#37 - Last Pages
Edition #37 of the Lighthouse miniLetter!
You'll always get:
Three examples of great screenwriting
Two quotes about storytelling
One thing to think about
Plus some fun links at the bottom.
Three examples of great screenwriting
Touched By An Angel (711 Mi Familia)
Written by Rosanne Welch
I like the way these mini-slugs slide right into the following action line. All caps for the noun, then a simple return, then the verb. And the verb is not capitalized which is what I think helps it read as one thought, even with the return. But the return lets “A GUN” and “GONZO” stay separate. Very clean.
Deadpool
Written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick
Reese and Wernick make this look easy, but I think this is actually fairly difficult to pull off, and I think the order of operations is crucial here. RHYTHM, EXPLANATION, DETAILS.
They establish the RHYTHM first. “The horn. HONK. HONK. The stereo.”
Then, they move to the stereo and the explanation of what’s happening.
Then, when we read “MARIACHI. DR. DREW. MONSTER TRUCK…” we fill it into the rhythm established earlier. And, they’re in all caps like “HONK. HONK.” to further link it.
Rhythm, explanation, details. Really great stuff.
The Defector (Pilot)
Written by Kate Thorman
This is a great pilot, and I wanna call out two things in particular in this passage from Thorman.
First, I love “BorschT.” A capital T and underlined. Galina’s not just correcting the clerk, but she’s kinda upset she has to.
Secondly, I like the way this micro-interaction is set-up to reveal Galina’s character. The clerk doesn’t expect a reply, but gets one. Why? Because of a mispronunciation of “borscht.”
We learn that Galina’s usually closed-off, but there’s something about this Eastern European soup misstep that engages her. But when the clerk digs for more, she shuts them down.
This also opens the door for us to wonder…is she actually from Essex? Why does an Essex woman care so much about the pronunciation of “borscht”?
All around wonderful writing here.
By the way, last week I shared Kate’s Substack Keep Up, Kids where she recommends stuff she likes, and I’m doing it here again because it’s just that great.
Two quotes about screenwriting
“No one will give you change. You have to work for it. You have to earn it not by screaming, but by working hard, by believing in yourself, by proving yourself.”
“I relieve myself from the rigors of directing by casting the movie correctly.”
One thing to think about
Are your last pages as good as your first?
Everyone talks about how crucial those first few pages are.
Yes, it’s your first impression.
But let’s say you get them to read those first few, then the next few, then the next.
What about your last few? Your last page? Your last line?
This will be your last impression.
Make it count.
Are your last pages as good as your first?
Have a great draft,
David Wappel
PS Don’t Miss
Super cool short: Everything I Learned Came From The Television written/directed by Jeremy Stewart
Open a window, anywhere in the world. I don’t know why, but I find this site fascinating!
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