Jennie Evenson

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Jennie Evenson is the author of "Shakespeare for Screenwriters" (Michael Wiese, 2013) as well as short fiction, essays, and a children's fantasy novel "Dalya & the Magic Ink Bottle" (Capstone, 2020). As a writer in LA, Evenson worked as a consultant for Netflix and developed ideas at production houses from DreamWorks to Focus Features. You can follow her on Twitter: @JM_Evenson

Posts by Jennie Evenson 48 results

Five Ways To Fail In Hollywood: A ‘Definitely Don’t Do’ List

We’ve all read articles that list the most important things you should do in Hollywood. We’ve read about writing advice, networking tips and meeting preparation. We’ve seen one ‘Must Do List’ after another. But what about all the things you should absolutely avoid? What are the pitfalls you need to watch out for? Let’s talk about those.

Five (More) Tips From Top Screenwriters

Screenwriting how-to quotes are incredibly helpful for both inexperienced and experienced writers alike. We find out how other writers work, and maybe we pick up a few new tips-and-tricks. Everyone can benefit from adding more tools to their writing toolbox. Writing advice abounds in Hollywood—but the best advice comes from the writers who ...

5 Things To Know Before Writing That Science Fiction Script

Science fiction movies are a perennial favorite among movie audiences. They dazzle us with intriguing concepts, strange terrors and stunning visions of our future. Some of the highest grossing films in Hollywood have been sci-fi driven.

Five Ways To Make Your Characters More Relatable

“Relatable characters” are the holy grail of screenwriting. Producers want to see them on the page and audiences want to watch them on the screen. But what makes a character truly relatable? As writers, we are often tempted to focus on plot to raise the emotional stakes. It's not just one man in trouble, it's the whole country -- or better ...

Five Writing Tips From Top Writers

Let’s showcase the methods of working screenwriters who are making television shows and movies now. If you’re going to study screenwriting, why not learn from the best?

How To Beat Pitch-Meeting Anxiety

Picture this: You’ve written a great pitch. You’ve connected with a producer. You’ve set a meeting date. This is everything you’ve wanted since you started working on your gem of an idea. You’ve got a chance to grab the brass ring! If you’re like most writers, that half-minute of joy after you land the Big Meeting is followed by ...

Six Types of Characters Audiences Love

Indiana Jones. Hannibal Lecter. Seinfeld. Rocky Balboa. Walter White. These memorable characters are dynamic, puzzling, funny, terrifying, and inspiring by turn. Audiences crave characters that transport them to new worlds. They want characters who offer a vicarious thrill ride through lives they’ll never lead themselves – that’s part of the ...

Five Things You Should Never Do In A Pitch Meeting

You’ve polished your script, found someone interested, and gotten a meeting. A producer or buyer has invited you to come to their office and tell them a bit about your spectacular idea. This is what everyone in Hollywood is here to do. You are going to pitch your idea. Congratulations! If you are part of the few insane people who enjoy ...

What Shakespeare Tells Us About Remakes, Adaptations and Reboots

We usually think of Shakespeare as one of the most uniquely gifted writers of all time. But the truth is that very few of his stories are "original" in our sense of the word. In fact, only two of Shakespeare's thirty-eight plays have no known source. The rest were stolen -- that's right, stolen -- from specific, identifiable sources.

The 5 Types of “No” In Hollywood And What They Actually Mean

Let's face it: not everyone who reads your work is going to like it. Some songs make you want to get up and dance, and some don't. That's the nature of the beast. So let's go over a few of the common responses from Hollywood producers, agents and managers and think about what they mean for you and your work.

5 Script Contests Actually Worth Entering

Getting representation from an agent or manager in Hollywood is not easy. You have to find someone who believes in you and your work, and you need to believe that they are both capable and willing to sell your work. One of the better ways to get noticed is script contests. Here are the ones we think have the chops to get you into Hollywood.

What Do People Mean By ‘Voice,’ Anyway?

Even if you've been writing for a long time, there's always room to hone your voice and see if you can amp up your originality and style. So let's take a look at a few writers and directors -- by no means an exhaustive list -- and see what we can glean about voice from their uniquely resonant work.
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