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How They Write A Script: Anna Hamilton Phelan
"It's the character that usually grabs me. My downfall always is the plot. That's the hardest part for me, plot."
writing
Jun 03, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Gerald DiPego
"Before this interview, I thought I would do a little homework. I made a column of original screenplays called 'Sold and Produced,' and I...
writing
film
Jun 03, 2025
My alliterative definition of Story.
A character we care about confronts complex challenges created by a compelling crisis with a cathartic conclusion.
writing
Jun 03, 2025
Page One: "McFarland, USA" (2015)
Screenplay by Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson, story by Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois
writing
Jun 03, 2025
How They Write A Script: Leigh Brackett
"I don't think there's anything better than screenwriting to teach you the construction of a story."
writing
Jun 02, 2025
Great Scene: "Arrival"
How the 2016 science fiction movie uses a bookend to reveal a remarkable truth... and upend our understanding of time.
writing
film
Jun 02, 2025
On Writing
"You sit in back of the typewriter and you work, and that's all there is to it."
writing
Jun 02, 2025
Page One: "The Mauritanian" (2021)
Screenplay by M.B. Traven) and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, story by M.B. Traven, book by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, book editor Larry Siems
writing
Jun 02, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: "That pure part of you"
Writing words of wisdom from the screenwriter of Ordinary People.
writing
Jun 01, 2025
Great Scene: "Amadeus"
Compare screenplay to screen: The wondrous scene in the 1984 movie in which Mozart dictates the Requiem Mass to Salieri.
writing
film
Jun 01, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Stephany Folsom
My 2014 in-depth interview with the screenwriter of Toy Story 4, consulting producer and writer on the TV series The Lord of the Rings: The...
writing
film
Jun 01, 2025
Page One: "Mass" (2021)
Written by Fran Kranz
writing
Jun 01, 2025
"The only way out is through"
Imagine the process of writing a story as being a journey. Perhaps as you embark on your adventure, you have a map — an outline or beat...
writing
May 31, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Humphrey Bogart
"If I ever have to spout exposition, there'd better be two camels humping in the background to distract the audience."
writing
film
May 31, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Brian Duffield
My conversation with the filmmaker whose writing credits include The Babysitter, Spontaneous, Love and Monsters, and No One Will Save You.
May 31, 2025
Page One: "The Mask" (1974)
Screenplay by Mike Werb, story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden
writing
May 31, 2025
Great Example of Handling Exposition
From Season 1 of The Last of Us.
writing
May 30, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Lindsay Devlin
"A lot of people think movies are just sort of, 'Anybody can do it. Anybody can be a screenwriter.' But it's a tough, tough craft. It's...
writing
film
May 30, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: Seeing... Hearing...
One day a while ago, I was out with my family for a walk in the neighborhood. As we returned home, I noticed a speed limit sign in the...
writing
May 30, 2025
Page One: "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" (1994)
Screenplay by Steph Lady and Frank Darabont, based on the novel by Mary Shelley
writing
May 30, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Hurry up and wait
The bane of a screenwriter's existence: They want the script NOW... then they make you WAIT... and wait... and wait...
writing
May 29, 2025
Writing Tip: Something is Better Than Nothing
"No matter what you write, good or bad, it's an improvement to a blank page."
writing
May 29, 2025
On Writing
"A lesson any writer can use. Don't be afraid. That simple; don't let them scare you. There's nothing they can do to you. If they kick you...
writing
May 29, 2025
Page One: "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" (2021)
Screenplay by Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate and Nick Paley, story by Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate and Nick Paley and Elisabeth...
writing
May 29, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: Feet on the ground... head in the clouds
A twist on a familiar adage speaks to the business of writing.
writing
May 28, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Scott Derrickson
"The Divine Comedy of Filmmaking:
writing
film
May 28, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Lori Evans Taylor
My conversation with the co-writer of the smash hit movie Final Destination: Bloodlines.
May 28, 2025
Page One: "Mary Poppins" (1964)
Screenplay by Bill Walsh & Don DaGradi, based on The "Mary Poppins" books by by P.L. Travers
writing
May 28, 2025
Prep: From Concept to Outline: "It works!"
When you enroll in this online workshop, you will receive a FREE personalized autographed copy of my book The Protagonist's Journey!
writing
May 27, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Craig Mazin
My in-depth interview with screenwriter and co-host (along with John August) of the popular podcast Scriptnotes.
May 27, 2025
On Writing
"Sometimes it's all dialogue with a quick stage note, sometimes it's all descriptive work. The point is getting it all down, even if it's...
writing
May 27, 2025
Page One: "Martyrs" (2008)
Written by Pascal Laugier
writing
May 27, 2025
Know Your Genre
If you want to write in a genre, immerse yourself in it.
writing
May 26, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Ava DuVernay
My in-depth interview with filmmaker whose credits include the movie Selma, the documentary 13th, and the TV series "Queen Sugar".
May 26, 2025
On Writing
"I don't need time. What I need is a deadline."
writing
May 26, 2025
Page One: "Mandy" (2018)
Written by Panos Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn and Cheddar Goblin, story by Panos Cosmatos
writing
May 26, 2025
How much of the "iceberg" do we reveal?
My response to a reader question.
writing
May 25, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Eric Heisserer
My interview with one of Hollywood's hottest screenwriters.
May 25, 2025
Great Scene: "Good Morning, Vietnam!"
It's Adrian Cronauer's first broadcast ... and the thrill of watching Robin Williams' improvisational skills.
film
May 25, 2025
Page One: "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004)
Screenplay by Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris, based on the 1962 screenplay by George Axelrod, adapted from the novel by Richard Condon
writing
May 25, 2025
The Iceberg Theory of Writing
How much character development is enough?
writing
May 24, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Matt Altman & Dave Matalon
My conversation with the writing duo behind the 2024 Black List script Three Hitmen and a Baby.
May 24, 2025
12 Free 'Go Into The Story' eBooks
Nearly 1,000 pages on the craft and business of screenwriting.
writing
May 24, 2025
Page One: "The Man Who Invented Christmas" (2017)
Written by Susan Coyne, based on "The Man Who Invented Christmas" by Les Standiford, inspired by "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
writing
May 24, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: What are you afraid of?
The single greatest inhibitor to creativity is fear. Do you recognize any of these voices?
writing
May 23, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Matt Altman & Dave Matalon
My conversation with the writing duo behind the 2024 Black List script Three Hitmen and a Baby.
writing
May 23, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Your first big check
It is March, 1987. I am here, the Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset Blvd. It's 1PM. I am meeting one of my agents for lunch. For dessert: My first...
writing
May 23, 2025
Page One: "Man on the Moon" (1999)
Written by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
writing
May 23, 2025
Write what they're buying or sell them your dream
There are many writing paths. Here are two of them.
writing
May 22, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Scott Derrickson
"Reading a mediocre screenplay is like driving when you're sleepy — every minute is work."
writing
film
May 22, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Matt Altman & Dave Matalon
My conversation with the writing duo behind the 2024 Black List script Three Hitmen and a Baby.
writing
May 22, 2025
Page One: "Man on a Ledge" (2012)
Written by Pablo F. Fenjves
writing
May 22, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: Is My Screenplay Big Enough to Be a Movie?
This is a fundamental question screenwriters must ask themselves at all stages of a screenplay's development and writing. Why? Because it's...
writing
film
May 21, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Matt Altman & Dave Matalon
My conversation with the writing duo behind the 2024 Black List script Three Hitmen and a Baby.
writing
May 21, 2025
On Writing
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
writing
May 21, 2025
Page One: "A Man Called Otto" (2022)
Screenplay by David Magee, based on the novel "En man som heter Ove" by Fredrik Backman and Hannes Holm
writing
May 21, 2025
Difference Between Scene Heading and Shot
What they are and when each should be used.
writing
May 20, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Matt Altman & Dave Matalon
My conversation with the writing duo behind the 2024 Black List script Three Hitmen and a Baby.
writing
May 20, 2025
The Disunity State of Clarice Starling
How the opening of The Silence of the Lambs establishes the Protagonist's psychological starting point for her transformation-journey.
writing
film
May 20, 2025
Page One: "Mallrats" (1995)
Written by Kevin Smith
writing
May 20, 2025
Join me for a writers retreat in Spain!
Plus, a special discount for Go Into The Story readers.
writing
May 19, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Matt Altman & Dave Matalon
My conversation with the writing duo behind the 2024 Black List script Three Hitmen and a Baby.
writing
May 19, 2025
On Writing
"Only the hand that erases can write the true thing."
writing
May 19, 2025
Page One: "Malignant" (2021)
Screenplay by Akela Cooper, story by James Wan & Ingrid Bisu and Akela Cooper
writing
May 19, 2025
Deep Work vs. Shallow Work
As writers, we need to protect time for the former from the encroachment of the latter. Here are four strategies to do precisely that.
writing
May 18, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Jon Boyer
My conversation with the writer of the Black List script "Free Byrd."
May 18, 2025
Deep Focus: Film School on the Cheap
Resources put together by members of the Go Into The Story community.
May 18, 2025
Page One: "Malibu's Most Wanted" (2003)
Written by Fax Bahr & Adam Small & Jamie Kennedy and Nick Swardson
writing
May 18, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: Perspiration and Inspiration
Sometimes it's all about the work. Sometimes it's all about the un-work.
creativity
writing
May 17, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Craig Borten
My interview with the co-writer of the Oscar nominated screenplay Dallas Buyers Club.
writing
May 17, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: You will fuck up
"One day, you will sell your screenplay, and then your problems will begin." — Audrey Wells
writing
film
May 17, 2025
Page One: "Malcolm & Marie" (2021)
Written by Sam Levinson
writing
May 17, 2025
Happy Birthday, Go Into The Story!
Launched on May 16, 2008, here we are 6,210 days of blogging later... but what does it all mean?
writing
May 16, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Callie Bloem and Christopher Ewing
My interview with the 2022 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
May 16, 2025
On Writing
"The best advice on writing was given to me by my first editor, Michael Korda, of Simon and Schuster, while writing my first book. 'Finish...
writing
May 16, 2025
Page One: "The Majestic" (2001)
Written by Michael Sloane
writing
May 16, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Scott Derrickson
"Many filmmakers, especially young ones, are afraid being 'pigeonholed', but that's a pejorative word for 'branding', and branding is...
film
May 15, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Amy Berg
My conversation with a top Hollywood TV showrunner.
writing
May 15, 2025
Page One: "Maggie's Plan" (2015)
Written for the screen by Rebecca Miller, based on a story by Karen Rinaldi
writing
May 15, 2025
Keys to Handling Exposition
Take my 1-week online class to learn ways to make exposition entertaining. Begins Monday, May 26, 2025.
writing
May 14, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Haley Bartels
My interview with the 2021 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
May 14, 2025
On Writing
"A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk."
writing
May 14, 2025
Page One: "Made in Heaven" (1987)
Written by Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon
writing
May 14, 2025
Ctrl, Alt, Del: Three Act Structure
It's right there on your keyboard!
writing
May 13, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Brian Arnold
My interview with 2021 Black List writer.
May 13, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Brian De Palma
"The problem with writing a movie is you've got to have a great idea. I loved the idea for Femme Fatale and it came very quickly. Dressed...
writing
film
May 13, 2025
Page One: "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015)
Written by George Miller and Brendan McCarthy and Nick Lathouris
writing
May 13, 2025
Carl Jung on the structure of dreams
Subconscious stories revealed in our sleep in four acts.
writing
May 13, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Jennifer Archer
My interview with the 2022 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
May 13, 2025
On Writing
"We're all born with an imagination. Everybody gets one. And I really believe — this is just from years of daily writing — that good...
writing
May 12, 2025
Page One: "The Lunchbox" (2013)
Screenplay by Ritesh Batra
writing
May 12, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: Free Association
Sometimes if you're stuck in your writing, it's best just to cut loose.
writing
May 11, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Pen Densham
"Joseph Campbell's studies of myths, legends, and religions suggested that exactly the same story components cropped up in every culture...
writing
film
May 11, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Julia Yorks
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
May 11, 2025
Page One: "Lucy in the Sky" (2019)
Screenplay by Brian C. Brown & Elliott DiGuiseppi & Noah Hawley, story by Brian C. Brown & Elliott DiGuiseppi
writing
May 11, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: It's not just about the script
Yes, you should focus on your spec script, but there's much more to learn.
writing
May 10, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Julia York
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
writing
May 10, 2025
On Writing
"Talent is cheap. What matters is discipline."
writing
May 10, 2025
Page One: "Lucky Number Slevin" (2006)
Written by Jason Smilovic
writing
May 10, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: Need writing inspiration? Go to an airport.
All those arrivals and departures represent a non-stop flow of stories.
writing
May 09, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Julia York
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
writing
May 09, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason"
I'm at lunch with our agents in Beverly Hills. It's February, 1987. The deal where Universal Pictures bought our spec script K-9 is...
writing
May 09, 2025
Page One: "London Boulevard" (2010)
Screenplay by William Monahan, novel by Ken Bruen
writing
May 09, 2025
Theme as Moments
"It should not be surprising that what we most often and most vividly remember about a movie are its key moments. It should also not be...
writing
May 08, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Julia Yorks
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
writing
May 08, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Pen Densham
"You have to look at being a story-writer and let that passion create stories, and see where there's a place you might be able to find...
writing
May 08, 2025
Page One: "Love, Simon" (2018)
Screenplay by Elizabeth Berger & Isaac Aptaker, based upon the novel "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
writing
May 08, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: Test Your Story Concept
5 questions to ask about a story idea to assess its viability as a scripted project.
writing
May 07, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Julia Yorks
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
writing
film
May 07, 2025
On Writing
"Don't quit. It's very easy to quit during the first ten years. Nobody cares whether you write or not, and it's very hard to write when...
writing
May 07, 2025
Page One: "Love & Other Drugs" (2010)
Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz
writing
May 07, 2025
Reader Question: Can a Protagonist evolve into an Antagonist?
"I prefer to look at it in Jungian terms: The Protagonist's shadow has emerged from latency and because the Protagonist has not confronted...
writing
May 06, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Julia Yorks
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
writing
May 06, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Frank Darabont
"The whole industry of 'we can make you a screenwriter.' I have ambivalent feelings because, ultimately, even though there is some benefit...
writing
film
May 06, 2025
Page One: "Lone Survivor" (2013)
Written by Peter Berg, book by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson
writing
May 06, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: Stacking projects
One key to the craft: Learning how to manage multiple projects at once.
writing
May 05, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Julia Yorks
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script The Seven Guys You Date Before Marriage.
writing
May 05, 2025
On Writing
"Writing is easy. Being a writer is murder."
writing
May 05, 2025
Page One: "The Lone Ranger" (2013)
Screenplay by Justin Haythe and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, screen story by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Justin Haythe
writing
May 05, 2025
Break your story in prep
My only Prep: From Concept to Outline workshop of 2025 begins June 2nd.
writing
May 04, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: James Acker
My interview with the 2020 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
May 04, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Frank Darabont
"Don't get into this business if it's about trying to make a million-dollar sale. We've got plenty of assholes around trying to achieve...
writing
May 04, 2025
Page One: "Live by Night" (2016)
Screenplay by Ben Affleck, novel by Dennis Lehane
writing
May 04, 2025
The Coen Brothers, Storytelling, and Fate
A poem by Ethan Coen reveals a key clue to the brothers' story sensibilities.
writing
May 03, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Zombieland"
One of the most important things a writer wants to do when they begin a script is establish the story's tone — and this is nowhere more...
writing
May 03, 2025
20 Tips from Martin Scorsese
The writer-director of Mean Streets, Goodfellas, The Age of Innocence, and Casino with reflections on cinematic storytelling.
writing
film
May 03, 2025
Page One: "Live and Let Die" (1973)
Screenplay by Tom Mankiewicz, novel by Ian Fleming
writing
May 03, 2025
Here's to Us Night Owls!
"The conventional wisdom is that morning people are high achievers, go-getters, while late risers are lazy. But what if going to bed in the...
productivity
May 02, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Movie Stars
I am staring at a cardboard standup display of an iconic movie character from an Academy Award winning movie, one of the most famous...
writing
film
May 02, 2025
Page One: "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986)
Screenplay by Howard Ashman, based on the musical play "Little Shop of Horrors"
writing
May 02, 2025
My Writing Workshop Schedule
Two online workshops this summer... my only ones in 2025!
writing
May 01, 2025
Writing Mantra: Get the damn thing done!
The one unalterable truth about writing a first draft.
writing
May 01, 2025
On Writing
"I can count on one hand, or possibly one elbow, the number of good writing ideas I've had while straining at the keyboard. When you find...
writing
May 01, 2025
Page One: "The Little Things" (2021)
Written by John Lee Hancock
writing
May 01, 2025
Story Summaries: From Loglines to Beat Sheets
Learn six different types of story summaries and how to use them to develop your scripted projects. My one-week online class starts Monday...
writing
Apr 30, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Richard Curtis
"I tend to do projects I've had in mind for two years, so they're slowly boiling on the stove like stock. And by slowing yourself down, you...
writing
film
Apr 30, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Withnail and I"
This Great Scene was from one of my favorite comedies Withnail and I (1987). Unfortunately, I only had a transcript of the scene to post...
writing
Apr 30, 2025
Page One: "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007)
Screenplay by Mark Bomback, story by Mark Bomback and David Marconi, original character by Roderick Thorp, article by John Carlin
writing
Apr 30, 2025
Page One: "Lion" (2016)
Screenplay by Luke Davies, based on a book by Saroo Brierley
writing
Apr 30, 2025
On Writing
It has often been said there's so much to be read, you never can cram all those words in your head.
writing
Apr 29, 2025
Page One: "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011)
Screenplay by John Romano, novel by Michael Connelly
writing
Apr 29, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Destin Daniel Cretton
"I do a lot of writing in my head for a while and then I start outlining and just throwing ideas down on the notes in my iPhone or notes in...
writing
Apr 28, 2025
Page One: "Like Father Like Son" (1987)
Screenplay by Lorne Cameron and Steve Bloom, story by Lorne Cameron
writing
Apr 27, 2025
On Writing
"Writing is like driving in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
writing
Apr 26, 2025
Page One: "The Lifeguard" (2013)
Written by Liz W. Garcia
writing
Apr 26, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 25
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 25, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Destin Daniel Cretton
"I do a lot of writing in my head for a while and then I start outlining and just throwing ideas down on the notes in my iPhone or notes in...
writing
Apr 25, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Wall-E"
I have discussed the writing style of the Pixar film Wall-E before here. On the subject of scene description, here's a money quote from...
writing
Apr 25, 2025
Page One: "Lights Out" (2016)
Screenplay by Eric Heisserer, based on the short film by David F. Sandberg
writing
Apr 25, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 24
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 24, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Travis Braun
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script One Night Only.
writing
Apr 24, 2025
On Writing
"Rembrandt and Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Gauguin, possessed, I believe, powerful hearts, not powerful wills. They loved the range of...
writing
Apr 24, 2025
Page One: "Leviathan" (1989)
Screenplay by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart, story by David Webb Peoples
writing
Apr 24, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 23
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 23, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Travis Braun
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script One Night Only.
writing
Apr 23, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Up"
Pixar filmmakers are masters at setups and payoffs as in the script for Up.
writing
film
Apr 23, 2025
Page One: "Letters from Iwo Jima" (2006)
Screenplay by Iris Yamashita, story by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis, based on a book by Tadamichi Kuribayashi
writing
Apr 23, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 22
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 22, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Francis Ford Coppola
"When you make a movie, always try to discover what the theme of the movie is in one or two words. Every time I made a film, I always knew...
writing
film
Apr 22, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Travis Braun
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script One Night Only.
writing
Apr 22, 2025
Page One: "Life Stinks" (1991)
Screenplay by Mel Brooks & Rudy De Luca & Steve Haberman, story by Mel Brooks & Ron Clark & Rudy De Luca & Steve Haberman
writing
Apr 22, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 21
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 21, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Travis Braun
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script One Night Only.
writing
Apr 21, 2025
On Writing
"You've got to be prepared to write a load of nonsense to start with and then you can tart it up. The business of getting going, getting...
writing
Apr 21, 2025
Page One: "Life Itself" (2018)
Written by Dan Fogelman
writing
Apr 21, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 20
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 20, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Steve Coogan
"To write from personal experience, you also need the humility to be able to accept that whatever you think might be wrong. I think...
writing
Apr 20, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Unforgiven"
The folksy narrative voice in sync with the movie's Western genre and a clean read with bursts of imagematic writing.
writing
Apr 20, 2025
Page One: "Licence to Kill" (1989)
Written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum, characters by Ian Fleming
writing
Apr 20, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 19
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 19, 2025
Update: 2025 London Screenwriters' Festival
Some events added to my schedule Thursday, April 24-Sunday, April 27.
writing
Apr 19, 2025
On Writing
"I keep little notepads all over the place to write down ideas as soon as they strike, but the ones that fill up the quickest are always...
writing
Apr 19, 2025
Page One: "Let Him Go" (2020)
Written by Thomas Bezucha, novel by Larry Watson
writing
Apr 19, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 18
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 18, 2025
Screenwriting Mantra: Minimum Words, Maximum Impact
The origin and importance of one of the best screenwriting mantras... ever!
writing
Apr 18, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: What are you afraid of?
The single greatest inhibitor to creativity is fear. Do you recognize any of these negative voices?
creativity
writing
Apr 18, 2025
Page One: "Leprechaun" (1993)
Written by Mark Jones
writing
Apr 18, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 17
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 17, 2025
Story as Psychological Journey
"To dig up diamonds in our imagination, we must plumb the depths of our own souls and enter our deepest, darkest caves, for it is there...
writing
Apr 17, 2025
On Writing
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely...
writing
Apr 17, 2025
Page One: "The Legend of Zorro" (2005)
Screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, story by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, based on a character by...
writing
Apr 17, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 16
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 17, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Titanic"
Before Avatar went on to gross $2.72B worldwide, writer-director James Cameron created another movie phenomenon called Titanic (1997) which...
writing
film
Apr 17, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Michele Atkins
My interview with the screenwriter whose screenplay won a 2016 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting.
Apr 17, 2025
Page One: "The Lego Movie" (2014)
Screenplay by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, story by Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
writing
Apr 17, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 15
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
film
Apr 15, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Spenser Cohen
"Stories are an emotional medium. People always say, write what you know, and I think it's write what you know emotionally. Sometimes I'll...
writing
film
Apr 15, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Elijah Bynum
My interview with the screenwriter whose scripts Mississippi Mud and Hot Summer Nights both were named to the 2013 Black List.
Apr 15, 2025
Page One: "Law Abiding Citizen" (2009)
Written by Kurt Wimmer
writing
Apr 15, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 14
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 14, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "There's Something About Mary"
There are many funny scenes in the Farrelly brothers' movie There's Something About Mary (1988), but the "franks or beans" scene is right...
writing
film
Apr 14, 2025
On Writing
"If someone's on a soapbox saying this is what I am or, more accurately, this what I think you should be, I run for the hills. But if...
writing
Apr 14, 2025
Page One: "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988)
Screenplay by Paul Schrader, novel by Nikos Kazantzakis
writing
Apr 14, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 13
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 14, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Larry Cohen
"When Larry Cohen is writing a screenplay, there are certain things he will not do. He will not rely on an outline. Over the years, he has...
writing
film
Apr 13, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
Apr 13, 2025
Page One: "The Last Station" (2009)
Screenplay by Michael Hoffman, based on the novel by Jay Parini
writing
Apr 13, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 12
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 13, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
writing
Apr 12, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Some Like It Hot"
Many older screenplays from the 40s and 50s are written in a style that makes them hard to read — loaded with directing notes, lots of...
writing
film
Apr 12, 2025
Page One: "The Last Picture Show" (1971)
Screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich, based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
writing
Apr 12, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 11
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 11, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
writing
Apr 11, 2025
"Come to the edge"
Going beyond the edge of the Old World into the New World can be a terrifying experience, but a necessary one for the transformation...
writing
Apr 11, 2025
Page One: "Last Holiday" (2006)
Screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman
writing
Apr 11, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 10
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 10, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
writing
Apr 10, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Joel Coen
"Every movie ever made is an attempt to remake The Wizard of Oz."
film
Apr 10, 2025
Page One: "Lake Placid" (1999)
Written by David E. Kelley
writing
Apr 10, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 9
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April.
writing
Apr 09, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
writing
Apr 09, 2025
Spec Script Deal: Untitled Teen Comedy
A24 acquires raunchy untitled teen comedy spec script written by Morgan Lehmann. Via Deadline:
film
Apr 09, 2025
Page One: "Ladyhawke" (1985)
Screenplay by Edward Khmara and Michael Thomas and Tom Mankiewicz, story by Edward Khmara
writing
Apr 09, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 8
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work my...
writing
Apr 08, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
writing
Apr 08, 2025
On Writing
"The most important element of any story is to make the reader want to know what happens next. Period. Everything else is gravy."
writing
Apr 08, 2025
Page One: "L.A. Story" (1991)
Written by Steve Martin
writing
Apr 08, 2025
The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling
My one-week online class begins Monday, April 14.
writing
Apr 07, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Cameron Fay
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Until You.
writing
film
Apr 07, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 7
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work my...
writing
Apr 07, 2025
Page One: "Krampus" (2015)
Written by Todd Casey & Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields
writing
Apr 07, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 6
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work my...
writing
Apr 07, 2025
On Writing
"Sneaking up on it sometimes helps. I've found I can be very productive for an hour before dinner, because there obviously isn't enough...
writing
Apr 06, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Isaac Adamson
My interview with 2015 Black List writer for his script Bubbles.
Apr 06, 2025
Page One: "Knowing" (2009)
Screenplay by Ryne Douglas Pearson and Juliet Snowden & Stiles White, story by Ryne Douglas Pearson
writing
Apr 06, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 5
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work my...
writing
Apr 05, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Dana Coen
"I learned by continually asking myself those essential craft questions. Is the scene driven by the intent of the characters? Are there...
writing
film
Apr 05, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Se7en"
I posted this sequence in the movie Se7en as a Great Scene here and you can go there to see an analysis and commentary about it. But this...
writing
Apr 05, 2025
Page One: "A Knight's Tale" (2001)
Written by Brian Helgeland
writing
Apr 05, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 4
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work my...
writing
Apr 04, 2025
On Writing
"Writers spend all their time preoccupied with just the things that their fellow men and women spend their time trying to avoid thinking...
writing
Apr 04, 2025
Psychology of Storytelling: Dark Places
"One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."
writing
Apr 04, 2025
Page One: "Knight and Day" (2010)
Written by Patrick O'Neill
writing
Apr 04, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 3
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work my...
writing
Apr 03, 2025
Hollywood Tales: Someday someone will beat you to the punch
If you traffic in high concept stories, chances are you'll confront this scenario.
writing
Apr 03, 2025
Writing Tip: Are You a Push Writer or a Pull Writer?
Do you do your best creative work when you're pushed... or pulled?
writing
Apr 03, 2025
Page One: "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014)
Screenplay by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book "The Secret Service" by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
writing
Apr 03, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 2
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work...
writing
Apr 02, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Diablo Cody
"I don't have a formal rewrite process. I just compulsively groom and re-groom scenes like a cat with OCD."
writing
film
Apr 02, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Saving Private Ryan"
I doubt anyone who has seen Saving Private Ryan — written by Robert Rodat, directed by Steven Spielberg — will ever forget the film's...
writing
film
Apr 02, 2025
Page One: "The Kings of Summer" (2013)
Written by Chris Galletta
writing
Apr 02, 2025
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 1
This is the 15th year in a row I've run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I'll work...
writing
Apr 01, 2025
On Writing
"In any story there are three elements: persons, a situation, and the fact that in the end something has changed. If nothing has changed...
writing
Apr 01, 2025
Page One: "Kingpin" (1996)
Written by Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan
writing
Apr 01, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 31
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 31, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Jack Waz
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
Mar 31, 2025
"Just write the next word"
Words of writing wisdom from screenwriter Anna Hamilton Phelan.
writing
Mar 31, 2025
Page One: "The King" (2019)
Written by David Michôd by & Joel Edgerton
writing
Mar 31, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 30
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 30, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Diablo Cody
"I didn't really look at it as teen-speak but more like weirdo language! Ellen Page just presents it in such a saucy way, too, and I'm kind...
writing
film
Mar 30, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Jack Waz
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
writing
Mar 30, 2025
Page One: "Kin" (2018)
Screenplay by Daniel Casey, based on the short film "Bag Man" by Jonathan Baker & Josh Baker
writing
Mar 30, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 29
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 29, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Jack Waz
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
writing
Mar 29, 2025
On Writing
"We need myths to get by. We need story; otherwise the tremendous randomness of experience overwhelms us. Story is what penetrates."
writing
Mar 29, 2025
Page One: "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" (2017)
Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou
writing
Mar 29, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 28
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 28, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Jack Waz
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
writing
film
Mar 28, 2025
18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently
Are you creative? Chances are you do some things differently.
creativity
writing
Mar 28, 2025
Page One: "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (1988)
Written by Charles Chiodo and Stephen Chiodo
writing
Mar 28, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 27
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 27, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Jack Waz
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
writing
Mar 27, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: 24/7/365
When you're a writer, you're basically never NOT working.
writing
Mar 27, 2025
Page One: "Kill Your Darlings" (2013)
Screenplay by Austin Bunn and John Krokidas, story by Austin Bunn
writing
Mar 27, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 26
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 26, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Jack Waz
My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
writing
Mar 26, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Raising Arizona"
I'll always have a soft spot for Raising Arizona as it was the very first industry screening I attended back in March 1987. That and the...
film
Mar 26, 2025
Page One: "Kill the Messenger" (2014)
Written by Peter Landesman, book by Gary Webb, book by Nick Schou
writing
Mar 26, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 25
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 25, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Tze Chun
"When I want to come up with a new project, I will sit down and I will try to write 25 ideas a day for a week or two. So that I have 100...
writing
Mar 25, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Jack Waz
My interview with 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.
writing
Mar 25, 2025
Page One: "Kids" (1995)
Written by Harmony Korine, story by Larry Clark
writing
Mar 25, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 24
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 24.
writing
Mar 24, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Mikey & Wyatt
A conversation with the creators of the popular YouTube series.
writing
film
Mar 24, 2025
On Writing
"Plot, or evolution, is life responding to environment; and not only is this response always in terms of conflict, but the really great...
writing
Mar 24, 2025
Page One: "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" (2003)
Written by Quentin Tarantino
writing
Mar 24, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 23
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 23, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Lisa Cholodenko
"I think the most important thing I learned [from editing] is that you start with this huge bear of a film which really has no pacing or no...
writing
film
Mar 23, 2025
Screenplays are stories, not formulas
"If you go in with formula, you come out with formula."
writing
Mar 23, 2025
Page One: "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003)
Written by Quentin Tarantino
writing
Mar 23, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 22
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 22, 2025
On Writing
"I sit in the dark and wait for a little flame to appear at the end of my pencil."
writing
Mar 22, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Raging Bull"
Sports movie are tough to write for many reasons. Here's one of them: How to describe athletic action without being too specific and...
writing
Mar 22, 2025
Page One: "The Karate Kid Part III" (1989)
Written by Robert Mark Kamen, characters created by Robert Mark Kamen
writing
Mar 22, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 21
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 21, 2025
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
Part 5: "We like to be engaged and entertained by what transpires in the plot, but more important we want to find meaning in the...
writing
Mar 21, 2025
4 Sure-Fire Ways to Stimulate Creativity
Sadly, bourbon is not one of them.
creativity
writing
Mar 21, 2025
Page One: "The Karate Kid Part II" (1986)
Written by Robert Mark Kamen, characters created by Robert Mark Kamen
writing
Mar 21, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 20
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
creativity
writing
Mar 20, 2025
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
Part 4: What Is / What Could Be / What Is / What Could Be / What Is...
writing
Mar 20, 2025
Great Scene: "Rachel Getting Married"
A wedding toast gone awkwardly, painfully awry.
writing
film
Mar 20, 2025
Page One: "The Karate Kid" (1984)
Written by Robert Mark Kamen
writing
Mar 20, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 19
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 19, 2025
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
Part 3: "Every storytelling exercise should begin by asking: Who is my audience and what is the message I want to share with them? Each...
writing
Mar 19, 2025
Update: 2025 London Screenwriters' Festival
More information on my appearance at this year's event: April 24–27.
writing
Mar 19, 2025
Page One: "K-PAX" (2001)
Screenplay by Charles Leavitt, novel by Gene Brewer
writing
Mar 19, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 18
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 18, 2025
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
Part 2: The intriguing thing here is that while we, as writers, are thinking about emotions and psychology, much of it apparently boils...
writing
Mar 18, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Stan Chervin
"I always try to bang out a first, rough draft as fast as I can. There's a story of George Abbott, the theatre director, coming into the...
writing
film
Mar 18, 2025
Page One: "Just Mercy" (2019)
Written by Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham, based on the book by Bryan Stevenson
writing
Mar 18, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 17
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 17, 2025
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
Part 1: Something about your story, most particularly involving your Protagonist, must resonate with a reader. What that boils down to is...
writing
Mar 17, 2025
On Writing
"Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's...
writing
Mar 17, 2025
Page One: "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997)
Screenplay by David Koepp, novel by Michael Crichton
writing
Mar 17, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 16
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 16, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
Mar 16, 2025
Writing Tip: Free Association
Sometimes if you're stuck in your writing, it's best just to cut loose.
writing
Mar 16, 2025
Page One: "Jockey" (2021)
Written by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
writing
Mar 16, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 15
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 15, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Mar 15, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Pulp Fiction"
Quentin Tarantino is noted — among other things — for his ear for great dialogue. However in Pulp Fiction (1994), it's worth noting that...
writing
film
Mar 15, 2025
Page One: "Julieta" (2016)
Written by Pedro Almodóvar, based on stories by Alice Munro
writing
Mar 15, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 14
Write an entire draft of a script in September — FADE IN. FADE OUT. Or any sort of creative goal you have in front of you.
writing
Mar 14, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
film
Mar 14, 2025
Why Creativity Thrives in the Dark
Some scientific props for all you fellow night writers out there!
creativity
writing
Mar 14, 2025
Page One: "Joy" (2015)
Screenplay by David O. Russell, story by Annie Mumolo and David O. Russell
writing
Mar 14, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 13
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 13, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Mar 13, 2025
2025 London Screenwriters' Festival
The event runt thfough Friday, April 25–27, 2025 ... I'll be there!
writing
Mar 13, 2025
Page One: "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" (1986)
Written by Rocco Urbisci & Paul Mooney & Richard Pryor
writing
Mar 13, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 12
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 12, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
film
Mar 12, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Memento"
With the movie Memento (2000), Christopher Nolan had a challenge when writing the script: How to make clear to the reader — and the...
writing
Mar 12, 2025
Page One: "Jingle All the Way" (1996)
Written by Randy Kornfield
writing
Mar 12, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 11
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 11, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Damien Chazelle
"I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses. I'm very good at sitting around and brainstorming, thinking up ideas and mapping them out...
writing
film
Mar 11, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Mar 11, 2025
Page One: "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985)
Written by Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner, characters by Diane Thomas
writing
Mar 11, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 10
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 10, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Charmaine Colina
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Mar 10, 2025
On Writing
"No scene is ever about the words being spoken."
writing
Mar 10, 2025
Page One: "Jaws 2" (1978)
Written by Carl Gottlieb and Howard Sackler, based upon characters created by Peter Benchley
writing
Mar 10, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 9
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 09, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Paddy Chayefsky
"Artists don't talk about art. Artists talk about work. If I have anything to say to young writers, it's stop thinking of writing as art...
writing
Mar 09, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "The Matrix"
Still for my money, one of the best scripts for action-writing. The Wachowskis use the basic elements of visual writing — strong verbs and...
writing
Mar 09, 2025
Page One: "Jarhead" (2005)
Screenplay by William Broyles Jr., book by Anthony Swofford
writing
Mar 09, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 9
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 09, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 8
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 08, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Lethal Weapon"
There have been many forces of nature impacting screenplay style over the years, but there are only a very few actual screenwriters to whom...
writing
Mar 08, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Jeremiah Friedman & Nick Palmer
In September 2010, Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer who sold their spec script "Family Getaway" to Warner Bros. Turns out, there were fans...
writing
Mar 08, 2025
Page One: "Jagged Edge" (1985)
Written by Joe Eszterhas
writing
Mar 08, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 7
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity
writing
Mar 07, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: The Curse of Shiny Object Syndrome
"It's not quite ADD/ADHD. It's more that a new idea captures your imagination and attention in such a way that you get distracted from the...
writing
Mar 07, 2025
"Saving Private Ryan": Minute By Minute Breakdown
A podcast analysis with MovieRob and me about the dramatic scene: What to do with the German POW "Steamboat Willie"
film
Mar 07, 2025
Page One: "Jack Reacher" (2012)
Written for the screen by Christopher McQuarrie, based on the book "One Shot" by Lee Child
writing
Mar 07, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 6
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 06, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Paddy Chayefsky
"If it should occur to you to cut, do so. That's the first basic rule of cutting. If you're reading through and stop, something is wrong...
writing
Mar 06, 2025
Spec Script Deal: "I Can See You're Angry"
Miramax acquires comedy spec script "I Can See You're Angry" written by Brandon Cohen. Via Deadline:
writing
Mar 06, 2025
Page One: "It's Kind of a Funny Story" (2010)
Screenplay by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, novel by Ned Vizzini
writing
Mar 06, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 5
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 05, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Filipe Coutinho and Ben Mehlman
My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Whittier.
Mar 05, 2025
On Writing
"Writing is like meditation or going into an ESP trance, or prayer. Like dreaming. You are tapping into your unconscious. To be fully...
writing
Mar 05, 2025
Page One: "It" (2017)
Screenplay by Chase Palmer & Cary Joji Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman, based on the novel by Stephen King
writing
Mar 05, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 4
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 04, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Andrew Bujalski
"Write out the scene the way you hear it in your head. Then read it and find the parts where the characters are saying exactly what you...
writing
film
Mar 04, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Jerry Maguire"
"A beat of silence, then noise returns to its normal commercial roar. A couple of fleas have been swatted off the carcass of an immense...
writing
Mar 04, 2025
Page One: "Isle of Dogs" (2018)
Screenplay by Wes Anderson, story by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola & Jason Schwartzman and Kunichi Nomura
writing
Mar 04, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 3
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
creativity
writing
Mar 03, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Inglourious Basterds"
Today let's consider the narrative voice of a drama: Inglourious Basterds (2009), written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
writing
Mar 03, 2025
On Writing
"The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes."
writing
Mar 03, 2025
Page One: "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978)
Screenplay by W.D. Richter, novel by Jack Finney
writing
Mar 03, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 2
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 02, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
Mar 02, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: The Creative Personality
Creative Personality as comprised of 10 dichotomies. How many do you have?
creativity
writing
Mar 02, 2025
Page One: "The Interview" (2014)
Screenplay by Dan Sterling, story by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Dan Sterling
writing
Mar 02, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 1
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Mar 01, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
Mar 01, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "The Hangover" (2009)
Today, we check out The Hangover, screenplay by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore.
writing
Mar 01, 2025
Page One: "Interstellar" (2014)
Written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
writing
Mar 01, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Get Your Head On Straight
It's time to gear up for the latest Challenge which begins tomorrow!
writing
Feb 28, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Feb 28, 2025
Spec Script Deal: "Riding Hurt"
Teton Ridge Entertainment acquires action crime spec script "Riding Hurt" written by Buck Bloomingdale. Via Variety:
film
Feb 28, 2025
Page One: "The Interpreter" (2005)
Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Scott Frank and Steven Zaillian, story by Martin Stellman & Brian Ward
writing
Feb 28, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Story Prep — Character Development
A series to help prepare writers for next month's Zero Draft Thirty writing challenge.
writing
Feb 27, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Feb 27, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: When you don't get the gig
We are seated in the expansive office of a top Hollywood director and we are having a great time. I mean a really great time. We talk about...
writing
Feb 27, 2025
Page One: "The Internship" (2013)
Screenplay by Vince Vaughn and Jared Stern, story by Vince Vaughn
writing
Feb 27, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Story Prep — Gender Bend
A series to help prepare writers for next month's Zero Draft Thirty writing challenge.
writing
Feb 26, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Feb 26, 2025
On Writing
"Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."
writing
Feb 26, 2025
Page One: "Insidious: Chapter 2" (2013)
Screenplay by Leigh Whannell, story by James Wan & Leigh Whannell, based on characters created by Leigh Whannell
writing
Feb 26, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Story Prep — Script Diary
A series to help prepare writers for next month's Zero Draft Thirty writing challenge.
writing
Feb 25, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Feb 25, 2025
Screenwriting 101: William Broyles, Jr.
"Writing really is a process of discovery. The biggest enemy is being satisfied. When I think, 'Oh, this is so great. They can't change a...
writing
film
Feb 25, 2025
Page One: "Inspector Gadget" (1999)
Screenplay by Kerry Ehrin and Zak Penn, story by Dana Olsen and Kerry Ehrin, characters by Andy Heyward and Jean Chalopin and Bruno Bianchi
writing
Feb 25, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Story Prep — Index Cards!
A series to help prepare writers for next month's Zero Draft Thirty writing challenge.
writing
Feb 24, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Wendy Britton Young
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Feb 24, 2025
On Writing
"I write because I like to write."
writing
Feb 24, 2025
Page One: "Insidious" (2010)
Written by Leigh Whannell
writing
Feb 24, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Story Prep — "What if..."
A series to help prepare writers for next month's Zero Draft Thirty writing challenge.
writing
Feb 23, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Gattaca"
The 1997 movie Gattaca is one many Go Into The Story readers have commented on with great affection, either publicly or to me via email.
film
Feb 23, 2025
Page One: "Ingrid Goes West" (2017)
Written by David Branson Smith & Matt Spicer
writing
Feb 23, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Fargo"
When is a kidnapping scene funny? When it's written and directed by the Coen brothers, like in the 1996 Academy Award-winning movie Fargo...
writing
film
Feb 22, 2025
Interview (Video): Michael Arndt
In conversation with the late Syd Field.
writing
film
Feb 22, 2025
Page One: "Infinitely Polar Bear" (2014)
Written by Maya Forbes
writing
Feb 22, 2025
On Storytelling: Thoughts, Feelings, Mentors, and Attractors
Reflections on two primary character archetypes.
writing
Feb 21, 2025
The act of writing provides health benefits
"From long-term health improvements to short-term benefits like sleeping better, it's official: Writers are doing something right."
writing
Feb 21, 2025
Page One: "The Incredible Hulk" (2008)
Screenplay by Zak Penn, screen story by Zak Penn, Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
writing
Feb 21, 2025
Writing Tip: How to Discover a Character's Humanity
A writing exercise which helps you tap into a character's inner life.
writing
Feb 20, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Commencement of Principal Photography
When your movie officially starts production, that can trigger a writer's payday.
writing
Feb 20, 2025
Page One: "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" (2013)
Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley, story by Chad Kultgen & Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley
writing
Feb 20, 2025
What is a movie script's denouement?
It answers this question: What do you want the audience to feel when they walk out of the theater at the end of your movie?
writing
Feb 19, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Ed Wood"
A period piece. A bio-pic of an enigmatic character. A drama with absurd comic elements. The 1994 movie Ed Wood is all of these — and more.
writing
film
Feb 19, 2025
Page One: "In Fabric" (2018)
Written by Peter Strickland
writing
Feb 19, 2025
My Favorite Five Films at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
Amidst a strong slate of movies, these five films stood out.
film
Feb 18, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Rita Mae Brown
"Character is destiny. The resolution of any plot must come from within the character. The redemption or destruction of any character is...
writing
film
Feb 18, 2025
Page One: "I Think We're Alone Now" (2018)
Written by Mike Makowsky
writing
Feb 18, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "The Deer Hunter"
During the Vietnam War, two American prisoners are forced to play Russian roulette.
writing
film
Feb 17, 2025
On Writing
"Plot is what keeps you going when you first read a story, and character is what stays with you after you have finished reading it."
writing
Feb 17, 2025
Page One: "I Love You, Man" (2009)
Screenplay by John Hamburg and Larry Levin, story by Larry Levin
writing
Feb 17, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Alysha Chan and David Zarif
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
Feb 16, 2025
Writing and the Creative Life: Mind Wandering
"What no [spouse] of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he's staring out of the window."
writing
Feb 16, 2025
Page One: "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore" (2017)
Written by Macon Blair
writing
Feb 16, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Alysha Chan and David Zarif
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
Feb 15, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "The Dark Knight"
Today we shine the spotlight on a great piece of screenwriting, the screenplay for The Dark Knight, co-written by Christopher & Jonathan...
writing
film
Feb 15, 2025
Page One: "Tucker and Dale vs Evil" (2010)
Written by Eli Craig & Morgan Jurgenson
writing
Feb 15, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Alysha Chan and David Zarif
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
film
Feb 14, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Movies are a director's medium
"But that's the whole point of the God damn movie!"
writing
Feb 14, 2025
Page One: "Memory" (2023)
Written by Michael Franco
writing
Feb 14, 2025
A Zero Draft Thirty Success Story
You can use the month of March to pound out a screenplay. Maybe it will lead to a movie getting made ... like this writer!
writing
Feb 13, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Alysha Chan and David Zarif
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
Feb 13, 2025
Page One: "In the Tall Grass" (2019)
Written by Vincenzo Natali, based on the novella by Stephen King and Joe Hill
writing
Feb 13, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Alysha Chan and David Zarif
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
Feb 12, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Chinatown"
The screenplay for the 1974 movie Chinatown is considered one of the best scripts ever written. Its writer Robert Towne received an Academy...
film
Feb 12, 2025
Page One: "The Hustler" (1961)
Screenplay by Sidney Carroll and Robert Rossen, based on the novel by Walter Tevis
writing
Feb 12, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Raymond Chandler
"The challenge of screenwriting is to say much in little and then take half of that little out and still preserve an effect of leisure and...
writing
film
Feb 11, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Alysha Chan and David Zarif
Alysha Chan and David Zarif wrote the original screenplay "Miss Chinatown" which won a 2024 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently...
writing
Feb 11, 2025
Page One: "Bookworm" (2024)
Screenplay by Toby Harvard, story by Toby Harvard & Ant Timpson
writing
Feb 11, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Alysha Chan and David Zarif
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners.
writing
Feb 10, 2025
On Writing
"The character that lasts is an ordinary guy with some extraordinary qualities."
writing
Feb 10, 2025
Page One: "The Hummingbird Project" (2018)
Written by Kim Nguyen
writing
Feb 10, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: What about the Protagonist and the inciting incident?
"Something. Happens. In my view, that is the essence of an inciting incident."
writing
Feb 09, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Cast Away"
The screenplay for the 2000 movie Cast Away was written by William Broyles Jr. Once the story transitioned to the island, a challenge he...
writing
Feb 09, 2025
Page One: "Hugo" (2011)
Screenplay by John Logan, based on the book entitled "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick
writing
Feb 09, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Basic Instinct"
Let's say you're writing a sexy thriller. Per the concept of narrative voice, you should write scene description that is... well... sexy and...
writing
Feb 08, 2025
On Writing
"When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand."
writing
Feb 08, 2025
Page One: "Howard the Duck" (1986)
Written by Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz, based on the character created by Steve Gerber
writing
Feb 08, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Barton Fink"
An enigmatic ending, a movie that leaves you hanging, so that as you exit the theater with your date or friends, everyone is talking about...
film
Feb 07, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Hurry up and wait
The bane of a screenwriter's existence: They want the script NOW... then they make you WAIT... and wait... and wait...
writing
Feb 07, 2025
Page One: "How to Build a Girl" (2019)
Screenplay by Caitlin Moran based on her novel
writing
Feb 07, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Park Chan-Wook
"A common beginner's mistake would be to try and be perfect about everything that you write, and each line that you write you want to make...
writing
Feb 06, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: The Nemesis as the Protagonist's 'Shadow'
Want drama? Ask your Protagonist: What do you fear the most? Then put them in a story where they have to confront that fear: Their Nemesis.
writing
Feb 06, 2025
Page One: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)
Screenplay Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman, based on a book by Dr. Seuss
writing
Feb 06, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
The ending sequence includes a most interesting sentence...
writing
Feb 05, 2025
On Writing
"I have come to see this fear, this sense of my own imperilment by my creations, as not only an inevitable, necessary part of writing...
writing
Feb 05, 2025
Page One: "House Party" (1990)
Written by Reginald Hudlin
writing
Feb 05, 2025
Screenwriting 101: John Cassavetes
"People who are making films today are too concerned with mechanics — technical things instead of feeling. Execution is about eight percent...
film
Feb 04, 2025
Screenwriting Tip: The Value of Three Scripts
You write, you learn. Three scripts is a good minimum number for starting to understand the craft.
writing
Feb 04, 2025
Page One: "Hot Fuzz" (2007)
Written by Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg
writing
Feb 04, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "Avatar"
There are many reasons to read and analyze the script to Avatar (2009), at last count about 2.7 billion of them by one measure.
writing
Feb 03, 2025
On writing
"To do your very best work as an artist, whatever the discipline, takes complete immersion in the work. You need to get caught in the...
writing
Feb 03, 2025
Page One: "Hostel" (2005)
Written by Eli Roth
writing
Feb 03, 2025
Is there a rule as to how many "cuss words" can be used in a script?
Delving into the sometimes mysterious world of the MPA ratings system.
writing
film
Feb 02, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
Feb 02, 2025
Page One: "Horrible Bosses 2" (2014)
Screenplay by Sean Anders & John Morris, story by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Sean Anders & John Morris, characters by...
writing
Feb 02, 2025
2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge!
One month. Fade In. Fade Out. Write an entire zero draft.
writing
Feb 01, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Feb 01, 2025
Page One: "Horrible Bosses" (2011)
Screenplay by Michael Markowitz and John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, story by Michael Markowitz
writing
Feb 01, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
film
Jan 31, 2025
Scene Description Spotlight: "The African Queen"
Today a blast from the past: An excerpt from the shooting script for the movie The African Queen (1951), adapted from the C.S. Forrester...
writing
Jan 31, 2025
Page One: "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" (1992)
Screenplay by Thom Eberhardt and Peter Elbling & Garry Goodrow, story by Garry Goodrow, characters by Stuart Gordon & Brian Yuzna & Ed Naha
writing
Jan 31, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 30, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: "Everyone is here because of us"
It is late spring 1988. I am in San Diego where K-9 is being shot. It's my first day on a movie set. Ever. The scene the crew is shooting...
writing
Jan 30, 2025
Page One: "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" (1989)
Screenplay by Ed Naha and Tom Schulman, story by Stuart Gordon & Brian Yuzna & Ed Naha
writing
Jan 30, 2025
"Raising the Stakes" video series
The entire four-season series of screenwriting videos from Black List screenwriter Jonathan Stokes.
writing
film
Jan 29, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 29, 2025
Page One: "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992)
Written by John Hughes
writing
Jan 29, 2025
Screenwriting 101: John Cassavetes
"As an artist I feel that we must try different things — but above all we must dare to fail. You can fail in films because you don't have...
writing
film
Jan 28, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 28, 2025
Page One: "Home Alone" (1990)
Written by John Hughes
writing
Jan 28, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Ward Kamel
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
film
Jan 27, 2025
On Writing
"There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before."
writing
Jan 27, 2025
Page One: "The Hollars" (2016)
Written by Jim Strouse
writing
Jan 27, 2025
Reader Question: Do I HAVE to use INT/EXT — LOCATION — DAY/NIGHT in scene headings?
Wherein we consider selling scripts, shooting scripts, conventional wisdom, and writing whatever the hell we want.
writing
Jan 26, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin
My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
writing
Jan 26, 2025
Page One: "Day of the Fight" (2023)
Written by Jack Huston
writing
Jan 26, 2025
The Narrative Imperative of the Hero's Journey
"The adventure they are ready for is the adventure they get."
writing
Jan 25, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Screenwriting duo whose movie writing credits include (500) Days of Summer, The Spectacular Now, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Disaster...
Jan 25, 2025
Page One: "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" (2024)
Screenplay by Mark Burton, story by Nick Park & Mark Burton
writing
Jan 25, 2025
Script Readers: Hollywood's Threshold Guardians
They may not get a lot of respect, but they are important to writers.
writing
Jan 24, 2025
Download Each of the 2025 Oscar Nominated Screenplays
Your chance to read and study 10 Academy Award nominated scripts.
film
Jan 24, 2025
Page One: "Transformers One" (2024)
Screenplay by Eric Pearson and Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari, story by Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari
writing
Jan 24, 2025
Your characters want you to tell their story
Lean into your characters. After all, it's their story.
writing
Jan 23, 2025
On Writing
"Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you went...
writing
Jan 23, 2025
Page One: "Thelma" (2024)
Written by Josh Margolin
writing
Jan 23, 2025
THR 2025 Writers Roundtable
The Hollywood Reporter's annual sit-down with six screenwriters with notable films from the previous year.
writing
Jan 22, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: Hip pocket representation
The gray area between being signed by an agent... and kinda signed.
writing
Jan 22, 2025
Page One: "Anora" (2024)
Written by Sean Baker
writing
Jan 22, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Leigh Brackett
"I sort of went off into corners and wept a few times at things that made me very unhappy. I think the hardest thing about adapting to...
writing
film
Jan 21, 2025
Great Scene: "Barbie"
In a quiet, reflective moment, Barbie experiences something of what it means to be a human.
writing
film
Jan 21, 2025
Page One: "Small Things Like These" (2024)
Written by Enda Walsh, book by Claire Keegan
writing
Jan 21, 2025
The Importance of Subplots
An in-depth exploration of the value of these mini-stories.
writing
Jan 20, 2025
On Writing
"A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something."
writing
Jan 20, 2025
Page One: "Juror #2" (2024)
Written by Jonathan A. Abrams
writing
Jan 20, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 19, 2025
The Best 25 Films of 2024
A Video Countdown by film critic David Ehrlich.
film
Jan 19, 2025
Page One: "The Innocents" (1961)
Screenplay by William Archibald and Truman Capote, based on the story "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James
writing
Jan 19, 2025
David Lynch's Favorite Films: 10 Movies the Director Wants You to See
David Lynch, who recently passed away, was an eclectic filmmaker, thus, it's no surprise his favorite films reflect that sensibility.
film
Jan 18, 2025
Interview (Part 6): Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 18, 2025
Page One: "Better Man" (2024)
Written by Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole and Michael Gracey
writing
Jan 18, 2025
Interview (Part 5): Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
film
Jan 17, 2025
Hero's Journey as Psychological Journey
When we think of the Hero's Journey, what comes to mind is a geographical adventure. The Heroine starts out in their Ordinary World...
writing
Jan 17, 2025
Page One: "I Saw the TV Glow" (2024)
Written by Jane Schoenbrun
writing
Jan 17, 2025
Interview (Part 4): Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
film
Jan 16, 2025
Download 2025 WGA Screenwriting Award Nominated Screenplays
10 screenplays. Get them here.
film
Jan 16, 2025
Page One: "Civil War" (2024)
Written by Alex Garland
writing
Jan 16, 2025
Interview (Part 3): Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 15, 2025
The Key to Character Introductions
What is it we need to know about a character to help us craft an effective introduction? Their core essence.
writing
Jan 15, 2025
Page One: "Nickel Boys" (2024)
Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, book by Colson Whitehead
writing
Jan 15, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Mark Bomback
"A big misconception that people have about these franchise movies is that all the studios care about is the action. It's very cynical and...
writing
film
Jan 14, 2025
Interview (Part 2): Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
film
Jan 14, 2025
Page One: "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" (2024), original title: "Dane-ye anjir-e ma'abed"
Written by Mohammad Rasoulof
writing
Jan 14, 2025
Interview (Part 1): Colton Childs
My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Jan 13, 2025
On Writing
"Don't write about a character. Become that character, and then write your story."
writing
Jan 13, 2025
Page One: "The Fire Inside" (2024)
Written by Barry Jenkins, based on the documentary T-Rex
writing
Jan 13, 2025
The Iceberg Theory of Writing
How much character development is enough?
writing
Jan 12, 2025
6 Old Grammar Rules That Are Finally Going Out of Style
Writers should feel free to write stories how the stories need to be told.
writing
Jan 12, 2025
Page One: "Moana 2" (2024)
Screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, story by Jared Bush & Dana Ledoux Miller & Bek Smith
writing
Jan 12, 2025
Guest Series: Extend Your Script's Message with Hidden Easter Eggs
A deep dive into movie "Easter eggs"
writing
Jan 11, 2025
Best Writing Approach: Routine or Ritual?
I am fascinated by creativity, in particular how creativity manifests itself in the wide variety of people I meet or learn about. That has...
writing
Jan 11, 2025
Page One: "A Different Man" (2024)
Written by Aaron Schimberg
writing
Jan 11, 2025
Guest Series: Extend Your Script's Message with Hidden Easter Eggs
Part 5 of the series written by Karen Grube.
writing
Jan 10, 2025
Writers on Characters
Quotes from professional writers about the importance of characters in the story-crafting process.
writing
Jan 10, 2025
Page One: "Memoir of a Snail" (2024)
Written by Adam Elliot
writing
Jan 10, 2025
Guest Series: Extend Your Script's Message with Hidden Easter Eggs
Part 4 of the series written by Karen Grube.
writing
Jan 09, 2025
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts, 58 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Jan 09, 2025
Page One: "September 5" (2024)
Written by Moritz Binder and Tim Fehlbaum, co-writer Alex David
writing
Jan 09, 2025
Guest Series: Extend Your Script's Message with Hidden Easter Eggs
Part 3 of the series written by Karen Grube.
writing
Jan 08, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Dan Gilroy
"Anytime you step outside the conventional formulaic bounds of the screenwriting style, it becomes a little scary. We're already vaguely...
writing
film
Jan 08, 2025
Page One: "Wicked" (2024)
Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, musical book Winnie Holzman, novel by Gregory Maguire
writing
Jan 08, 2025
Guest Series: Extend Your Script's Message with Hidden Easter Eggs
Part 2 of the series written by Karen Grube.
writing
comics
Jan 07, 2025
On Writing
"The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet...
writing
Jan 07, 2025
Page One: "Nosferatu" (2024)
Written for the screen by Robert Eggers, inspired by the screenplay "Nosferatu" by Henrik Galeen, inspired by the novel "Dracula" by Bram...
writing
Jan 07, 2025
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 1 New Script, 1 Returning Script, 56 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Jan 06, 2025
Guest Series: Extend Your Script's Message with Hidden Easter Eggs
A deep dive into movie "Easter eggs"
writing
Jan 06, 2025
Page One: "Dune: Part Two" (2024)
Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, novel by Frank Herbert
writing
Jan 06, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Liz Hannah
Sometimes the story behind the story is as compelling as the story itself and that's the case with Liz Hannah, writer of the 2015 Black...
Jan 05, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Danny Boyle
"Beyond persistence, the only advice I ever give to young filmmakers is, don't be shy in the way you tell a story. Be bold. There is that...
film
Jan 05, 2025
Page One: "Flow" (2024)
Written by Gints Zilbalodis and Matiss Kaza
writing
Jan 05, 2025
Character Development Exercise: Switch Protagonists
After all, every character is the Protagonist in their own story.
writing
Jan 04, 2025
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 1 New Script, 55 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Jan 04, 2025
Page One: "Unstoppable" (2024)
Screenplay by Eric Champnella and Alex Harris and John Hindman, book by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy
writing
Jan 04, 2025
The Business of Screenwriting: The Birth, Life, and Death of a Movie
It's 1997. My writing partner and I are seated in a screening room on the Paramount lot. We are there with a handful of studio execs...
writing
film
Jan 03, 2025
Go Into The Story Interview: Justin Marks
My in-depth interview with the screenwriter of The Jungle Book and showrunner-writer of the hit TV series Shōgun.
Jan 03, 2025
Page One: "Heretic" (2024)
Written by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
writing
Jan 03, 2025
Prosody: The Secret to Memorable Writing
Another in the excellent screenwriting video series Raising the Stakes.
writing
Jan 02, 2025
On Writing
"You have to be reckless when writing. Be as crazy as your conscience allows."
writing
Jan 02, 2025
Page One: "The Order" (2024)
Screenplay by Zach Baylin and Gary Gerhardt, book by Kevin Flynn
writing
Jan 02, 2025
Reader Question: "What should I do if a project sells similar to a script I'm writing?"
Before you jump, step back from the ledge, and consider the following.
writing
Jan 01, 2025
Screenwriting 101: Jon Boyer
"A bad script written is still better than an amazing one that isn't."
writing
film
Jan 01, 2025
Page One: "All We Imagine as Light" (2024)
Written by Payal Kapadia
writing
Jan 01, 2025
Reader Question: Is it realistic to expect a career as a screenwriter?
My response to an email query.
writing
Dec 31, 2024
Video: Reckless Creatives Symposium
Two hours of yours truly answering questions about character-driven screenwriting and storytelling.
writing
film
Dec 31, 2024
Page One: "Sing Sing" (2023)
Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, story by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar & Clarence Maclin & John Divine G Whitfield
writing
Dec 31, 2024
12 of the Most Popular Go Into The Story Articles from 2024
Jump-start your screenwriting in 2025 with inspiration from these articles which generated the most buzz on my blog.
writing
Dec 30, 2024
"This is the true joy of life..."
A wise quote from George Bernard Shaw.
creativity
writing
Dec 30, 2024
Page One: "Babygirl" (2024)
Written by Halina Reijn
writing
Dec 30, 2024
2024 Go Into The Story Highlights: Interviews with 2023 Black List Writers
To date, I have interviewed 85 writers whose scripts were named to the annual Black List.
writing
Dec 29, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts, 54 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 29, 2024
Page One: "The Brutalist" (2024)
Written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
writing
Dec 29, 2024
2024 Go Into The Story Highlights: Interviews with 2023 Nicholl Fellows
I have interviewed every Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting recipient since 2012 including last year's winners. Via the Academy:
writing
film
Dec 28, 2024
Reader Question: What is life really like for a beginning screenwriter?
Some things to expect when you break into the business.
writing
Dec 28, 2024
Page One: "Queer" (2024)
Screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, novel by William S. Burroughs
writing
Dec 28, 2024
What if...
Perhaps the two most powerful words in the creative process.
writing
Dec 27, 2024
"The Story We Know"
Reflections on a poem by Martha Collins.
writing
Dec 27, 2024
Page One: "Nightbitch" (2024)
Written for the screen by Marielle Heller, novel by Rachel Yoder
writing
Dec 27, 2024
Mr. Potter and the Billionaire Class
Current events bring to mind the Nemesis of It's a Wonderful Life.
writing
film
Dec 26, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Craig Borten
"For me, it's the characters, breaking the characters. That's what I spend most of my time with. Once I've done that, character will speak...
writing
film
Dec 26, 2024
Page One: "Hit Man" (2023)
Screenplay by Richard Linklater and Glen Powell, article by Skip Hollandsworth
writing
Dec 26, 2024
Why I keep hosting this blog... and a Christmas wish for you
Because of emails like this!
writing
Dec 25, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 1 New Script, 52 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 25, 2024
Page One: "The Piano Lesson" (2024)
Screenplay by Virgil Williams & Malcolm Washington, based on a play written by August Wilson
writing
Dec 25, 2024
"Why It's A Wonderful Life is the greatest film ever made"
Filmmaker Marshall Herskovitz reminds us about the remarkable power of this holiday classic.
film
Dec 24, 2024
On Writing
"Creativity — like human life itself — begins in darkness."
writing
Dec 24, 2024
Page One: "Dìdi" (2024)
Written by Sean Wang
writing
Dec 24, 2024
How to Write a Marketable Screenplay
Tips from a presentation at the Pittsburgh Shorts Filmmaker Conference.
writing
Dec 23, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts, 51 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 23, 2024
Page One: "A Real Pain" (2024)
Written by Jesse Eisenberg
writing
Dec 23, 2024
Screenwriting Tip: "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek"
Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, and story as psychological journey.
writing
Dec 22, 2024
TCM Remembers: 2024
This year's tribute to those in the Hollywood filmmaking community who passed away is especially moving.
film
Dec 22, 2024
Page One: "Emilia Pérez" (2024)
Written by Jacques Audiard, scenario collaboration by Thomas Bidegain, collaboration by Léa Mysius & Nicolas Livecchi, novel by Boris Razon
writing
Dec 22, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025
10-part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 21, 2024
"Each scene must be a drama in itself"
This advice from silent movie era screenwriter Jeanie Macpherson still resonates today.
writing
Dec 21, 2024
Page One: "The Room Next Door" (2024)
Written by Pedro Almodóvar, novel by Sigrid Nunez
writing
Dec 21, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts, 48 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 20, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 10] — Trust the Process
10 part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 20, 2024
Page One: "Daddio" (2023)
Written by Christy Hall
writing
Dec 20, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 5 New Scripts, 46 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 19, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 9] — The Only Way Out Is Through
10 part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 19, 2024
Page One: "I'm Still Here"(2024)
Screenplay by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva
writing
Dec 19, 2024
2024 Black List Word Cloud Logline Challenge!
Check out this word cloud from the 2024 Black List loglines, then write your OWN logline from those words to win some great prizes!
Dec 18, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 8] — First Draft
10 part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
Dec 18, 2024
Page One: "Blitz" (2024)
Written by Steve McQueen
Dec 18, 2024
Reflections of 2024 Black List Project Lab Participants
Writers who participated in this year's inaugural Black List Project Lab reflect on their experience.
writing
Dec 17, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 7] — Time Management
10 part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 17, 2024
Page One: "Saturday Night" (2024)
Written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman
writing
Dec 17, 2024
UPDATE: 2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 4 New Scripts, 41 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 16, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 6] — Schedule
10 part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 16, 2024
Page One: "The Outrun" (2024)
Screenplay by Nora Fingscheidt & Amy Liptrot, screenstory by Amy Liptrot & Nora Fingscheidt and Daisy Lewis, based on the memoir by Amy...
Dec 16, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Chris Borrelli
"It's something you should always be doing, in my opinion. You should always be open to ideas and stories. I have an idea file. I look back...
Dec 15, 2024
Tarantino, Sorkin, and Dialogue as Purpose
Analysis of long dialogue-centric scenes in The Social Network and Pulp Fiction reveals that underneath the entertaining conversations lies...
Dec 15, 2024
Page One: "The Substance" (2024)
Written by Coralie Fargeat
Dec 15, 2024
Screenwriting Tip: Aristotle and Three Act Structure
"A whole [story] is what has a beginning and middle and end."
writing
film
Dec 14, 2024
Video: MacGuffins Aren't MacGuffins
Another in the excellent screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
writing
film
Dec 14, 2024
Page One: "Conclave" (2024)
Screenplay by Peter Straughan, book by Robert Harris
Dec 14, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts, 37 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 13, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 5] — Going Public
10 part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
Dec 13, 2024
Page One: "The Apprentice" (2024)
Written by Gabriel Sherman
Dec 13, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 8 New Scripts, 35 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
Dec 12, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 4] — Practical Matters
10-part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
Dec 12, 2024
Page One: "Gladiator II" (2024)
Screenplay by David Scarpa, story by Peter Craig & David Scarpa, characters created by David Franzoni
Dec 12, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 6 New Scripts, 27 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 11, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 3] — Where Do You Want To Go As A Writer?
10-part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
Dec 11, 2024
Page One: "The Last Showgirl" (2024)
Written by Kate Gersten
Dec 11, 2024
2024 Black List
All 83 scripts listed in order of votes received including loglines, plus a link where you can download the official list.
writing
Dec 10, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 2] — Assessing Where You Are
Over the next two weeks, a 10-part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 10, 2024
Page One: "The Holiday" (2006)
Written by Nancy Meyers
writing
Dec 10, 2024
Writing Goals: 2025 [Part 1] — Looking Back
Over the next two weeks, a 10-part series for writers to consider what we did in 2024 and will do in 2025.
writing
Dec 09, 2024
On Writing
"Curiosity is the most powerful thing you own. Imagination is a force that can actually manifest a reality."
writing
Dec 09, 2024
Page One: "The Hole" (2009)
Written by Mark L. Smith
writing
Dec 09, 2024
Story and the Question of Self-Identity
Every story inevitably raises this question about the Protagonist: "Who are you?"
writing
Dec 08, 2024
Why You Should Write Three Pages of Garbage Every Morning
"Freewriting forces you to keep moving forward, keep creating, without a thought given to quality."
writing
Dec 08, 2024
Page One: "Hold the Dark" (2018)
Screenplay by Macon Blair, based on a book by William Giraldi
writing
Dec 08, 2024
Video: 10 Writing and Directing Tips from Michael Mann
Advice from the writer-director of Heat, The Insider, Ali, and many other films and TV series.
writing
Dec 07, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 8 New Scripts, 21 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 07, 2024
Page One: "Maria" (2024)
Written by Steven Knight
writing
Dec 07, 2024
Screenplays are stories, not formulas
William Goldman has famously written, "Screenplays are structure." That is true in a tangible sense because at some point, a script becomes...
writing
Dec 06, 2024
2011 Go Into The Story Screenwriters Roundtable
A conversation with Chris Borrelli, F. Scott Frazier, Jeremiah Friedman, Nick Palmer, Justin Rhodes, Greg Russo, John Swetnam
Dec 06, 2024
Page One: "Deadpool & Wolverine" (2024)
Written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy
writing
Dec 06, 2024
Video: Why "We're Not So Very Different, You And I"
Another in the excellent screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
writing
Dec 05, 2024
Something is Better Than Nothing
"No matter what you write, good or bad, it's an improvement to a blank page."
creativity
writing
Dec 05, 2024
Page One: "Red One" (2024)
Screenplay by Chris Morgan, story by Hiram Garcia
writing
Dec 05, 2024
To Write, Stop Thinking
Think character. Think plot. Think theme. But when you sit down to write, don't think... feel.
writing
Dec 04, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 3 New Scripts, 13 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 04, 2024
Page One: "His Three Daughters" (2023)
Written by Azazel Jacobs
writing
Dec 04, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Jeffrey Boam
"Ultimately, plot is of little importance, more of a mechanical contrivance against which characters come to life. Plot tries to engage...
writing
film
Dec 03, 2024
Scene Description Spotlight: Express Your Voice
On December 9th, I'll be offering an important one-week online class. It's called Scene Description Spotlight which sounds super practical...
writing
Dec 03, 2024
Page One: "Hocus Pocus" (1993)
Screenplay by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, story by David Kirschner and Mick Garris
writing
Dec 03, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts, 10 Total
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Dec 02, 2024
On Writing
"If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor."
writing
Dec 02, 2024
Page One: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013)
Screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
writing
Dec 02, 2024
How to Break Into the Film Industry Without Any Connections
The screenwriters of the smash hit movie A Quiet Place share the ins and outs of their journey to Hollywood.
writing
film
Dec 01, 2024
Go Into The Story Interview: Michael Ballin and Thomas Aguilar
My interview with 2021 Black List writers.
Dec 01, 2024
Page One: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012)
Screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
writing
Dec 01, 2024
Writing Tip: Beginnings and Endings
Remember when you first came up with the story idea you're currently writing? How great that felt?
writing
Nov 30, 2024
Screenplay: The Importance of Establishing Narrative Voice
From Page 1, Line 1, you must convey your story's tone and voice.
writing
Nov 30, 2024
Page One: "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (2017)
Written by Tom O'Connor
writing
Nov 30, 2024
The Importance of Persistence in a Writer's Life
"PERSIST on telling your story. PERSIST on reaching your audience. PERSIST on staying true to your vision."
writing
Nov 29, 2024
Video: "The Christ Symbol"
Another in the excellent screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
film
Nov 29, 2024
Page One: "A Hidden Life" (2019)
Written by Terrence Malick
writing
Nov 29, 2024
Make Words Your Friend
When you bust it all down, writing is about choosing words. A writer can choose them well ... or not.
writing
Nov 28, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 2 New Scripts
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Nov 28, 2024
Page One: "A Hero" a.k.a. "Ghahreman" (2021)
Written by Asghar Farhadi
writing
Nov 28, 2024
This is something you can do because this is something you have done!
I get email:
writing
Nov 27, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Clean Break
Searchlight Pictures acquires drama spec script "Clean Break" written by Ryan Brennan. Via Deadline:
writing
Nov 27, 2024
Page One: "Heavyweights" (1995)
Written by Judd Apatow & Steven Brill
writing
Nov 27, 2024
Reflections of 2024 Black List Feature Writer's Lab Participants
Writers who participated in this year's Black List Feature Writer's Lab reflect on their experience.
writing
Nov 26, 2024
On Writing
"Style has always been in my mind the author's Self, the creative expression of that Self."
writing
Nov 26, 2024
Page One: "Blink Twice" (2024)
Written by Zoë Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum
writing
Nov 26, 2024
Negative Fear, Positive Fear
"Fear of writing, understandable, but a negative influence. However, fear of NOT writing and what that prospect could mean, that can be a...
writing
Nov 25, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Mark Boal
"It's [The Hurt Locker] the not the first war movie to be told in chapters. Apocalypse Now is told in chapters, in sort of an episodic way...
film
Nov 25, 2024
Page One: "The Idea of You" (2024)
Screenpay by Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt, novel by Robinne Lee
writing
Nov 25, 2024
Screenwriting Tip : "Earn this."
When it comes to a scene where a character makes a critical choice, it's imperative that you — as the writer — have earned that moment.
writing
Nov 24, 2024
On Writing
"A writer has to have an imagination — that's what make a writer."
writing
Nov 24, 2024
Page One: "My Old Ass" (2024)
Written by Megan Park
writing
Nov 24, 2024
Write "Yes" pages
Advice to screenwriters from a literary manager.
writing
Nov 23, 2024
Screenwriting Tip: How to Handle Blocks of Scene Description
Think of each paragraph as a camera shot... with a catch.
writing
Nov 23, 2024
Page One: "The Wild Robot" (2024)
Screenplay Chris Sanders, book by Peter Brown
writing
Nov 23, 2024
Screenwriting Tip: The Six Word Test
If you're having trouble finding the focus of your story, try this test.
writing
Nov 22, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Alignment"
Fifth Season and Makeready acquire thriller spec script "Alignment" written by Natan Dotan. Via THR:
film
Nov 22, 2024
Page One: "Inside Out 2" (2024)
Screenplay by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, story by Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve
writing
Nov 22, 2024
2024 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 6 New Scripts
It's that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.
writing
film
Nov 21, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: "Go into the story and find the animals"
Writing wisdom from a three year-old boy: My son Luke.
writing
Nov 21, 2024
Page One: "Heavy Metal" (1981)
Screenplay by Daniel Goldberg & Len Blum
writing
Nov 21, 2024
Video: "What is subtext?"
Another in the excellent screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
writing
Nov 20, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: "The only way out is through"
Imagine the process of writing a story as being a journey. Perhaps as you embark on your adventure, you have a map — an outline or beat...
writing
Nov 20, 2024
Page One: "Heaven Can Wait" (1978)
Screenplay by Elaine May and Warren Beatty, based upon a play by Harry Segal
writing
Nov 20, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: The Spirit of the Spec
The creative empowerment of writing a spec script.
writing
Nov 19, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Carter Blanchard
"Writing a script is like running a marathon. But it's also about training for that marathon. Research, plotting, character work..."
writing
film
Nov 19, 2024
Page One: "The Hate U Give" (2018)
Screenplay by Audrey Wells, based upon the novel by Angie Thomas
writing
Nov 19, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Minimum Words, Maximum Impact
I know the source of this mantra. It was one of my online screenwriting students. During a weekly live-chat session. I was going on and on...
writing
Nov 18, 2024
On Writing
"There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has...
writing
Nov 18, 2024
Page One: "Harriet" (2019)
Screenplay by Gregory Allen Howard and Kasi Lemmons, story by Gregory Allen Howard
writing
Nov 18, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Test Your Story Concept
Five questions to ask about a story idea to assess its viability as a scripted project.
writing
Nov 17, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Test Drive"
Twentieth Century Studios acquires action spec script "Test Drive" written by Matt Venne. Via Deadline:
writing
film
Nov 17, 2024
Page One: "Harlem Nights" (1989)
Written by Eddie Murphy
writing
Nov 17, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Set-up and Payoffs
One of the most important narrative elements screenwriters have available to us is set-ups and payoffs. The basic idea is this: We...
writing
Nov 16, 2024
"Fear"
A poem by Khalil Gibran describes both the Protagonist's journey ... and the writer's journey.
writing
Nov 16, 2024
Page One: "The Happy Prince" (2018)
Written by Rupert Everett
writing
Nov 16, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: 1, 2, 7, 14
Here is a simple formula about three things — Read Scripts. Watch Movies. Write Pages. — you need to do to expand and deepen your...
writing
Nov 15, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Carter Blanchard
"I might have been generous before, saying that they're going to read the first act. I would hope most of them do, and I'm sure no one's...
writing
film
Nov 15, 2024
Page One: "Hackers" (1995)
Written by Rafael Moreu
writing
Nov 15, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Story as Psychological Journey
"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."
writing
Nov 14, 2024
On Writing
"A character has to be ignorant of the future, unsure about the past, and not at all sure what he's supposed to be doing."
writing
Nov 14, 2024
Page One: "Gunpowder Milkshake" (2021)
Written by Navot Papushado & Ehud Lavski
writing
Nov 14, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: "Movies don't owe anybody a living"
The original quote is about music, but it pertains to all entertainment.
writing
Nov 13, 2024
"How can I possibly find the time to write?" Try this approach.
You can write 2 feature spec scripts per year ... by writing 1 page per day.
writing
Nov 13, 2024
Page One: "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" (2022)
Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro and Patrick McHale, screen story by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins, based on the book "Pinocchio"...
writing
Nov 13, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: If you write a great script...
...Hollywood will find you.
writing
Nov 12, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Shane Black
"The feeling of finishing the script, the first draft, was the high. Everything that followed — though of interest, and sometimes slightly...
writing
film
Nov 12, 2024
Page One: "The Guest" (2014)
Written by Simon Barrett
writing
Nov 12, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Imagematic writing
Good screenwriting is visual writing. After all, movies are: Motion. Pictures.
writing
Nov 11, 2024
On Writing
"Mystery is the essential element of every work of art."
writing
Nov 11, 2024
Page One: "Green Room" (2015)
Written by Jeremy Saulnier
writing
Nov 11, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: "Don't think. Feel."
With writing, there are times to think... and times to feel.
writing
Nov 10, 2024
Some Inspiration for You
I rediscover the very first draft of K-9 and I'm reminded of this singular truth: Good things CAN happen!
writing
Nov 10, 2024
Page One: "Green Lantern" (2011)
Screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, screen story Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc...
writing
Nov 10, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: "Beginning. Middle. End."
Consider the universality of narrative in three movements.
writing
film
Nov 09, 2024
Report from the Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference
Observations from an event I describe as "Woodstock for screenwriters."
writing
Nov 09, 2024
Page One: "Grease" (1978)
Screenplay by Bronte Woodard , based on the original musical by Jim Jacob and Warren Casey
writing
Nov 09, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Get the damn thing done!
The one unalterable truth about writing a first draft.
writing
Nov 08, 2024
Great Scene: "Tampopo"
If you haven't seen the 1985 Tampopo, written and directed by Jûzô Itami, do yourself a favor and check it out. Starring the great Ken...
film
Nov 08, 2024
Page One: "GoldenEye" (1995)
Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein, story by Michael France, characters by Ian Fleming
writing
Nov 08, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Feet on the ground... head in the clouds
A twist on a familiar adage speaks to the business of writing.
writing
Nov 07, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Shane Black
"I studied William Goldman's writing style, especially the scripts for Marathon Man and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I found both of...
writing
film
Nov 07, 2024
Page One: "The Godfather Part III" (1990)
Written by Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola
writing
Nov 07, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Break your story in prep
Let me begin with this acknowledgement: There is no right way to write. Each writer is different. Each story is different. There is no...
writing
Nov 06, 2024
On Writing
"Writing is a process of discovery. The biggest enemy is being satisfied. That's when you have to be most suspicious."
writing
Nov 06, 2024
Page One: "Girls Trip" (2017)
Screenplay by Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver, story by Erica Rivinoja and Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver
writing
Nov 06, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Similar but different
Or Precedent and Analogy. However you refer to it, it's how Hollywood operates.
writing
film
Nov 05, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Final Score"
Fifth Season and Makeready acquire crime thriller spec script "Final Score" written by Will Hettinger. Via Deadline:
humor
Nov 05, 2024
Page One: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011)
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian, novel by Stieg Larsson
writing
Nov 05, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Living and writing in L.A.
Let me say up front, there are advantages for a screenwriter to live in or near Los Angeles. Here are a few key ones:
writing
Nov 04, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Three Hitmen and a Baby"
Lionsgate acquires action comedy spec script "Three Hitmen and a Baby" written by Dave Matalon and Matt Altman. Via Deadline:
writing
film
Nov 04, 2024
Page One: "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" (2005)
Written by Terence Winter
writing
Nov 04, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Stacking projects
One key to the craft: Learn how to manage several projects at once.
writing
Nov 03, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Love of Your Life"
Amazon MGM acquires drama spec script "Love of Your Life" written by Julia Cox. Via Deadline:
film
Nov 03, 2024
Page One: "Geostorm" (2017)
Written by Dean Devlin & Paul Guyot
writing
Nov 03, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Know your genre
If you want to write in a genre, you're wise to immerse yourself in it.
writing
Nov 02, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Out There"
Netflix acquires science fiction thriller spec script "Out There" written by Shane Van Dyke, Carey Van Dyke and Ian Levy. Via Deadline:
humor
film
comics
Nov 02, 2024
Page One: "The Gentlemen" (2019)
Screenplay by Guy Ritchie, story by Guy Ritchie & Ivan Atkinson & Marn Davies
writing
Nov 02, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Facing the odds
How to sustain creativity in the face of considerable odds against success.
writing
Nov 01, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: Trailer Moments, Set Pieces and Bits Of Business (BOBs)
You may have read countless screenwriting books. Attended seminars. Taken courses. But I doubt if you have stumbled across these three...
writing
Nov 01, 2024
Page One: "Halloween" (1978)
Screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill
writing
Nov 01, 2024
Create a Compelling Protagonist
Workshop and develop your story's Protagonist in my one-week online class which begins Monday, November 4th.
writing
Oct 31, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: When something happens... something ELSE happens
The dynamic dual nature of a screenplay universe.
writing
Oct 31, 2024
Page One: "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977)
Written by Wes Craven
writing
Oct 31, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Immerse Yourself in Cinema
If you want to write movies, you need to love movies. And that love ought to manifest itself in a thorough, longstanding, and passionate...
writing
Oct 30, 2024
Great Scene: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
Many of the best movie scenes are payoffs to plot elements that have been set up earlier in the story. Often the set-up and payoff involves...
film
Oct 30, 2024
Page One: "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers" (1989)
Written by Michael Jacobs & Dominique Othenin-Girard and Shem Bitterman, characters by John Carpenter and Debra Hill
writing
Oct 30, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: There are no screenwriting rules
There are guidelines, conventional wisdom, patterns, and principles... but no rules.
writing
Oct 29, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Shane Black
"I think about the audience in the sense that I serve as my own audience. I have to please myself that way, if I saw the movie in theater...
writing
film
Oct 29, 2024
Page One: "Hellraiser" (1987)
Written by Clive Barker
writing
Oct 29, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Write what they're buying or sell them your dream
There are many writing paths. Here are two of them.
writing
Oct 28, 2024
On Writing
"If you don't know what to write, ask your story, 'What are you trying to tell me?' Ask that and wait. There will be an answer."
writing
Oct 28, 2024
Page One: "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" (1988)
Screenplay by Alan B. McElroy, story by Dhani Lipsius & Larry Rattner & Benjamin Ruffner and Alan B. McElroy
writing
Oct 28, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: A spec script will not sell unless it has a strong story concept
If you write a spec script based upon the first story idea that comes into your mind, that script likely won't sell.
writing
Oct 27, 2024
Great Scene: "Young Frankenstein"
One of the most inspired comedic moments in a truly inspired film: The "Puttin' on the Ritz" bit.
film
Oct 27, 2024
Page One: "Happy Death Day" (2017)
Written by Scott Lobdell
writing
Oct 27, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages.
You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about screenwriting by doing these three things:
writing
Oct 26, 2024
Great Scene: "North by Northwest"
It was one of the scenes which inspired Hitchcock to make the movie.
writing
film
Oct 26, 2024
Page One: "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" (1982)
A trailer for the movie:
writing
Oct 26, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Learn the craft
Being a screenwriter is much more than just writing a script.
writing
Oct 25, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: They will pigeonhole you (and why this can be a good thing)
The co-star of K-9 was a dog named Jerry Lee.
writing
Oct 25, 2024
Page One: "Halloween II" (1981)
Written by John Carpenter & Debra Hill
writing
Oct 25, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: Screenplays are stories, not formulas
"If you go in with formula, you come out with formula."
writing
Oct 24, 2024
Page One: "Grandma" (2015)
Written by Paul Weitz
writing
Oct 24, 2024
2024 Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference
I'll be there moderating panels and participating in roundtables. Hope to see you there!
writing
Oct 24, 2024
30 Things About Screenwriting: There is no right way to write
Learn all you can, but ultimately it's about your Stories and your Creative Self.
writing
Oct 23, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Loos & Emerson (1920)
In my ongoing research into screenwriting, I discovered the book "How to Write Photoplays," written in 1920 by Anita Loos and her husband...
writing
Oct 23, 2024
Page One: "Grace of Monaco" (2014)
Written by Arash Amel
writing
Oct 23, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Final Close-Up [Part 4]
"The genuine natural bent for photoplay writing is shown only in those who can write well and like to write. Before you attempt to write...
writing
Oct 22, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Brad Bird
"To make something really great and different and interesting means taking risks and following these ideas in your head."
writing
Oct 22, 2024
Page One: "The Good Nurse" (2022)
Screenplay by Krysty Wilson-Cairns, based on the book by Charles Graeber
writing
Oct 22, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Final Close-Up [Part 3]
"Many amateurs are prone to cheat their audiences by ending the story without some bit of action which spectators have been led to expect...
writing
film
Oct 21, 2024
On Writing
"I only sleep two or three hours a day, so I'm writing all the time. I make notes wherever I can make them. I write in toilets, on planes...
writing
Oct 21, 2024
Page One: "Good Night, and Good Luck" (2005)
Written by George Clooney & Grant Heslov
writing
Oct 21, 2024
Great Scene: "Past Lives"
The quiet emotionally rich ending of this beautiful movie.
writing
film
Oct 20, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Final Close-Up [Part 2]
"If any considerable action takes place after the climax in the 'big scene,' you will have ruined your photoplay with one of these deadly...
writing
Oct 20, 2024
Page One: "Good Kids" (2016)
Written by Chris McCoy
writing
Oct 20, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Final Close-Up [Part 1]
"Knowing when and how to stop is as important to a photoplay writer as to an after dinner speaker, but amateur scenarists, like amateur...
writing
film
Oct 19, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: Three Scripts
You write, you learn. And three scripts is a good target as a baseline for studying the craft. Then keeping writing ... keep learning ...
writing
Oct 19, 2024
Page One: "The Front Runner" (2018)
Written by Matt Bai & Jay Carson & Jason Reitman, based on a book written by Matt Bai
writing
Oct 19, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 7]
"Many amateur photoplay writers are very clever in getting their characters into terribly involved situations; but they are not so clever...
writing
Oct 18, 2024
Great Scene: "North by Northwest"
It was one of the scenes which inspired Hitchcock to make the movie.
writing
film
Oct 18, 2024
Page One: "Gold" (2016)
Written by Patrick Massett & John Zinman
writing
Oct 18, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 6]
"By showing more and more action, you will elaborate your plot in the best way."
writing
Oct 18, 2024
On Writing
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."
writing
Oct 17, 2024
Page One: "Fruitvale Station" (2013)
Written by Ryan Coogler
writing
Oct 17, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 5]
"When you are at a loss to carry on the action, cut over to the parallel line of action which is taking place in the next street or the...
writing
Oct 16, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Amy Berg
"At the end of the day, the only thing that really defines a person is the choices they make. The characters in your scripts should be no...
writing
Oct 16, 2024
Page One: "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996)
Written by Quentin Tarantino, story by Robert Kurtzman
writing
Oct 16, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 4]
"It is inadvisable to attempt a minor plot in a photoplay unless it has a distinct and important bearing on your big story."
writing
Oct 15, 2024
On Writing
"Anything that isn't writing is easy."
writing
Oct 15, 2024
Page One: "The Frighteners" (1996)
Written by Fran Walsh & Peter Jackson
writing
Oct 15, 2024
The Owl Screenwriting Workshop
Reflections on reconnecting with the 2023–2024 cohort and working with the 2024–2025 group last week in Athens, Greece.
writing
film
Oct 14, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 3]
"The plot within the plot is one form of elaboration on the spoken stage."
writing
Oct 14, 2024
Page One: "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (1981)
Screenplay by Harold Pinter, novel by John Fowles
writing
Oct 14, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Sporkinfeesten"
Amazon MGM announces its acquisition of the comedy spec script "Sporkinfeesten" written by Aaron Eisenberg and Will Eisenberg. Via...
writing
film
Oct 13, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 2]
"If the characters are not real enough to you to predominate the story, the photoplay will be without the vital human appeal which sells...
writing
Oct 13, 2024
Page One: "Frantic" (1988)
Written by Roman Polanski & Gérard Brach
writing
Oct 13, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 1]
"Every new turn of the plot must not only interest the audience, but must make them ask mentally, 'I wonder what will come next' or 'How...
writing
Oct 12, 2024
Great Scene: "No Country For Old Men"
"You need to call it. I can't call it for you. It wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't even be right."
writing
film
Oct 12, 2024
Page One: "French Kiss" (1995)
Written by Adam Brooks
writing
Oct 12, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: How To Begin [Part 2]
"Always try to tell the basic facts of the plot in as few scenes and sub titles as possible. The audience is not interested in the life...
writing
Oct 11, 2024
Great Scene: "Night Shift"
"What are we really talking about here? What's the essence of what we're talking about? I'll spell it out for you. PROSTITUTION!"
writing
Oct 11, 2024
Page One: "Frantic" (1988)
Written by Roman Polanski & Gérard Brach
writing
Oct 11, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: How To Begin [Part 1]
"A good beginning, the value of which appears to have been sadly underrated by most amateurs, makes a photoplay nearly as salable as a good...
writing
Oct 10, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: There's a green light...
I'm attending a fundraiser for my son's elementary school. It's an alternative private school on the Westside, an institution that prides...
writing
film
Oct 10, 2024
Page One: "French Exit" (2020)
Written by Patrick DeWitt based on his book
writing
Oct 10, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Denouement [Part 3]
"Coincidence does not enter into real life every day. It is quite permissible, however, as a basis for a story, but it is bad form to base...
writing
Oct 09, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Amy Berg
"For me, there's no set formula, but you always want your characters to lead the plot, rather than plot leading your characters. The way to...
writing
Oct 09, 2024
Page One: "Free Guy" (2021)
Screenplay by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, story by Matt Lieberman
writing
Oct 09, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Denouement [Part 2]
"The two important rules in building up to the denouement of your plot are: First, bring the situation to the highest or lowest possible...
writing
Oct 08, 2024
What do 'Wall-E' and 'Logan' have in common?
Both movies use a simple gesture to pack an emotional wallop.
film
Oct 08, 2024
Page One: "Frank" (2014)
Written by Jon Ronson & Peter Straughan, newspaper article by Jon Ronson
writing
Oct 08, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Denouement [Part 1]
"Working up to the denouement, or in other words, the moment of revelation when the audience sees the point of the story, unquestionably...
writing
Oct 07, 2024
On Writing
"Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations."
writing
Oct 07, 2024
Page One: "Frankie" (2019)
Screenplay by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias
writing
Oct 07, 2024
Great Scene: "Network"
"I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
writing
Oct 06, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Pictorial Element
"Most tableaus, of course, have been done many times. It is up to you to think up new and unique ways of combining beauty with drama in one...
writing
film
Oct 06, 2024
Page One: "The Fourth Kind" (2009)
Screenplay by Olatunde Osunsanmi, story by Olatunde Osunsanmi & Terry Robbins
writing
Oct 06, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Writing for the Censors [Part 3]
"You must be twice as careful as writers in any other field or your story will surely be returned to you with a rejection slip."
writing
Oct 05, 2024
Script Analysis: "Argo" — Scene By Scene Breakdown
Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:
writing
Oct 05, 2024
Page One: "Four Rooms" (1995)
Allison Anders (segment "The Missing Ingredient"), Alexandre Rockwell (segment "The Wrong Man"), Robert Rodriguez (segment "The...
writing
Oct 05, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Writing for the Censors [Part 2]
"While no human mind can remember the innumerable conflicting rules of these small town boards, since each local censor has his own ideas...
writing
film
Oct 05, 2024
Great Scenes: "The Natural"
"He swings — violently and perfectly — the ball exploding off his bat."
writing
Oct 05, 2024
Page One: "Focus" (2015)
Written by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
writing
Oct 04, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Outdueled"
Amazon MGM acquires action adventure spec script "Outdueled" written by F. Scott Frazier and Jimmy Loweree. Via Deadline:
film
Oct 04, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Writing for the Censors [Part 1]
"No producer will take a chance on a story which may be disapproved entirely or mangled by the cutting of important scenes after it is...
writing
film
Oct 03, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: There are three kinds of people in Hollywood
Story. Some get it. Some kinda get it. And some... well...
writing
Oct 03, 2024
Page One: "The Founder" (2016)
Written by Robert Siegel
writing
Oct 03, 2024
Great Scene: "Moonrise Kingdom"
My favorite movie sequence of 2012 is this one from Moonrise Kingdom, written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
film
Oct 02, 2024
On Writing
"If you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write...
writing
Oct 02, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Cutting The Picture [Part 3]
"Another factor in cutting is 'tempo.' The author should decide the relative length of scenes."
writing
Oct 02, 2024
Page One: "The Fly II" (1989)
Screenplay by Mick Garris and Jim Wheat & Ken Wheat and Frank Darabont, story by Mick Garris, based on characters created by George...
writing
Oct 02, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Cutting The Picture [Part 2]
"The secret of fine cutting lies in a resolve to work with an open mind, to reject your pet scene if the director has evolved a better one...
writing
Oct 01, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Amy Berg
"There's more rising and falling tension in a television show versus a film where it tends to be a more steady build to the climax... A way...
writing
film
Oct 01, 2024
The 2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge is over!
Time to start prepping for the next one in March 2025!
productivity
Oct 01, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Cutting The Picture [Part 1]
Yes, you read that right. A studio. Calling in the writers. To cut the movie. After the director has shot it.
writing
Oct 01, 2024
Character Development Keys
Starting October 7, my one-week online class not only immerses you in five key archetypes, you also use them to workshop one of your...
writing
Oct 01, 2024
Page One: "The Fly" (1986)
Screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue and David Cronenberg, story by George Langelaan
writing
Oct 01, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 30
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 30, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: What to Write and Not to Write [Part 3]
"At the present time, the material most in demand is the story with the emotional woman as the star."
writing
Sep 30, 2024
On Writing
"First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him."
writing
Sep 30, 2024
Page One: "Flatliners" (2017)
Screenplay by Ben Ripley, story by Peter Filardi
writing
Sep 30, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 29
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 29, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: What to Write and Not to Write [Part 2]
"Almost every conceivable situation has occurred to a writer somewhere in the past. You can, however, get a new story by adding a new theme...
writing
Sep 29, 2024
Great Scene: "Moonlight"
The quiet, but intense final scene where Black confesses a secret to Kevin.
film
Sep 29, 2024
Page One: "Flashdance" (1983)
Screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas, story by Tom Hedley
writing
Sep 29, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 28
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 28, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: What to Write and Not to Write [Part 1]
"It takes hard work to create a new plot, so beware of the one which comes too easily."
writing
Sep 28, 2024
Great Scene: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"
The famous Black Night scene.
film
Sep 28, 2024
Page One: "First They Killed My Father" (2017)
Screenplay by Loung Ung & Angelina Jolie, based on the book "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung
writing
Sep 28, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 27
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 27, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 5]
"The amateur must always remember that people go to the motion picture theater to forget their troubles and become young again in a world...
writing
Sep 27, 2024
"Perfectly Happy, Even Without Happy Endings"
Several people sent me a link to this NYT article and for good reason: It has some ideas screenwriters should definitely contemplate...
writing
Sep 27, 2024
Page One: "The Firm" (1993)
Screenplay by David Rabe and Robert Towne & David Rayfiel, novel by John Grisham
writing
Sep 27, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 26
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 26, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 4]
"Few people like to cry, but every one likes to laugh. Therefore, the story with many laughs has a hundred fold better chance than the one...
writing
Sep 26, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: The Power of "No"
As a screenwriter, you need to be prepared to say this word: "No."
writing
Sep 26, 2024
Page One: "Firestorm" (1998)
Written by Chris Soth
writing
Sep 26, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 25
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 25, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 3]
"The exhibitor wants the sort of story that can be exploited from the box office point of view, for a photoplay that does not lend itself...
writing
Sep 25, 2024
Great Scene: "Moneyball"
How the song "The Show" nails a key theme in the story.
writing
Sep 25, 2024
Page One: "Fingernails" (2023)
Written by Christos Nikou & Sam Steiner & Stavros Raptis
writing
Sep 25, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 24
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
creativity
writing
Sep 24, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 2]
"In writing for a producer, try to conform to the type of picture he has been making."
writing
Sep 24, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Robert Benton
"David [Newman] and I felt that the line dividing a criminal and an upright citizen is much more subtle than most people realize, and...
writing
film
Sep 24, 2024
Page One: "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" (2017)
Screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh, based on a book by Peter Turner
writing
Sep 24, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 23
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 23, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 1]
"It should be remembered that in literature and drama alike there is an artistic side and a practical side. Often the real masterpiece lies...
writing
Sep 23, 2024
On Writing
"You must stay drunk on writing so reality may not destroy you."
writing
Sep 23, 2024
Page One: "The Fifth Element" (1997)
Screenplay by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen, story by Luc Besson
writing
Sep 23, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 22
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 22, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The "Interest" [Part 2]
"To inspire emotion in your audience you must have been inspired with emotion yourself... Make yourself feel the things you are writing...
writing
Sep 22, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Roberto Bentivegna
"Always remember how much you love movies. Always remember the movies that you grew up on, that you obsessed about, that you watched over...
writing
film
Sep 22, 2024
Page One: "A Few Good Men" (1992)
Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin based on his play
writing
Sep 22, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 21
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 21, 2024
On Writing
"Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you're doomed."
writing
Sep 21, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The "Interest" [Part 1]
"What he means by this 'interest' query is to ask if your story has the element of human sympathy."
writing
Sep 21, 2024
Page One: "Fast Color" (2018)
Written by Julia Hart & Jordan Horowitz
writing
Sep 21, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 20
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
creativity
writing
Sep 20, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 4]
"Character development means a change in character taking place during the story... Any change of character during the story is legitimate...
writing
Sep 20, 2024
Great Scene: "Michael Clayton"
Clayton confronts Crowder, then rides alone with his thoughts.
film
Sep 20, 2024
Page One: "Fast and Furious" (2009)
Written by Chris Morgan, characters by Gary Scott Thompson
writing
Sep 20, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 19
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 19, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 3]
"A good method is to introduce important characters with some characteristic incident."
writing
Sep 19, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: The Importance of a Writers Group
There's that image of a writer. Sequestered in a room. Struggling over a blank piece of paper. Crumpled pages strewn about. A cup of booze...
writing
Sep 19, 2024
Page One: "The Fast and the Furious" (2001)
Screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson and Erik Bergquist and David Ayer, screen story by Gary Scott Thompson, magazine article by Ken Li
writing
Sep 19, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 18
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 18, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 2]
"Failure to concentrate on this essential of plot making (developing of character) has been responsible for the wishy-washy substance of...
writing
Sep 18, 2024
Great Scene: "The Matrix"
"You take the blue pill, the story ends... you take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland."
writing
Sep 18, 2024
Page One: "Far from the Madding Crowd" (2015)
Screenplay by David Nichols, novel by Thomas Hardy
writing
Sep 18, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 17
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 17, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 1]
"Every character in the story of the scenarist should be established as an individual — a living, breathing, real person."
writing
Sep 17, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Charles Bennett
"The construction is the most important goddamned thing. It's like building a house — you have to build the outside properly before you...
writing
Sep 17, 2024
Page One: "Fences" (2016)
Screenplay by August Wilson based upon his play
writing
Sep 17, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 16
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 16, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Actor's Angle [Part 2]
"It is your duty to think up situations which call for the necessary bits of business."
writing
Sep 16, 2024
On Writing
"Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they...
writing
Sep 16, 2024
Page One: "Fallen" (1998)
Written by Nick Kazan
writing
Sep 16, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 15
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 15, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Actor's Angle [Part 1]
"It would be possible to plant the jealousy motif by a sub-title. It would be better artistry to show the husband staring after the wife...
writing
Sep 15, 2024
Go Into The Story Interview: Stephany Folsom
My 2014 in-depth interview with the screenwriter of Toy Story 4, consulting producer and writer on the TV series The Lord of the Rings: The...
writing
film
Sep 15, 2024
Page One: "The Faculty" (1998)
Screenplay by Kevin Williamson, story by David Wechter & Bruce Kimmel
writing
Sep 15, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 14
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 14, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Scenery for Scenarios
"The matter of economy in settings is perhaps the very last thing that enters the mind of the amateur photodramatist — one big reason why...
writing
Sep 14, 2024
Great Scene: "Manhunter"
I think we'd all admit the first time Clarice Starling meets Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, that was a great scene.
film
Sep 14, 2024
Page One: "Eye in the Sky" (2015)
Written by Guy Hibbert
writing
Sep 14, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 13
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 13, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Writing for the Camera
"No scenarist is a genius to his cameraman... [they] have a common bond in the conviction that 90 per cent of the scenario writers have...
writing
Sep 13, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: The Crazed Life of a Studio Executive
There is nothing laid-back about movie execs who live life in the fast lane and this impacts you — the writer.
writing
Sep 13, 2024
Page One: "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" (2019)
Written by Michael Werwie, based on a book by Elizabeth Kendall
writing
Sep 13, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 12
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 12, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Marketing the Script
"Don't let one or a dozen rejection slips discourage you. Make a collection of them to show your friends when you become famous."
writing
Sep 12, 2024
Great Scene: "Magnolia"
The 'frog storm' near the end of Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 movie.
writing
film
Sep 12, 2024
Page One: "The Expendables" (2010)
Screenplay by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, story by David Callaham
writing
Sep 12, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 11
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 11, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Title
"Although a good story is the first requisite, the title of the photoplay is most important from the point of view of the exhibitor."
writing
Sep 11, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Tom Benedek
"Every script we write is a piece of ourselves. We may say we are writing a script because we want to position ourselves somewhere in the...
writing
Sep 11, 2024
Page One: "The Exorcist III" (1990)
Screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel
writing
Sep 11, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 10
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
creativity
writing
Sep 10, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Continuity (Part 2)
"Confusion as to the characters is ruinous. Don't get your audience interested in minor characters at the start. Keep your important...
writing
Sep 10, 2024
Keys to Handling Exposition
Take my 1-week online class to learn ways to make exposition entertaining. Begins Monday, September 16, 2024.
writing
Sep 10, 2024
Page One: "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977)
Written by William Goodhart, based on characters created by William Peter Blatty
writing
Sep 10, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 9
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 09, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Continuity (Part 1)
"The continuity writer visualizes the story in a series of scenes."
writing
film
Sep 09, 2024
On Writing
"First you have nothing, and then, astonishingly, after ripping out your brain and your heart and betraying your friends and ex-lovers and...
writing
Sep 09, 2024
Page One: "Excalibur" (1981)
Screenplay by Rospo Pallenberg and John Boorman, adaptation by Rospo Pallenberg, book by Thomas Malory
writing
Sep 09, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 8
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 08, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Story Synopsis
"The first step in preparing a photoplay is to put it into plain English telling the entire plot in from 500 to 1,500 words. This is called...
writing
Sep 08, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Nikole Beckwith
"I think if you're inviting people into a story, you should invite them into all parts of that story. I tried to inhabit each character as...
writing
film
Sep 08, 2024
Page One: "Evolution" (2001)
Screenplay by David Diamond & David Weissman and Don Jakoby, story by Don Jakoby
writing
Sep 08, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 7
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity
writing
Sep 07, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 5]
"Never take your audience off the path of the real plot."
writing
Sep 07, 2024
Great Scene: "Little Miss Sunshine"
Read how screenwriter Michael Arndt scripted Olive's dance routine in his Oscar-winning screenplay.
writing
film
Sep 07, 2024
Page One: "Evil Dead" (2013)
Screenplay by Fede Alvarez & Rodo Sayagues, based on the motion picture "The Evil Dead", written by Sam Raimi
writing
Sep 07, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 6
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 06, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 4]
"Action may be mental as well as physical."
writing
Sep 06, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: The Art of Stacking Projects
Note: This is a reprint of an article from 2012.
writing
Sep 06, 2024
Page One: "The Evil Dead" (1981)
Written by Sam Raimi
writing
Sep 06, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 5
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 05, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 3]
"One method of heightening the suspense is by foreshadowing coming events without actually giving the secret away."
writing
Sep 05, 2024
The Black List Helped Reshape Hollywood. Can It Change Publishing?
The Black List expands into novels and fiction-writing.
writing
Sep 05, 2024
Page One: "Event Horizon" (1997)
Written by Philip Eisner
writing
Sep 05, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 4
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 04, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 2]
"Never let anything superfluous creep into your plot. Never stop the progress of events to explore blind alleys."
writing
Sep 04, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Ron Bass
"I've always felt that writing was communication — not showing off how articulate you are, or showing off your vocabulary. It's about...
writing
Sep 04, 2024
Page One: "Everybody Wants Some!!" (2016)
Written by Richard Linklater
writing
Sep 04, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 3
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 03, 2024
Story Summaries: From Loglines to Beat Sheets
Learn six different types of story summaries and how to use them to develop your scripted projects. My one-week online class starts Monday...
writing
Sep 03, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 1]
"The actors may walk around engaged in animated conversation, perhaps assault each other, but the only action which counts is that which...
writing
Sep 03, 2024
Page One: "Eraser" (1996)
Screenplay by Tony Puryear and Walon Green, story by Tony Puryear and Walon Green & Michael S. Chernuchin
writing
Sep 03, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 2
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
creativity
writing
Sep 02, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Star Sympathy
"Be sure your audience is stirred to real sympathy, throw that sympathy to the star part, and be sure that this star part which you have...
writing
Sep 02, 2024
On Writing
"Characters are not created by writers. They pre-exist and have to be found."
writing
Sep 02, 2024
Page One: "Equity" (2016)
Screenplay by Amy Fox, story by Sarah Megan Thomas & Alysia Reiner and Amy Fox
writing
Sep 02, 2024
2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 1
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
writing
Sep 01, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Theme
"Found your story on an original truth of such universal interest that when your climax comes everybody in the audience from stenographer...
writing
Sep 01, 2024
Great Scene: "Life of Brian"
Today: The 1979 movie Life of Brian, written by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Terry Gilliam & Eric Idle & Terry Jones & Michael Palin...
film
Sep 01, 2024
Page One: "End of Watch" (2012)
Written by David Ayer
writing
Sep 01, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Theme
"Found your story on an original truth of such universal interest that when your climax comes everybody in the audience from stenographer...
writing
Sep 01, 2024
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 5: Reader Identification
Tap into the Protagonist's qualities which a reader can connect with.
writing
Aug 31, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Situation
If you are a screenwriter, you should know about Anita Loos. Loos was one of the most influential writers in the early stages of American...
writing
Aug 31, 2024
Script To Screen: "12 Monkeys"
From the 1995 movie 12 Monkeys, screenplay by David Webb Peoples and Janet Peoples.
writing
Aug 31, 2024
Page One: "Empire of Light" (2022)
Written by Sam Mendes
writing
Aug 31, 2024
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 4: Character = Function
Every character in a screenplay has to be there for a reason. That is their narrative function, who they are and what they do tied to the...
writing
Aug 30, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Crisis and Conflict
"Crisis and conflict are the great essentials of a dramatic story."
writing
Aug 30, 2024
Go Into The Story Interview: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
My 2018 in-depth conversation with the writing duo whose breakout film A Quiet Place turned into a horror franchise, spawning two sequels...
Aug 30, 2024
Page One: "Emergency" (2022)
Written by K.D. Dávila
writing
Aug 30, 2024
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Getting Ideas
If you are a screenwriter, you should know about Anita Loos. She was one of the most influential writers in the early history of American...
writing
film
Aug 29, 2024
Spec Script Deal: "Minnie Buttons"
Huckleberry Media acquires spec script "Minnie Buttons" written by Adam D. Boyer. Via Deadline:
writing
Aug 29, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: Swag
When you're a movie star, things like this happen:
writing
Aug 29, 2024
Page One: "Emancipation" (2022)
Written by William N. Collage
writing
Aug 29, 2024
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 3: Plot Emerges From Character
No matter what paradigm or theory you use to craft your screenplay's plot, the single most important thing you can do is this: Start with...
writing
Aug 28, 2024
"How to Write Photoplays" by John Emerson and Anita Loos
If you are a screenwriter, you should know about Anita Loos. Loos was one of the most influential writers in the early history of American...
writing
Aug 28, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Ron Bass
"Everything I write is in three acts, and I actually start with three pieces of paper. I have some notion of where each act begins and...
writing
Aug 28, 2024
Page One: "The Electrical Life of Louis Wain" (2021)
Screenplay by Simon Stephenson and Will Sharpe, story by Simon Stephenson
writing
Aug 28, 2024
The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling
My one-week online class begins Monday, September 2nd.
writing
Aug 27, 2024
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 2: The Protagonist's Arc
Transformation lies at the heart of the character's arc.
writing
Aug 27, 2024
Writing Advice from Matt Stone and Trey Parker
A video from over a decade ago resurfaces on social media.
writing
Aug 27, 2024
Page One: "The Edge of Seventeen" (2016)
Written by Kelly Fremon Craig
writing
Aug 27, 2024
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 1: Writing Scenes
With every scene, you should ask yourself this question: What is the scene's Beginning, Middle, and End?
writing
Aug 26, 2024
On Writing
"For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word."
writing
Aug 26, 2024
Go Into The Story Interview: Jimmy Miller
My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
Aug 26, 2024
Page One: "Eddie the Eagle" (2015)
Screenplay by Sean Macaulay and Simon Kelton, story by Simon Kelton
writing
Aug 26, 2024
Screenwriting Tip: From Zero Draft... to Hero Draft
"There are no mistakes. There are CHOICES. We have a scene. Or a character. Or a dialogue exchange. Whatever we're writing, it represents...
writing
Aug 25, 2024
Interview (Part 6): Jimmy Miller
My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Aug 25, 2024
Great Scene: "Kramer vs. Kramer"
Two scenes making french toast provide signposts to measure the nature of a father-son relationship.
film
Aug 25, 2024
Page One: "Dutch" (1991)
Written by John Hughes
writing
Aug 25, 2024
Interview (Part 5): Jimmy Miller
My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Aug 24, 2024
A series analyzing Pixar writer-director Andrew Stanton's TED Talk
"The Clues to a Great Story."
writing
Aug 24, 2024
Script To Screen: "12 Years a Slave"
From the 2013 movie 12 Years a Slave, screenplay by John Ridley, based on a memoir by Solomon Northup.
writing
film
Aug 24, 2024
Page One: "Duplicity" (2009)
Written by Tony Gilroy
writing
Aug 24, 2024
If you feel the pull toward creative interests ... embrace it.
A quote from a well-known poet reminded me of a critical time in my past.
creativity
writing
poetry
Aug 23, 2024
Interview (Part 4): Jimmy Miller
My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Aug 23, 2024
A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk
Andrew Stanton is one of the key members of Pixar's 'braintrust' whose screenwriting credits include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2...
writing
Aug 23, 2024
Page One: "Dune" (1984)
Screenplay by David Lynch, novel by Frank Herbert
writing
Aug 23, 2024
Interview (Part 3): Jimmy Miller
My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Aug 22, 2024
A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk
Andrew Stanton is one of the key members of Pixar's 'braintrust' whose screenwriting credits include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2...
writing
Aug 22, 2024
The Business of Screenwriting: Surviving a Script Notes Meeting
Filmmaking, they say, is a "collaborative" effort. To a screenwriter, what this effectively means is that everybody gets to mess with your...
writing
Aug 22, 2024
Page One: "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989)
Screenplay by Alfred Uhry based on his play
writing
Aug 22, 2024
Pound Out That First Draft!
Go from FADE IN to FADE OUT in my upcoming online writing workshop. Starts August 26!
writing
Aug 21, 2024
A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk
Andrew Stanton is one of the key members of Pixar's 'braintrust' whose screenwriting credits include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2...
writing
film
Aug 21, 2024
Screenwriting 101: Alan Ball
"[In American Beauty] Lester's a man who in midlife has completely lost his passion about living, as do many people who have mind-numbing...
writing
film
Aug 21, 2024
Page One: "Dressed to Kill" (1980)
Written by Brian De Palma
writing
Aug 21, 2024
Interview (Part 2): Jimmy Miller
My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.
writing
Aug 20, 2024
A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk
Andrew Stanton is one of the key members of Pixar's 'braintrust' whose screenwriting credits include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2...
writing
Aug 20, 2024
On Writing
"Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality...
writing
Aug 20, 2024