by Paul Ashton
Simple versus complex
Is that it?
Ending is emotion
A fitting end
SATISFACTION Entertainment
Follow through
The story beyond
Open endings
Ambiguity
Twists
Deus ex machina
Anagnorisis
Impact
STRUCTURE AND THE ENDING Climax and crisis
Change
Resolution
Conclusion
Coda
Absurd endings
Series and serial hooks
Cliffhangers
The natural order
No pause for breath
A means to an end
THE CHARACTER’S VOICE Mouthpieces
Dialectic
Dialogue is not conversation
Monologue
Theatrical soliloquy
'Inner’ and ‘close’ in radio
The cinematic voice-over
TV catchphrases
Can you hear it?
Can you say it?
Dialogue is not logical
The non-sequitur
Voice is expression
Authenticity
Uniqueness
Tics
Accents
Dialect and slang
Naturalism
Stylisation
Rhetoric
Lyrical
On the nose
Exposition and information
‘Bad language’
(Prefacing)
Shouting!
Terse versus glib
Wit and wordplay
Silence and space
Subtext
WRITING AND REWRITING Focus and control
Expectations
Questions
Realities
Rewriting
Rewriting your signature
Time and space
Objective and subjective
Feedback
The red pen
Reclaim your subjectivity
Is it really finished?
How finished does it need to be?
CODA Starting over
It never gets any easier
APPENDIX Script reading and viewing
Books about writing
Resources
INDEX A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z