Michael T. Starks

Category: Storytelling

  • Subtext

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    When I re-read a partial draft of a screenplay I worked on a few years ago, I was struck by several scenes that lacked subtext. Of course, I also noticed that most scenes were more wordy than I would like. Part of making characters believable is to prevent them from saying what they mean. Real…

  • Screenwriting

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    I’ve decided that my next project is going to be working on another script. I’m not sure why I’m so interested in writing screenplays at the moment, but I’m not going to question it. If writing screenplays can fuel my creative life these days, I’m fine with that. Storytelling has always been important to me.…

  • Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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    Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of my heroes. I’ve read almost everything he’s written that I’ve been able to find. There is a part of me that loves exotic Gothic and cinematic noir storytelling. Zafon’s books read like movies I would desperately like to see, even knowing they would never do justice to his books.…

  • The Impact of Movies

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    While our experience of watching a movie is subjective, certain elements of movie-making are objective. If some of the dialogue fades in and out because the boom operator wasn’t paying attention, the movie is objectively worse than it could have been with an awesome boom operator. If an actor speaks in a monotone when trying…

  • The In-Between

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    I’m a project person. I like doing projects. The “In-Between” is that strange time when I’m not working on a project. One project has ended. Another is yet to begin. This would be a good time to go on a vacation. Traveling is probably the best thing I could do in between projects! However, I…

  • No Payoff

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    I watched an okay movie last night. The trailer was great. The premise was fine. The setup was excellent. Unfortunately, I lost interest somewhere in the middle. Although I kept watching it, the ending left me feeling “blah”. There was no payoff. I’m not going to name the movie. There are far too many movies…

  • Celebrate Your Wins

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    Even small wins are worth celebrating. Did you lose five pounds? Celebrate! Did you take a nice walk? Celebrate! Did you have an instructive parenting moment? Celebrate! And especially if you’re on the verge of completing a big project, celebrate! Today, I got past a difficult issue with a screenplay that I’m writing. What better…

  • Love on the Rocks

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    When I was a kid, I watched a movie called The Jazz Singer. It featured the unlikely combination of Laurence Olivier and Neil Diamond. I remember the struggle of a Jewish son trying to break free of the religious traditions of his strict father. But I also remember the creative struggle depicted. Some fool tried…

  • The Unknown

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    Here’s what I love about creativity. Each time we attempt to write a screenplay, paint a picture, dance in a new way, perform a monologue, play a musical instrument, engage in a conversation, or present a poem, we are jumping into the Unknown. If we know how to balance a checkbook, that’s great. It’s pretty…

  • Being Remembered

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    Not many people are known for making history. Some stories have survived. While most people do not know who Eratosthenes was, you can find out. The same is true for many people who have played some role in making history. Others are more well-known: Hitler, Einstein, Gandhi, Darwin, Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Jesus, Caesar,…