Gerald Hanks Reviews 19

The blueprint was helpful in character and plot development. I have different theories about writing in general, but it was good information to add in my process. Thank you!

Although I've just begun using Gerald's character development, I'm pleased to see it offers golden nuggets of help beyond what I can find on the Internet. Definitely a must-have for any screenwriter.

Edit: the author replied to an email I sent him. He replied very quickly. He confirmef that the Instagram site I went to was bogus. It was a scam. I’ll be contacting my bank.Please ignore the review below. Thank you.

They offered a story crafting book priced below five dollars on Instagram. When I checked out, they charged me $29.95. They sent me an email with a link to collect my book, and the only way I could collect my book was to spend another $16 for more books. Seems like a bait and switch to me. I am a very broke guy, disabled can’t work, five dollars was within my budget. The rest of it not so much.

At first, I saw Gerald’s blue print, I thought it was a scam but he’s legit after watching his videos.
It’s a great book and very helpful when it comes to writing. I’m glad I found him on Facebook.
I highly recommend.

I knew more or less what the character-building blueprint was talking about. I understood it quickly; I was on the right track in my writing; it taught me to be clearer about my Characters and to go deeper. I'm still going through it. I love it. Gerald Hanks, you broke it down to a "T." I say this to those who want to be screenwriters. Purchase the Character-Building Blueprint, and it will open your mind more than what it is, I'm telling YOU. It's worth it, believe me

I recently purchased the Character Building Blueprint from Gerald Hanks, and I’m genuinely blown away by how much value Gerald has packed into both the main guide and the bonus materials. Finding this resource before diving into my script feels like perfect timing. After working through the content, I’ve already revisited and strengthened my story concept, and I’m excited to start developing my characters using Gerald’s VOTE system.
For the first time, I feel confident that with this framework—and a commitment to putting in the work—I’ll be able to craft a script I’m proud to pitch to producers. Even more, I can actually envision the moment I’ll see my story come to life on a streaming platform. This blueprint is an absolute game-changer for writers who want to build richer, more compelling characters.

I am very glad I learned about Gerald Hanks and what he had to offer aspiring screenwriters. I'm very happy to receive the tools and appreciate the excellent guidance he's given.

The motivation and concerns of the protagonist make them compelling and the story real. Characters must be more than placeholders. They must relate to values shared by the reader. By understanding the system of Mr.Hanks, we are able to create epic characters and stories.

Gerald has covered several scripts for me and he’s always given great insights. I would recommend him to anyone looking for another set of eyes on their screenplay.

Story into screenplay App is absolutely amazing. Gerald has been very helpful with every aspect of my screenplay. He will do anything he can to help you finish your screenplay. He is an incredible mentor. He may even believe in your screenplay more then you. He continues to give his time to those willing to open they mind to his methods and approach. I truly am glad he reached back out to me after judging a script I wrote for a Drama. He reinvigorated me to keep my nose to the grind. I highly recommend using Gerald for any project you maya be working on.

Gerald Hank's VOTE method proved to be a game changer for me. I have spent time with other screen writing courses and read several books, and still had not made much progress. My characters were not dynamic and I didn't know how how to correct it until I tried this course.

Gerald Hank’s’ Character Building Blueprint is wonderfully easy to follow, immediately applicable, and truly gets you bursting with ideas that improve your characters and therefore improve your stories. I highly recommend it.

This is a valuable resource. I have worked with Gerald for several years now and his knowledge of the screenwriting process is incredible. You will benefit from any knowledge he shares with you. Specifically this guide gives you a wealth of information on the most basic level that you can follow like a blueprint to develop your characters to bring them to life and get your audience engaged in the story you are telling. Best of all are the activities and resources he provides that you can use to develop your characters and stories.

This book is very resourceful in preventing my characters from being flat, the most important aspect of a script. The big thing I got from reading this is that the character is supposed to be the driving force of the story, so if the characters are flat (i.e. simply there to serve the plot, no flaws, leaves audiences wondering why they should care about them), it serves no purpose for the story. Since reading this book, my characters are stronger, and in turn, makes my story stronger, more cohesive, and compelling.

Most dramatic writing teachers and books focus on structure. These are important. But when you really think about what you love about a film or a dramatic piece is character and relationship through which transmit emotion and the human condition. The truth is you could have a mediocre story and still be riveted to characters. The reverse isn't true and will lead to total boredom. Here we have a guide for writing on a far more productive path. It's astonishing how character and relationship is overlooked. This is a huge void in the education of dramatic writing. Structure is logic. Character requires a connect with our truth. It's harder, but the conduit to human communication. So good to have a starting point to inspire this all important element to the creative writing process. I believe with this skill you will never run out of ideas. Nothing worth paying attention to occurs without character. Ask any accomplished actor what they are looking for in a script.

I've read many articles/courses about character development, and the VOTE system is one of the clearest, concise systems that I've seen. Starting with a good introduction on why our scripts are lacking (the core problem), he then presents the step-by-step instructions on how we can improve our character's motivations, scenes, and dialogue. I used my current screenplay to see if this works, and I was blown away with results. For example, in one scene, I had no goal or tension for the character to face. And realizing this (through the system), I could fix this to produce a scene worth reading and keeping. No more flat characters! And this works for your main characters, the protagonist and antagonist, and for your secondary characters.
The rubrics (grids) are straightforward, and really helps the writer complete the VOTE system. There are also great examples from movies that anyone will recognize.
While the program is pretty packed (at 128 pages), it provides a great set of tools that I can refer back to time and again. Not too complicated, it's perfect for both the beginner and the seasoned writer. I have this out with my other resources that I use constantly, like the Hollywood Standard, the Screenwriter's Bible, and the Emotion Thesaurus.
In addition to Final Draft, it's the next best tool to have.

Definitely a great workbook for beginner writers. Characters are everything to a story, if you don't get them right your stories going to be completely off, then you're stuck with writer's block. If you know your characters (who they are, where they're going) you know your story. That's when the magic happens.

Gerald's classes and handouts have made a great difference in my writing. I'm working on my second book and his teaching has focused my writing and streamlined my character descriptions and their actions in the story. And I'm working on turning my first novel into a screenplay! You rock, Gerald! Thank you.

Raven Raye

Mr. Hanks has gone out of his way to ensure that he has answered all my my questions to the best of his abilities and has provided me with invaluable insight regarding the screenwriting process as well as provided me a great deal of feedback for my screenplay in this amazing course!