Tom Vaughan

Daily posts on screenwriting. Writer of 8 films, including WINCHESTER + others. I share what I've learned as a pro at and @UHouston 🐾

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@NolteNC The original Night Stalker was only ONE SEASON???

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@DaveBuzan Just re-watched a few weeks ago. A sentimental favorite.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@jakethornton Incredible actor. So good in everything. Always a delight to see him on screen.

[Jamie Nash @Jamie_Nash]

I work with a lot of writers who assume a 30 page pilot is easier than an hour long. Trust me, it’s almost always harder.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@FreddyInSpace I had every right to take your good review of the HAUNTING OF QUEEN MARY personally! Terrible movie!

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@WillKunkelV Basketball. For the Sampsons.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@MrVoltitude @LOBig12 It seems like you're referencing games, and the original post is referencing episodes of College Game Day.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@LukeBarnett This is a really lovely piece, Luke. The man was truly beloved.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@jckingcreations Thank you! Absolutely wonderful to hear.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

Any screenplay with a relationship at the center has a big structural decision to make. Make it early, and breaking your story becomes significantly easier.

It's the decision of when the characters become a team/couple.

- Rom-com template is often at the end.
- Buddy movies before the third act.
- Love stories before the midpoint.

Your genre does not dictate this. Your story does. For example, a romantic comedy does not have to operate this way. It's just a frame of reference for how these stories are traditionally told.

So worry less about the genre and more about the story you want to tell.

Is that third act more about how they get together, or is it about how they became a team and now they get to solve their problem as one?

Once you make this choice, the rest of your structure becomes much clearer because now you know what you're working towards and when.

Big decisions up front mean all the subsequent decisions get easier and easier.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

Interested in screenwriting? Join 15,000+ other screenwriters every Tuesday for The Story and Plot Weekly Email.

It's the best 5-minute investment you will make in your screenwriting all week.
https://t.co/tUfSNGUK92

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@SHPawdcast That early loss to Tulsa catching up to them.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@DominicHailsto1 I have not. But that sounds great.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

When I was younger, I had what I call "New writer energy."

I could write for eight or nine hours a day; go to 5 am. Whatever. I loved it. I loved the focus, I loved how present I could be in the moment.

Yes, a lot of energy went to learning to write, but it continued into my early professional years as well.

Now? No way. I can't do it. I'm older. So many distractions. Life. Responsibilities. The attention economy.

I am lucky if I get 3 or 4 focused hours a day now.

Just protecting my focused time is a job in itself. I have noticed that generic writing goals like ”Write" or "Write five pages” are far more likely to lead to procrastination for me.

If I don't know how to start the moment I sit down, I am far more likely to get distracted and remain that way for the whole session.

If you struggle with this too, I found that getting specific the night before helps my screenwriting quite a bit.

Like:

- Write the scene where he quits.
- Write the scene Marcus shows up.
- Outline Act 1.
- Rewrite the scene with his son so he is less harsh.

Sitting down for that session and knowing what I want to achieve before I even start gets me working much faster and makes the most of that rare deep-focus time.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@LukeBarnett So many places are gone now. It felt like LA hadn't changed much over 25 years and then just did an entire overhaul in the last 6.

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

Interested in screenwriting? If you want to:

- Make more compelling choices.
- Find a more consistent process.
- Maximize the emotional response.

Join 15,000 other screenwriters every Tuesday for The Story and Plot Weekly Email.
https://t.co/tUfSNGVhYA

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@Jamie_Nash So funny. My initial emotional reaction was, "I'm not watching 8 hours just to get to the prom scene."

[Houston Football @UHCougarFB]

YOU HEARD THE HEADMAN🗣️

🎟️: https://t.co/pBIGXDW4Jb

[Tom Vaughan @storyandplot]

@painsworth512 Coogs have a chat board dude that I am embarrassed by. I totally sympathized with this answer.

[Ben Johnson Jr. @BenJohnson2018]

Don't ignore the deep connection between your physical, mental and emotional state, and your writing. Often what we interpret as creative bankruptcy, self-doubt, or even a lack of motivation and discipline, are symptoms of a far deeper struggle. Creativity mirrors the inner self.