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Glossary

Hitchcock on MacGuffins

July 2, 2010 Glossary, Video

McGuffin by Hitchcock from isaac niemand on Vimeo.

Any way you spell them, they’re a screenwriting staple. (via Movie City Indie)

On protagonists

June 24, 2010 Glossary, Story and Plot

In earlier posts, I’ve talked about protagonists and heroes at length. Yesterday Michael Goldenberg offered a a new description that I love:

The protagonist is the character that suffers the most.

In one sentence, both definition and practical advice. Perfect.

Shoe leather and bric-a-brac

April 18, 2005 Glossary

Artful Writer has a great list of shorthand jargon from the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker school of comedy. Even if you never end up using the terms, they provide a useful guide to the do’s and don’t-do’s of comedy writing.

While you’re reading up, check out John Roger’s comedy glossary at Kung Fu Monkey. (Link via Artful Writer)

Glossary: Residuals

November 4, 2004 Glossary

RESIDUALS
Payments made to a film or television writer when his or her work is sold to another venue, such as a feature film sold on DVD, or a network television episode shown in syndication. These fees are negotiated and collected on behalf of the writer by the Writers Guild of America.

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