"The crisis forces the protagonist to make a decision that will determine the outcome of the story’s central conflict. It’s a do-or-die moment with no room for error. " (Robert McKee, Story).
The Chinese ideogram for Crisis combines Danger - the wrong decision will cause us to lose what we want, with Opportunity - make the right choice and we will achieve our desire.
Crisis is driven by urgency - 'right here, right now' - and true dilemma. It’s one thing if the character in a Rom Com has to choose between a wife beater and a great guy, what’s the dilemma? But what if she has to choose between two fantastically great guys? Now she’s got a true dilemma.
In this session we learn how to effectively show dilemma/crisis through scene.
We’ll jump right into reading your scenes, followed by a Bonus Presentation: Get Your Work on the Radar - Fast. In this 20-minute talk, award-winning screenwriter Dr. Tonya Coats shows how to target the right contests, package winning submissions, and leverage Intellectual Property (IP)—whether you’re adapting your own books or seeking partners. Learn where to find opportunities, avoid red flags, and build a submission plan that opens doors to reps, labs, and producers.
Submission Criteria:
Formatting Criteria:
Click here for formatting criteria for the Dramatists Guild.
Click here for formatting guidelines for screenplays or teleplays
Submit your contest entries here: Manuscripts@OCWW.INFO
MARY RUTH CLARKE is a screenwriter and playwright, best known for Meet the Parents film franchise, starring Robert De Niro. She is on the faculty of the Second City Film School and heads up the screenwriting/television program at Chicago Dramatists and Story Studio. She is a screenplay consultant for clients in LA and Chicago.
Dr. TONYA COATS, OCWW's Vice-President is a native Chicagoan and semi-retired Family Physician. She has completed two novels available for publication that she is adapting to screenplays. Her poetry has placed 1 st in the Social Science category of the 2021 Poets & Patrons of Chicagoland contest. She has placed essays in the New York Times, Riverteeth Journal and Memoir Magazine, to name a few.
