Welcome to the Ink 2 Screen podcast. I am your host, Amber Bosworth. I am the creator of Ink 2 Screen. A website and resource for beginning screenwriters that want free information and inspiration to help guide their writing. Plus we have monthly writing contests. The May contest is officially underway! This month will be a prize for the Masterclass with Aaron Sorkin, writer of A Few Good Men, The West Wing and The Social Network. If you feel left out, there will be a brand new Monthly Madness in June with a hot new prize for the best script. You'll have 5 days to write a whole new 5 page script based off an image that is selected and sent out on the 15th. A challenge for any writer, new or seasoned!    You can check it all out at www.ink2screen.net.   I'm also so excited to announce the winner of the April Monthly Madness, Mr. R. J. Anderson. He wrote an incredible 5 page script for the April Madness entitled The Last Straw. Logline: A mistreated shuttle mechanic finds liberation on the third worst day of his life. The image was of a shuttle launch to commemorate the very first ever Monthly Writing Madness. If you want to learn more about Richard Anderson, you can head to www.ink2screen.net and see the artist spotlight. Every month the winner will get a spotlight on the website, their own page via Ink 2 Screen for a year and an interview on this Podcast! Showcase your writing. You deserve it.    Now, on to today's episode. Today is all about the First 10 pages! Hook em and reel em in.    The best part of a script and the most important is the first 10 pages. So much needs to happen. Think about the last time you were at a movie and we're sucked in by the very first 10 minutes. Think of how important it is.    This introduces your audience to the world you're creating.    Things that must be done in those first 10 pages:

• Introduce the main characters
• Establish the primary environments and time period
• Convey a distinct mood or atmosphere
• Display the "routine" or "way of life"
• Provide any backstory *That is relevant*
• Introduce the antagonist

  This is also a good time to know how you are going to end your story, this way you know what to indicate in the beginning. This will set it up for the whole rest of the story.    This is also where we need to have our inciting incident. If you missed out on Page 5, the Inciting Incident then I'll do a quick review: "The inciting incident, also known as the catalyst, is the moment the protagonist's world changes in a dramatic way." You want to do this within those first 10 pages. Once as your world is established, you want to throw it in the wind! Chaos is what keeps your reader/audience hooked.   Now the first 10 pages are all the set up for your first Act. I will be going over the 3 Act structure in the next Podcast, so stay tuned! But those first 10 pages set it all up for the first act and lead to that first plot point, not to be confused with the inciting incident. So many things to remember. Almost something happening on every 10 pages.    Today was all about the first 10 pages. Just like these first 7 pages of these podcasts, it's about laying the ground work for the awesomeness that is your story.   Now for some practical examples!! Haha. I have two examples. One movie I've seen many many times, so I know what they were going for. And the other example I have not seen the movie at all and just read the screenplay! But a lot of people have seen the movie. I have attached both scripts to the webpage at www.ink2screen.net/page7. I have the full scripts but for this episode, I'm only focusing on the first 10-11 pages. These are the finished scripts so they match the movies very well.   Toy Story! I know but it's a good one. Even reading the script along with the first 10 minutes of screen time. Now try to think of the last time you saw this movie. The very first 10 minutes is all about meeting all of the characters. We go along with Woody and see what a typical day is like for him. By page 5-5 min mark, we get the inciting incident of Andy's birthday party being moved to that day! This throws all the toys into a frenzy. Here is the conflict. But by this time we have already fallen in love with this character. We get to meet many of the great toys; Dinosaur, Bo Peep, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head. We are rooting for the character. And we can feel the strain with new toys coming in because we were all kids and we know what happens when we get a new toy.  This all happened in the first 10 min. I actually think Woody is his own Antagonist when he lets jealousy take him over and make bad choices. Sid, the horrible neighbor kid, isn't introduced until later but it's more about Woody and the struggle he goes through after Buzz comes on board.    So think of it, if you had never seen the movie, would the first 10 pages inspire you to keep going? This has it all and is a great example.    Now my second example is Bird Box. I never saw the movie but found the script online. This script captured me right away. It began right in the middle of things. This is another option to bring a teaser. Like some tv shows do, provide a teaser and go back to the beginning. It's a good hook but only if done well, if not, it can come off as cliche.    Bird Box thrusts you into this world where no one can look. As an audience you are blindfolded as well and want to know how it turns out. I was hooked from the first few pages. There's counting that gives a sense of urgency and puts you in a heightened sense of awareness right from the beginning. We don't have the established world until page 6 when we get to know Malorie, and what her life was like before the blindfold and row boat. Five years earlier and she's pregnant so more questions pop up. But even then we only get one page of normalcy before we learn a little more about what is happening to create the future of what we've seen.  We were introduced to the antagonist right away even though we didn't see them. This is a great example of how to start in the middle of things and move back to the beginning of the story for clarity. It is a great hook and one that Bird Box did beautifully.     Now also, keep in mind that these are finished scripts so there are added elements that you shouldn't worry about right away, like "begin and end titles" and any shooting instructions.   This has been a quick look at the first 10 pages and why they are so important. Now take the time to go back to any of your projects and make sure those first 10 pages are strong and reel in your audience. That's it for this episode. Be sure to go and get the scripts at www.ink2screen.net/page7 and comfortable with your beginnings.   If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to subscribe to it no matter where you are listening from. Also, if you really liked this podcast or hated it, leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. You can also find us under Ink 2 Screen.    It's still just Page 7, so if there is any topic you are just itching to learn more about, let me know. You can contact me through the website or Facebook. And be sure to listen to next weeks episode as I introduce you to the 3 Act structure. Certain guidelines to remember but aren't written in stone. You don't want to miss out on that.   Well, time to go. Hope to hear the furious scratch on the paper or the gentle tapping of a keyboard. Until next time.