I talk a lot about the importance of endings and beginnings. In fact, I’d argue that the first thing to determine before outlining your screenplay is to KNOW YOUR ENDING. We’ve all been there, enjoying a great cinematic ride, only to have it destroyed with a painfully forced and unbelievable end. When writing a screenplay, the ending is key, and it’s wise to allow the ending to dictate how you begin. However, you must also be flexible. As the story takes shape, it’s a mistake to blindly stay the course, especially since not all stories should end “Happily Ever After”.…

KILLING YOUR BABIES It sounds horrible: “Kill your babies!” But please understand that I am not advocating the genocide of newborn infants. Your babies are your ideas. You gave birth to them. They’re yours. And sometimes it’s extremely difficult to let go of those fun, fresh, and fantastic thoughts. But if I instructed you to “Kill your ideas!” the point doesn’t hit home quite the same way. So “Kill your babies!” it is. And you must be vicious. You must be lethal. You must have no mercy. If the pen is truly mightier than the sword, use it to snuff out any idea that…