The One-Page Pitch Lab: Distill Your Story into a Marketable Pitch for Page, Screen, or Podcast

A one‑sheet isn’t just a pitch—it’s your passport to agents, producers, and decision‑makers. This single page distills your story’s essence, revealing its premise, structure, genre, characters, and key plot points at a glance.
In this workshop,…

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Received, thank you.

One of my all-time favorite examples of writers benefitting from relationships with other writers comes from the movie FRAILTY. FRAILTY is a 2001 film directed by Bill Paxton, starring Paxton and Matthew McConaughey. Two boys struggle to live with their father, who believes he’s been commanded by God to destroy demons disguised as…

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Flashbacks have a bit of a reputation problem. Used well, they’re powerful—emotionally charged, revealing, and often the fastest way to deepen a story. Used poorly, they feel like a detour you didn’t ask for. The difference usually comes down to intent and timing.

At their core, flashbacks exist to change how we understand the present. If…

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Received, thanks Fallon.

Thanks for sending early @Fallon!

Here’s the 2nd draft of the one page pitch. I applied your suggestions and it’s shorter. Here it is: https://catalyst.voyagemedia.com/?attachment=12812&document_type=document&download_document_file=1&document_file=1042

Hey Pro Members! Our One‑Page Pitch Workshop is here! Bring your one‑page pitch and get live feedback. Seats are limited, so register early to secure your spot! @michaelmatthews @kantrellyoungwinters @jrossetti @nicholebrakeman @jahnasiasmalls18icloud-com @gr8fxhotmail-com @Sandy @jlleshaygmail-com @Fallon @screenwriterstevie @pampaulson …

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Thanks Dan!

Based on questions from our most recent webinar – I thought I’d attach two podcast scripts that represent opposite extremes of the spectrum in how to present an audio drama on the page.

One is a script from our show Someone Is Killing The Wolfhounds which debuted at #1 of all fiction podcasts.

One is a script from our show Primal, which debuted…

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This is great. I especially think identifying characters without their tag is a great tool.

Great dialogue is one of those things everyone recognizes instantly—and struggles to define. It feels effortless when it works, invisible even. But under the hood, strong dialogue is doing a lot of heavy lifting: revealing character, advancing plot, building tension, and shaping tone all at once.

For novelists and screenwriters alike, dialogue…

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Their drive for power and belief that they can flip the protagonist Stellee. Plus, I think having someone as a Viper with four fangs that slithers under a door is compelling.

It is his drive and his world view. First he is arrogant, spoied and is used to getting his way and anything he wants. He is a person most will hate, but he really isn’t a villian in the sense that he is evil. Mean in our view but not his, and he does have a love in his life.

“What makes the villain of your story (if there’s any) compelling in your eyes, is it their mystery, their drive, or their worldview?”

What makes the villain in my story compelling is a combination of their drive and worldview. Given his backstory, where he was a science experiment and frozen on a space station for 2000 years. Would damage his…

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Last week I wrote about rule number one from Billy Wilder’s list (attached below for reference)… the audience is fickle, and how it’s less a piece of craft advice and more a warning about how not to chase trends in storytelling. This week I want to move on to the next rule. Rule #2:

Grab ’em by the throat and never let ’em go.

On the…

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I love this give and take. Glad my article prompted such thoughtful replies. One thing my old boss, Zak Penn would stress was that a villain wasn’t necessarily a villain because of his or her goals, it was because of their methods. That’s what made Magneto such a compelling foil to Professor X. They both wanted the same things, for Mutants to…

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Definitely the villian’s worldview. The example that comes to mind is Killmonger, the role played by Michael B. Jordan in the first Black Panther movie. I once read that in the villian’s mind, he’s the hero. When the writer gives the villian an opinion that the average person can empathize with, you have someone an audience might actually…

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Lorydin, I cant share the details of my current project antagonist, however, first, it is important to consider the various types of antagonist. The most basic is the monster…. jaws, alien, jurassic park. I AM sure there are other archetypes, you would know better than I.

In my current project with Producer Alex Brown, which is the…

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What makes the villian in my story. It would be evil motives and the behavior behind the muplitive mastermind.

What makes the villain of your story (if there’s any) compelling in your eyes, is it their mystery, their drive, or their worldview?

@brockmagic @Fallon @kantrellyoungwinters @jahnasiasmalls18icloud-com @jlleshaygmail-com @frame8four @jrossetti @Jack @pampaulson @marchakallioperisingpress-com @Sandy @kris @jerome @screenwriterstevie @sunnysuz …

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Hi everyone! Have you registered for our upcoming workshop yet? Podcasts are one of the hottest formats in today’s market, and this session is your chance to explore whether your project could fit into the podcast realm 🤔 RSVP today and join live tomorrow!

@kantrellyoungwinters @dguymer @jrossetti @nicholebrakeman @jahnasiasmalls18icloud-com …

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There is an argument that these “sympathetic” backstories that add more dimensions to an established villain have actually diminished the villain’s impact. One example you brought up: Anakin/Vader. If you watch the movies in numerical order, 1-6, you see Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side first; his threat to Luke, Han, and Leia doesn’t seem to be…

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Thank you

Thank you

Thank you.