Wednesday, February 17, 2010

TODAY'S NUGGET: Rom-com 1st 10 Pages

Today I read a well written rom-comedy whose 1st 10 pages:

1) introduces the main female character & her flaw in a realistic way
2) puts you right in the middle of the action in the 1st 2 pages
3) introduces the love interest in a way that allows a guy to be a real guy, and
4) crosses the couple's paths & hints at obstacles up ahead.

The script immediately had my interest b/c of:

a) movement on the page (vertical reading was easy) and
b) movement in the narrative (good verb choices that kept action flowing from scene to scene).

I liked how these two NEED each other. She's got a problem, and the guy steps up to help. A few pages later, we learn he has a problem that only she can solve.

Also, the writer didn't try to do too much and took the time to get the reader invested in the character. He wasn't impatient to jump to the next scene, and got several details in that are likely setups for the future.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Getting the audience invested in the couple are what well written rom-coms do splendidly.

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