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This blog is assembled and contributed to by writers who are interested in developing the craft of screenwriting. We've created a number of exercises that will aid you as a writer. Use it by selecting an exercise and following the instructions listed within. For a more detailed and organized list of exercises, visit the category pages. If you'd like to contribute an exercise, email basil@beingmedia.com.

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The Pitch

Category: Timed Writing

Your agent just called. You’ve got a meeting with a major studio exec in half an hour. Your problem: You haven’t written the pitch yet. Your task: Pick the best movie you saw this month. Pretend it hasn’t come out or been sold yet. In half-an-hour, write a one-paragraph synopsis, a one-sentence log line, and two movie titles you can compare it to (for example: It’s Rambo meets Bambi).

The Producer Calls

Category: Timed Writing

A producer calls you. He wants to see you work on the fly. He wants to see how creative and sharp you can be. Your task: Come up with 25 original movie titles in 10 minutes.

Ten Minute Spill

Category: Timed Writing

The “ten-minute spill” is one of my favorite poetry writing exercises. And, now, it’s your chance to try it. You’re task: In 10-minutes, write a 10-line poem. In this poem, use 8 of the 10 words listed below, and a random clich?ɬ©. The topic of the poem: Why I Write!

The words:
1. Eclectic. 2. Bombarded. 3. Fly. 4. Treaty. 5. Pencil. 6. Gracious. 7. Haven. 8. Paramount. 9. Breath. 10. Notorious.

The rule:
Your poem does not have to rhyme.

24 hours

Category: Timed Writing

You’ve been hired by a major motion picture company to do a re-write on a screenplay that’s in pre-production. And, you have 24 hours to do it. Your task: Download a script for one of your favorite movies. Re-write the ending in the next 24-hours.

A Million Dollars

Category: Timed Writing

You’ve just won 1 million dollars for your screenwriting abilities. You’re sitting in the prize-claim office to pick up your dough when some suit-and-tie guy comes out, congratulates you and says that the money is almost in your hands. “The only thing that we need,” he says, “is for you to prove that the writing we’ve seen comes from you.” Your task: You have 15 minutes to write a 2-page scene that includes sharp dialogue, two characters and one action. It can be any genre and any style. Go!