Screenwriting with an Argument
Learn to write compelling screenplays by anchoring every scene, character, and plot twist to a provocative central premise. Master the art of dramatic conflict, rigorous scene work, and visual storytelling on the page.
Like Duolingo, but for Screenwriting with an Argument. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
24 levels across 4 sections, about 48 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Igniting the Scene, The Core Argument, Testing the Argument Through Structure, and The Script on the Page. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Screenwriting with an Argument
- A dramatic scene works best when both characters want an immediate, concrete result right now
- The scene stalls if both characters want the same outcome or are simply agreeing
- Mutually exclusive goals mean only one character can walk away with what they came for
- Screenwriters cut out small talk and pleasantries to start a scene right when the core conflict begins
- A scene ends the instant the central power struggle resolves or tips irreversibly
- Lingering after the outcome is decided bleeds tension off the page
- Screenplay dialogue is an action designed to get something from another character
- Characters do not speak merely to inform the audience or summarize backstories
- Understanding what a line does to the listener reveals the scene's real tactical subtext
- Dramatic tension thrives when obstacles stem from opposing human wills
- Logistical delays or bad luck feel accidental rather than dramatic
- Personal obstacles force characters to negotiate, attack, or concede
- A dramatic scene must produce a net change in status, power, or emotional state
- If a scene loops back to its starting status, it acts as filler and can be cut without impacting the plot
- The climax of a scene shifts the balance of power decisively toward one side
- In screenwriting, superficial traits and eccentric habits do not generate dramatic action or choices
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Screenwriting with an Argument the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What happens to a scene if both characters agree and want the exact same thing?
Get it right to open this lesson and 23 more in the app.
How to learn Screenwriting with an Argument, step by step
Go in order. 24 short levels across 4 sections, about 48 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Igniting the Scene
- Writing a Scene as a Tug-of-War
- Characters Driven by Clashing Worldviews
- 2
The Core Argument
- Finding Your Story's Provocative Thesis
- The Antagonist as the Necessary Counter-Argument
- 3
Testing the Argument Through Structure
- Escalating Beats as Moral Crucibles
- The Climax as the Thematic Verdict
- 4
The Script on the Page
- Subtext and Deflection in Dialogue
- Visual Action and Page Economy
4 sections · 8 units · 24 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Screenwriting with an Argument
How do I learn Screenwriting with an Argument?
Go in order: start with Igniting the Scene, then The Core Argument, then Testing the Argument Through Structure, then The Script on the Page. On Tomo that's 24 short levels, about 48 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Screenwriting with an Argument?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Screenwriting with an Argument is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Screenwriting with an Argument course free?
Yes. Screenwriting with an Argument is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Screenwriting with an Argument?
24 levels across 4 sections, about 48 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Screenwriting with an Argument?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Screenwriting with an Argument is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Screenwriting with an Argument today.
Download Tomo, search Screenwriting with an Argument, and play your first lesson in under a minute.