Five ways to improve your Dialogue

The challenge is always the same. We must control the puppet strings of these characters so they perform the needs of the scene yet create the illusion…

Mar 6 • Tom Vaughan

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February 2026

After The Midpoint

The midpoint doesn't change the character. It just changes their direction.

Feb 28 • Tom Vaughan

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Falling to the level of your systems.

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." — James Clear.

Feb 20 • Tom Vaughan

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Keep the audience engaged as you keep secrets.

You never want the audience to wonder what the story is. Let them think they know. And then reveal it to be something more.

Feb 6 • Tom Vaughan

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January 2026

Three foundations to solve any screenwriting problem.

Most everything I teach comes down to three pillars. I have found that when I am struggling, one of them has broken down.

Jan 30 • Tom Vaughan

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Your Subplots Are Story, Too.

There is no “B Story”; only the main story. And that main story has subplots that support and deepen it.

Jan 23 • Tom Vaughan

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How the monster movie structure can help you with any genre.

When structuring your story, you don't have to start from scratch. There are plenty of places to look for inspiration, and one of them is genre.

Jan 16 • Tom Vaughan

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It's not the plot. It's the emotion.

It's the emotion, stupid. The emotion is what counts. Always, always, always.

Jan 9 • Tom Vaughan

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Audience satisfaction is your job.

Audience satisfaction is about the audience experiencing enough of an emotional journey that they feel like their money, attention, and, above all…

Jan 2 • Tom Vaughan

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December 2025

The scene is the emotion. The emotion is the scene.

Movies are an emotion delivery system. This is the point of the whole exercise. And that is the point of the scene.

Dec 26, 2025 • Tom Vaughan

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It's the relationships that matter in your screenwriting.

“What audiences really care about,” he said, “Was seeing the character share that achievement with a loved one.”

Dec 19, 2025 • Tom Vaughan

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Keep a scene dynamic through character tactics.

The key to keeping a scene fresh and alive is characters making choices in reaction to what happens around them.

Dec 12, 2025 • Tom Vaughan

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