Note: ScriptWalk operates independently and is not a subsidiary of Windword Literary Services LLC.
“The four most powerful words in English are ‘Tell me a story.’” ~ Pat Conroy, author of The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides
ScriptWalk: Write Your Best Script
You have a story to tell, one that you envision being presented in dramatic form on the big screen or maybe a slightly smaller home screen. Just like you, that story is unique, and your script-writing course should be, too.
Offered through a special arrangement with Windword, ScriptWalk is a private individualized program offered by a former feature-film development executive and story editor who, in her work as director of development for a major Hollywood producer, was involved in the birthing of more than twenty screenplays, three of which were made into feature films. Sara Anne Fox now works privately as a writing coach and “creative midwife” with carefully chosen clients.
Also an experienced screenwriter, Sara Anne will guide you through the process of writing a first-rate screenplay or television pilot that meets the standard of film and TV studios and production companies. She’ll also help you create a logline, treatment and outline and is available to help you get your three types of pitches in perfect shape.
Too many neophyte screenwriters look at a script and think, “Well, this is easy. I’ve seen a lot of movies and TV shows—there isn’t that much on the page. I can do that.” And some can. But most stumble right out of the gate because they haven’t learned that screenwriting is an art and a craft. Screen dialogue, which must serve many purposes—reveal character, create conflict, move the plot along—is not an imitation of how people speak in real life but its own distillation of meaning and intent, often indicated but not directly revealed.
Another misunderstood aspect of writing a script is structure, which is the foundation on which a screenplay is built. Telling the story in a coherent and understandable way, setting up conflict, building suspense, raising the stakes—all of this is part and parcel of solid screenplay structure.
Your script represents you and your ability to tell an engaging story complete with compelling characters and desired (and undesired) outcomes for both protagonist and antagonist that will force the audience to take sides. No producer or studio reader goes through a script and thinks, “Well, I’m sure this writer is capable of writing something better,” or, “This screenwriter has a good idea but really doesn’t know how to form it into a coherent story, but I’m certain they’ll eventually learn how do that.” You have one shot in the world of film and TV and you want to make it your best one. Hollywood is a small town and your reputation, for better or worse, will always precede you, so you want to be known as a terrific writer who can be depended on to write a great script. If that’s your goal, let Sara Anne Fox give you the skills to reach it.
ScriptWalk is for you if:
• You want to write a script or teleplay that you’re proud to submit with your name on the title page.
• You have an amazing true story or a blockbuster idea for a film or TV show and you want to write it so that it’s as good on the page as it is in your memory or imagination.
• You’re an expert in your field and want to apply your knowledge and experience to the creation of a genre script or teleplay with a great story and three-dimensional characters but don’t know where to start.
• You’ve been intrigued by a particular topic and want to thoroughly research it to come up with a tale for film or TV that will intrigue and captivate those who read your script and, ultimately, moviegoers or TV watchers.
• You have a story and characters rattling around in your brain but you need help forming your ideas into a script or teleplay with a powerful beginning, middle and end.
• You’re willing to invest the time and energy that writing a great script requires.
ScriptWalk is also for you if:
• You have a first or second draft and are at a loss as to how to proceed with a rewrite that will best serve the material.
• You have a partial script or teleplay and are stymied in your efforts to proceed. Most screenwriters get stuck in the second act, when everything has been set up and now it’s time to start raising the stakes, creating conflict and realigning relationships and goals.
• You have an idea for a script or teleplay and need to consult on the best way to turn it into a viable dramatic piece.
• You’ve written a book and want to know if it’s translatable to the screen and, if so, what’s the best way to make that happen.
• You have a screen or TV story outlined, possibly with a treatment, but realize you either don’t have the ability or don’t have the time to execute the finished product and are in search of a script ghostwriter.
• You realize you can’t do it alone and are looking for a collaborator who can work with you to bring your script to life.
ScriptWalk is not for you if:
• You’re not willing to consistently devote time and energy to your screen or TV writing project.
• You want to write your script in a month. (Some screenplays have been written in that short a time, but they are the exception and usually by experienced screenwriters with extensive credits.)
• You want a teacher who will praise your every line of dialogue whether it’s good or not.
• You’re fine with writing scripts that don’t make it past the guardians at the gate—the readers hired by studios or producers who have first crack at submissions and the power to say “Recommend” or “Pass” to their employers.
12 Reasons ScriptWalk’s Sara Anne Fox can help propel you to success as a screen or TV writer:
She:
1. Doesn’t pretend that everyone can write a great script. If she accepts your application, she acknowledges that you have the ability to learn how to write a script that will make you proud.
2. Walks you through the screenwriting process in accordance with what your project needs.
3. Gets to know you and your learning style and adapt her teaching methods to meet your specific needs.
4. Helps you to nail your script’s concept and mind-melds with you to come up with the best title.
5. Truly cares about her students and is committed to your success.
6. Teaches you successful techniques and gives you tools for dealing with writer’s block that will enable you to get unstuck and moving once again.
7. Guides you through the process of writing a script that’s relevant, marketable, accessible and compelling.
8. Helps you develop your style and find your voice, create and develop interesting characters and turn intention into one compelling scene after another that moves your story forward.
9. Works with you to dig deep and awaken your inner muse. What are you really trying to say?
10. Shares strategies that enable you to use your body, mind and muse to improve your writing and increase productivity.
11. Develops a safe, intimate rapport that fosters the highest levels of creativity and performance.
12. Helps you to creatively solve the problems that go hand in hand with writing a script.
Sara Anne customizes every ScriptWalk client’s program based on their creative needs and the size of their budget. Most authors can complete a script or television pilot for $8,000 to $11,000.
About Sara Anne
A former development executive with a major Hollywood producer, Sara Anne Fox played a vital role in the conception and development of dozens of screenplays, three published novels and three produced films: My Favorite Year, Nosferatu and Quest for Fire. For over two decades, she's used her skills as a writing coach and story editor to help screenwriters and novelists to strengthen character development, clarify motivation and improve story structure and plot. Her empathetic and intuitive gifts, combined with her editorial talents, provide writers with a comfortable, creative atmosphere in which to realize their artistic goals and visions.
Sara Anne serves as a “professional expert” in story and screenwriting for several Los Angeles Valley College programs. She's also a guest teacher and lecturer and runs workshops, sits on advisory boards, judges student pitches and speaks at area community colleges and high schools to broaden students’ knowledge of the creative process and the many employment opportunities in digital media and entertainment.
She facilitates a monthly screenwriting critique group under the aegis of the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society (GLAWS). She is a regular participant in the West Coast Writers Conferences, where she conducts workshops and sits on panels that address all aspects of the writing process, including pitching, story development, the secrets of creating compelling characters and the importance of a good ear in placing dialogue in the mouths of those characters.
A native of Massachusetts, Sara Anne is a graduate of Brandeis University. Known to her friends as “Quiz Show Queen,” she's been a winner on four television game shows, including both versions of Jeopardy. She currently resides in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles and is busy working on her forthcoming book, Climbing Mt. Everest in My Underwear: My Treacherous and Exhilarating Ascent into Womanhood, a view of life from her quirky and unique perspective.
To learn more about Sara Anne, visit:
3 Way Podcast: Episode 8 Story Editor Sara Anne Fox on Apple Podcasts
Contact us for more information or to schedule a free discovery session to discuss your goals for publication.