John Arends at 2014-09-02 14:18:49:
These are terrific rewriting tools. Like all of them. Would add (in the spirit of today's earlier post about @HIGHzurrer's rant) 5. S.U. – Subtext. Is there meaning beneath the dialogue; is it accessible to the players; is it noticeable to readers? 6. T.H. – Thematics. Is the scene grounded in a core thematic element? Image system? Does it express the theme in too subtle or too on-the-nose fashion? 7. O.T.N. – Does this scene pass a Dr. Obvious check? 8. C.L. – Cliche check, please. Are any culprits suitable for flipping into fresh or edgy ways to do or say the same thing? 9. E.M. - Emotional check: does the scene hit the right emotional notes? All of them? Too many? Does the emotional charge, + or -, fit and flow or counter or amplify the previous scene in ways that service the story? 10. C.I. Create Interest. Does the scene make us want to turn the page? Does it deliver at least one punch/poke/prod that surprises?
Scott at 2014-09-03 02:29:04:
Thanks, John. I'm going to post another 'checklist' tomorrow from a very well-known screenwriter.
John Arends at 2014-09-03 11:01:02:
Cool! A lot of my add-ons are from the collection basket of guru-level wisdom out there, heavy on the Wordplay advice from Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot.