134. Protagonist Problem #1: The Passenger

Your protagonist wants something. You've made that perfectly clear. But what if they want the wrong thing? In this episode, we look at the difference between having a goal and having a goal powerful enough to drive an entire screenplay.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

You want the audience to like your protagonist. Of course you do. But sometimes trying too hard to make a character likable does exactly the opposite. In this episode, we look at why being "nice" might be one of the things keeping your protagonist from coming alive.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Welcome to our new series on issues with Protagonists in your screenplay. In this series, we will look at a number of issues with protagonists and help you try to solve them. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode in this series.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It happens to us on a regular basis. We deny something that is inevitable. We deny our hopes and dreams. We deny so many things that we know we shouldn't. Once you figure out why, then you've figured out a massive plot point for a screenplay.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It is imperative that you do and don't write about your life. Is that confusing? If so, listen to this weeks podcast and get a little clarity.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Don't do it. Overexplaining is an epidemic in screenwriting. Find out why and how to avoid it in this episode. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Sometimes we get lost during the screenwriting process. It's hard to stay clear on what we're writing about. External factors influence us. We research things that impact our original ideas. How do we keep it all clear? Well, we go back to the beginning, to our Focus Point. Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Alvaro Rodriguez is a writer, producer, and composer. He began his career by working as a composer on El Mariachi in 1992. He has since expanded into film and television writing and producing. He has written on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Machete, Seis Manos, American Rust, Chicago Fire and Florida Man.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Have you completed a feature film and people love the idea of it but when they read it, it doesn't resonate with them? That's probably because there's no story behind your story. Listen to find out what the issue is.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Paul Chitlik is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, director, and internationally respected educator who has written for major studios and networks in both English and Spanish. He served as story editor for MGM/UA’s The New Twilight Zone and staff writer for Showtime’s Brothers, and has developed features for numerous production companies. He earned a Writers Guild of America nomination for The Twilight Zone, a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Los Beltrán, and a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family film.He wrote, produced, and directed the feature The Wedding Dress. A longtime UCLA instructor and clinical professor at Loyola Marymount University, Chitlik has taught screenwriting worldwide and is the author of the influential craft book Rewrite. In this podcast, we discuss Paul's latest book - The Screenwriting Sensei.Support the showFor more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.