a way that makes it easy to sell, or even digest as a reader. Moreover, new writers tend to write scripts that combine genres in a way that makes their story miss both. Combing genres is VERY HARD TO DO, but we will also look at examples of how they are done well. To start, does your script easily fit...

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