Bela Lampert

Optioned Screenwriter / Yoga Instructor

What’s On Your Cover?

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What’s On Your Cover?

Covers give expectations.

There is the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” but when it’s really about books or movies that’s exactly what we do.

Let’s consider a book shop. If you’re looking for a new book there is not much you can base your opinion on really.

You have:

  • the cover
  • the book summary
  • maybe you flip through a couple of pages and check out how it’s written

At the movie theatre:

  • Title
  • Poster Artwork
  • Maybe you’ve seen the trailer before

That’s it.

On Netflix. Same:

  • Title
  • Artwork
  • Maybe the trailer

Consider this when writing your own stuff.

Imagine the title and the artwork, maybe the summary. If you’re writing a screenplay imagine a possible trailer too.

You know the genre in which you’re writing, so you should know what people expect.

Make a brainstorm session based on the expectance of the audience. Imagine you’re in their position. What great characters, scenes, twists, reveals, will they enjoy?

Go crazy.

Put down everything on paper that you could possibly come up with within the confines of your title and your imagines artwork and trailer/summary.

Then choose the best stuff you came up with and see how you can fit it into the story.

I’m sure it will improve what you have. Changing perspective every once in a while is a great tool to come up with new ideas.

If you also want to learn how to brainstorm without self-judgement:

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