Story Compass ® consolidates a wealth of insight and wisdom from professional writers, teachers and screenwriting mentors in a simple interface for easy access as you write. It was spawned through my own need for a tool like this, and evolved into a labor-of-love over the past few years.

 

It's been a huge help in getting me through the rough spots in my writing, with clear milestones and turning points marked along the way - and it quells that uneasy feeling you get if you think you might have missed an important opportunity or twist in your story.  Now I’m happy to finally release it in a form that others can benefit from as well. 

 

IMPORTANT:  I am not advocating a paint-by-numbers approach to screenwriting.  While some writers subscribe to these principles religiously, you can choose to embrace, ignore, or simply just consider these structural concepts as viable options to help you out of the woods when you feel lost.  You still possess the creative authority to do exactly as you choose (and ignore the suggestions altogether if you don't agree).  It is intended only as a GUIDE  to help you stay on track with reliable, time-tested story advice for those times of uncertainty. 

 

AND... with the timing function you can evaluate movies in real time to witness and prove (or disprove) these structural theories for yourself as you watch a film.