Brian G. Walsh

A basic tenet of screenwriting is that the protagonist must face down the antagonist near the end of your screenplay. Though this seems obvious, your script should not make it obvious that your protagonist is going to catch up to the antagonist to “sort him/her out.” The antagonist should be seen as a powerful opposing force to your protagonist's plans. The antagonist should also be perhaps just a little more powerful or have better resources at his/her disposal, making the protagonist's job that much more difficult. We can see that the odds are stacked against the hero, and we're wondering how he/she will overcome them. Whatever seems the most obvious way to overcome them should be tried, but the protagonist should fail here. This sets up the moment when he/she believes all is lost and there is no way to defeat the antagonist. The showdown that comes must evolve naturally from the story, and should not feel contrived. When you have decided how you want your sto

Yesterday's class was small but I got to meet some really good people. We're working on starting our own Jackson, Michigan Screenwriting Group so we can “workshop” each other's scripts to help them improve. I really enjoyed meeting these great people and hope to build this into a thriving community of screenwriters. The blueprint I'm teaching will help put you ahead of 90% of the crowd of people who send screenplays to producers because you will learn the current industry standard and pro tips and tricks to help make your script stand out from the crowd. The same Professional-Level Screenwriting Class will be held again on Tuesday, April 21, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM in the Community Room at the Meijer Branch of the Jackson District Library. The Meijer Branch is located at 2699 Airport Road, Jackson, MI 49202. Phone (517) 788-4480.