Planning to share some information with a reporter or editor, or trying to interest him or her in a story? You’ll be more likely to succeed if you start by asking a very simple question.
That question would be “Is this a good time?”
Professional journalists face two significant challenges when working on stories. First, they generally are operating on a tight timeframe, often with a hard deadline that’s much closer than they’d like. Second, they now have access to more information from ever before, but it can be difficult to winnow that information down to the most useful … Read more
Planning to share some information with a reporter or editor, or trying to interest him or her in a story? You’ll be more likely to succeed if you start by asking a very simple question.
That question would be “Is this a good time?”
I’m not a big movie fan, but I do manage to watch a few now and then. As you’d expect, I probably pay as much attention to the writing as what happens on the screen. I studied playwriting fairly extensively in college, and many of the devices and tactics used by screenwriters were developed by playwrights.
I have a fascination with how screenwriters use the script to advance the plot, but there is one device I absolutely despise. To me, it’s the sign of a lazy screenwriter who is looking for an effortless way to move the plot forward or explain something to the viewer. I cringe every time I see the device, which crops up more often in comedies than in other types of films.