David Hal Chester
Keeping Promises
In my previous blog, posted on July 8, 2024, I promised to return at the end of August with the rough draft of an idea that has been...
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DAVID HAL CHESTER
SCREENWRITER/FILMMAKER
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David Hal Chester
- Jul 8
- 2 min
Do Not Walk Away
The industry is changing. AI is creeping into everything we do. Do writers actually have a purpose anymore, other than feeding prompts...
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David Hal Chester
- Feb 2
- 2 min
WRITE WITH ABANDON
Write with abandon. Let the words come flying, fast and furious, and do not edit them as you tap them out or scribble across the page. Do...
48 views1 comment
David Hal Chester
- Dec 10, 2023
- 4 min
THE CLIMB
It's been a while since my last post. Almost every waking minute, until a few weeks ago, was spent on polishing a screenplay which is, as...
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David Hal Chester
- Aug 31, 2023
- 2 min
KEEP GOING
If you are a writer, specifically a screenwriter, you must have heard the phrase "Keep writing!" It's always said in a cheerful way. No...
31 views1 comment
David Hal Chester
- Apr 11, 2023
- 3 min
DO IT YOURSELF
(Photo by Zbynek Polak) You want to be a screenwriter. A director. A producer. You want to do it all. You don't have any money, you don't...
17 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Dec 9, 2022
- 3 min
DON'T LET FEAR HOLD YOU BACK
2022 was perhaps the most challenging year of my life. I started off with a health crisis that I was sure spelled the end for me. By the...
80 views1 comment
David Hal Chester
- Aug 28, 2022
- 3 min
VALUE YOUR VOICE
Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But for me, it took me decades to accept that I even had a voice. I spent the majority of my life...
68 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Apr 20, 2022
- 2 min
ACCEPTING NOTES GRACEFULLY, WITH GRATITUDE
Because I came to screenwriting much later than most writers do, I always felt I had to try harder and learn more and be better. I was...
38 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Feb 5, 2022
- 3 min
YOU AGAINST THE WORLD
I used to write with co-writers. I loved the experience. I do not like writing alone. That said, even though I had co-writers, I often...
138 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Oct 29, 2021
- 1 min
I GUESS I'M LEGIT NOW
I wouldn't say I have "imposter screenwriter" syndrome, but I definitely have moments where I think, "Okay, step back, it's time to let...
75 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Sep 8, 2021
- 3 min
FROM CONCEPT TO SCRIPT IN 4-6 WEEKS
You have an idea for a screenplay. In fact, you might even have a finished screenplay. Now, you want to engage a producer or manager. Do...
81 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Aug 1, 2021
- 3 min
FIRST, YOU MUST BELIEVE
I did not start screenwriting until the age at which most people have already achieved career success in their chosen field. In my case,...
56 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Jun 16, 2021
- 3 min
OUTLINE, OUTLINE, OUTLINE!
Did I say "outline"? I recently handed in a first draft of a feature screenplay that I was hired to write by a production company that...
45 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- May 23, 2021
- 2 min
BIG MONEY COMES EASY; SMALL MONEY COMES HARD
The first time I heard this phrase, I couldn't understand what it meant. Colleen, my friend and former roommate, said it one day when we...
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David Hal Chester
- Apr 26, 2021
- 3 min
BREAK THE RULES. GO ON, BREAK THEM!
Perhaps some of you have heard of the American Western crime drama TV series "Justified." The series was created by Graham Yost, based on...
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David Hal Chester
- Apr 19, 2021
- 2 min
SAYING GOODBYE TO EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
I am a lucky person. I have many, many things: clothes on my back, food in my stomach, a roof over my head, sunlight streaming through my...
35 views2 comments
David Hal Chester
- Jan 28, 2021
- 2 min
Is your one-page written pitch up to snuff?
Hello all. It's been a while. I hope you and yours are well. It's been a challenging time. I thought it might be beneficial to share some...
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David Hal Chester
- Nov 20, 2020
- 2 min
The Value of Notes
November 20, 2020 When you ask for (or pay for) someone to give you notes on your screenplay, you must accept that the reader may offer...
10 views0 comments
David Hal Chester
- Nov 19, 2020
- 3 min
On Point: 10 Pitching Tips for Screenwriters
November 19, 2020 I can say without hesitation that pitching my screenplays has been the most terrifying thing I have ever done. I can...
18 views0 comments
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