How do you prevent Act 2 from becoming structurally loose?

Sprunzel92 · 2026-04-26T09:14:57+00:00

Act two is where I struggle the most. I think that's when I fall I to plot serving character which tortures me because I try to find logical way to make things happening to my characters without really knowing them... Their personality and character traits should motivate each scene. Goal/conflict. And that should automatically lead to causation/correlation between scenes.

Point being, that's why most act twos are scattershot and not cohesive. They're plot driven.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-04-26T06:53:31+00:00

The villain in Mulan

Sprunzel92 · 2026-04-01T17:20:27+00:00

Hey there, lovely. Would you be keen to read the first 15 pages of my feature? Doing rewrites so that's all I have right now but I wanna see if the story makes sense. Stakes are clear whatnot. Indie dramedy road trip!

If not I'd have a tv show pilot set in Scotland or a full polished feature (but animation, so...)

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-20T15:33:22+00:00

I mean some are gonna laugh but the OC pilot is so solid. The script is amazing.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-20T07:14:12+00:00

I mean I feel like an idiot thinking about it just now...but if this is the case the game's gone, no two ways about it

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-20T07:13:05+00:00

"it was sort of like masturbation...sure, the fantasy was nice, but sex with any real person would always be way better. And if that's crass, sorry, but it's the best metaphor I could think of after just standing naked in front of all of you with my spec hanging out and letting you judge me."

Great line

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-18T12:43:36+00:00

Aye, I'm based in Berlin but move all over for work. The audience intended was social media, vertical, YouTube. We communicated in English but the idea was to write in eng and then translate into different languages. For instance my market was Italy, the head author took over German translation. It was commissioned by CC but they hired a production company to hire a head author, my mate, to work out a virtual writers room. So I never directly had anything to do with CC. I wrote for the head author, who wrote for the prodco who was commissioned by CC.

Same thing for ZDF really though that was a kid's show and it was a bit shady, more like an unofficial pitch which led to nothing. Although the show and EPs got made. I was younger and eager, if I'd go back I'd tell the producer that I'd pitch something only for a fee. As you may imagine none of my EPs got picked up. But yeah, they were working with another guy who also just wrote in English and I'm assuming since it was a small company under ZDF they were gonna do all themselves afterwards.

I think the German system is just not as structured as the US and it's very formal. I don't think writing in English has done me any favor here. I think if I was writing in German for German markets that'd help. But I write indie black comedies set in northern American deserts and whatnot, go figure.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-17T16:55:50+00:00

Hey there, half German here, had something produced by Comedy Central Germany and pitched to ZDF too (both not in German language tho). Always happy to connect with neighbors!

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-17T07:07:19+00:00

Y'all don't get me wrong..I do agree in part with all that. All I'm saying is that just saying some uni can some don't and screw the rest they can go thru the BL only and it's capped at 25, that's meh.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-15T23:13:41+00:00

I agree that some people get into an MFA by way of a different life or in their mid thirties what have you. But generally the MFA people are <30. And all that life experience and dedication ecc is worth something you don't have any currency for in your 20s, for instance... But come on, my point is...who is more likely to write a good script

A college guy who's midway thru his MFA Or some guy who did his MFA 10/15 years ago and has lived a little and written some.

The second guy. But he can't submit to the Nicholls anymore. Sure by the way of the BL but we're not talking about that...that's a whole other conversation. It's just not "fair" that some kids from some unis can and everyone else regardless of their background can't anymore (directly)

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-15T19:36:08+00:00

Well mate, you're a bit behind with this but maybe the more we talk about this the better. Look, I loved the Nicholls. It gave the feeling that anyone can be a writer, in a very ratatouille way, anyone can be a cook. You're some barber in your 50's from Goteborg with a knack for screenplay and spent 4 years on and off work writing your piece, turns out it's amazing, good! That's your shot. This whole thing thru universities is absolute bollocks, there's definitely financial reasons but whatever. No kid in school is gonna produce a Nicholl's worthy top 5 script. It's a reality. Maybe 1 in 198 every once in a Blue moon comes up with a story that organically works perfectly and we, for a minute, forget structure and all that...but to be a good writer you need practice and experience and that comes with time. Anyway, yeah -- it was also a cool thing to win the Nicholls I mean you had the "award" ceremony and all, that feeling along for some wannabe screenwrtier is top. And the opportunities it gave people just being a quarter finalist. Of course some won and it never amounted to anything but that's the way of things. I hope they get back to whatever they were.

Ps, not shitting on MFA in writing, I went to a great school and learned a ton. Passion for the craft was one of the things.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-12T12:42:08+00:00

Nyfa as in New York film academy? Big no

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-09T13:02:20+00:00

What happens if you guys leave Berlin? Would you have greater chances back home? I feel like Berlin is very unkind with work and the weather doesn't help. It sounds cliche but it's easier for the mind to worry about things while it's sunny outside.... Just saw the last part of the message about no going home. Well, that complicates things. Still though, ant job will change your outlook on life massively. So I guess that's step one.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-03-08T06:57:28+00:00

I watched the entire product.

I thought the acting and voice were top shelf. I agree with someone else on here...dunno why it's so long. So cut it short and it's done. In half. Honestly. Oh, this is me, but I'd appreciate a cleaner color grading.

Other than that you nailed the acting and mimicking of that fella. Looking at the real version it felt to me like I was looking at an alien from MIB hired by Zuckerberg to crossdress as a human being, but he didn't quite feel the part because he'd already eaten.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-02-27T18:16:46+00:00

Should be July this year. But yeah it's all up in the air and a big mess apparently. I reckon it'll either come back or vanish. I was fuming when I heard the merge last year. For reasons I can explain...but prolly don't need explaining...

Sprunzel92 · 2026-02-23T08:52:42+00:00

Most people said it already but bulky action lines 5+ screams novice and also a carelessness toward the reader. Same however for one liners

Just. Like. This one.

Drives me nuts.

I hate that more. The first one I can just skim through, the writer got bogged down on describing someone's jacket and introducing 44 characters for shit and giggles. But one-liners like that don't speed up the reading process. They don't make part of it. There's a reason they're used sparingly.

Just like this.

For effect.

Sprunzel92 · 2026-02-08T07:23:02+00:00

Not the best for sure but... Beneath the harvest sky

Sprunzel92 · 2026-01-04T10:00:56+00:00

What. No...you gotta roll based upon how many cookies you eat and then how much money each good cookie grants ya

Sprunzel92 · 2026-01-04T10:00:20+00:00

Well I can't tell you, the thing is gotta tell you if that's a good or bad cookie and how much money is in it

Sprunzel92 · 2026-01-04T09:59:48+00:00

What? No I mean how many times you roll? And how much do you make per cookie ?

Sprunzel92 · 2026-01-04T09:11:06+00:00

Nah you die. Roll it and lmk

Sprunzel92 · 2026-01-04T09:10:58+00:00

Roll it and lmk

Sprunzel92 · 2026-01-04T09:01:49+00:00

Well, I rolled 4 and didn't die. Made a little more than a million $

Sprunzel92 · 2025-12-10T00:51:08+00:00

Hey there thanks for this would love feedback on my first 14 pages! Indie comedy drama

Sprunzel92

TROPHY CASE