Scott Myers

• 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
• Page One: "Dredd" (2012)

  Screenplay by Alex Garland, character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra

  writing

  Aug 20, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): Jimmy Miller

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Aug 19, 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 19, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 26: Tragedy vs. Epic Poems

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 19, 2024
• Page One: "DragonHeart" (1996)

  Screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue, story by Patrick Read Johnson & Charles Edward Pogue

  writing

  Aug 19, 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 18, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 25: Impossible and Improbable

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 18, 2024
• Script to Screen: "(500) Days of Summer"

  Tom's best day ever plays out as a music video accompanied by Hall & Oates.

  writing

  film

  Aug 18, 2024
• Page One: "Dr. No" (1962)

  Screenplay by Richard Maibaum & Johanna Harwood & Berkely Mather, based on the novel by Ian Fleming

  writing

  Aug 18, 2024
• 2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge!

  One month. Fade In. Fade Out. Write an entire zero draft.

  writing

  Aug 17, 2024
• Andrew Stanton TED Talk: "Clues to a Great Story"

  A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk.

  writing

  Aug 17, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 24: Tragedy and Epic Poem

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 17, 2024
• Page One: "Downhill" (2020)

  Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, inspired by the motion picture "Force Majeure" by Ruben Östlund

  writing

  Aug 17, 2024
• Andrew Stanton TED Talk: "Clues to a Great Story"

  A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk.

  writing

  Aug 16, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 23: Unity of Action

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 16, 2024
• Videos: Academy Originals Screenwriter Interviews

  Featuring John August, Ava DuVernay, Eric Roth, Aline Brosh McKenna, David Seidler, Dustin Lance Black, and more.

  writing

  film

  Aug 16, 2024
• Page One: "Doubt" (2008)

  Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley, play by John Patrick Shanley

  writing

  Aug 16, 2024
• Andrew Stanton TED Talk: "Clues to a Great Story"

  A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk.

  writing

  Aug 15, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 22: Word Choice

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 15, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: There is always another way

  Between writing assignments, I wrote a spec script. It's a contained thriller called "Legacy," about a child psychiatrist who ends up on a...

  writing

  Aug 15, 2024
• Page One: "The Double" (2013)

  Written by Richard Ayoade and Avi Korine, story by Avi Korine, novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  writing

  Aug 15, 2024
• Andrew Stanton TED Talk: "Clues to a Great Story"

  A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director's TED Talk.

  writing

  Aug 14, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Parts 20+21: Language and Words

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 14, 2024
• Script To Screen: "A Serious Man"

  Leave it to the Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan) to come up with a denouement in their 2009 movie A Serious Man that resolves virtually...

  writing

  film

  Aug 14, 2024
• Page One: "Dope" (2015)

  Written by Rick Famuyiwa

  writing

  Aug 14, 2024
• Script To Screen: "A Quiet Place"

  The terrifying opening incident is a master class in demonstrating how to use paragraphs of scene description to suggest individual camera...

  writing

  Aug 13, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 19: Thought and Diction

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 13, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: George Axelrod

  "Writing is such a mysterious process for me. For example, I don't use a computer, because I like the manual feeling of building something...

  writing

  Aug 13, 2024
• Page One: "Don't Worry Darling" (2022)

  Screenplay by Katie Silberman, story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke and Katie Silberman

  writing

  Aug 13, 2024
• "Don't let the facts get in the way of the story"

  Reflections on a Hollywood axiom and the power of emotional logic.

  writing

  film

  Aug 12, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 18(D): Chorus

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 12, 2024
• On Writing

  "One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I'm going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what...

  writing

  Aug 12, 2024
• Page One: "Doctor Sleep" (2019)

  Screenplay by Mike Flanagan, novel by Stephen King

  writing

  Aug 12, 2024
• Great Scene: "King of Hearts"

  In a fundamental way, screenwriting is scene-writing, so the more we learn about this aspect of the craft, the better.

  writing

  film

  Aug 11, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 18(C): Multiplicity of Plots

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Aug 11, 2024
• Script To Screen: "The Abyss"

  One of the most dramatic scenes from the 1989 movie The Abyss, written by James Cameron.

  writing

  Aug 11, 2024
• Page One: "Disclosure" (1994)

  Screenplay by Paul Attanasio, novel by Michael Crichton

  writing

  Aug 11, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Adaptation"

  A memorable scene from the 2002 movie Adaptation, screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman, book by Susan Orlean.

  writing

  Aug 10, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 18(B): Four Kinds of Tragedy

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 10, 2024
• Scene Description Spotlight: "(500) Days of Summer"

  One of the best moments in the delightful film (500) Days of Summer is the morning-after-having-sex-with-Summer-big-dance-bit.

  writing

  film

  Aug 10, 2024
• Page One: "Dirty Girl" (2010)

  Written by Abe Sylvia

  writing

  Aug 10, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Scott Derrickson

  My in-depth 2018 conversation with co-writer and director of the Marvel movie Doctor Strange as well as horror movies The Exorcism of Emily...

  Aug 09, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 18(A): Complication and Denouement

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 09, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Air Force One"

  The movie version of this pivotal scene is much different than the script.

  writing

  Aug 09, 2024
• Page One: "Dinner for Schmucks" (2010)

  Screenplay by David Guion & Michael Handelman

  writing

  Aug 09, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Lisa Joy

  My 2014 in-depth conversation with the creator and co-executive producer of the HBO series Westworld, the Amazon series Fallout, and...

  Aug 08, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 17: Plot and Episode

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 08, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Spec scripts aren't just for aspiring screenwriters

  You may think a spec script is something only relevant to aspiring screenwriters. Not true.

  writing

  Aug 08, 2024
• Page One: "The Descent" (2005)

  Written by Neil Marshall

  writing

  Aug 08, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Hurt People"

  Netflix acquires legal thriller spec script "Hurt People" written by Melissa London Hilfers. Via Deadline:

  film

  Aug 07, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 16: Recognition

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 07, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Airplane!"

  A memorable scene from the 1981 comedy featuring the actress who played June Cleaver on Leave It To Beaver, screenplay by Jim Abrahams &...

  writing

  Aug 07, 2024
• Page One: "Denial" (2016)

  Screenplay by David Hare, book by Deborah Lipstadt

  writing

  Aug 07, 2024
• Writing Aids: 90 Words for "looks" and 115 Words for "walks"

  Movies are primarily a visual medium. Therefore as screenwriters, we need to think visually... and write visually.

  writing

  Aug 06, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 15(C): The Example of Good Portrait Painters

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 06, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: John August

  "Sometimes it's like, you wrote one really good sentence. You may never get called out for it, the props for it you deserve, but you know...

  writing

  film

  Aug 06, 2024
• Page One: "Den of Thieves" (2018)

  Screenplay by Christian Gudegast, story by Christian Gudegast & Paul T. Scheuring

  writing

  Aug 06, 2024
• Script to Screen: "The Graduate"

  This memorable montage from the 1967 movie The Graduate, screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, novel by Charles Webb.

  film

  Aug 05, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 15(B): The Unraveling of the Plot

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 05, 2024
• On Writing

  "Why do writers write? Because it isn't there."

  writing

  Aug 05, 2024
• Page One: "Deep Star Six" (1989)

  Written by Lewis Abernathy and Geof Miller

  writing

  Aug 05, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  Aug 04, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 15(A): Four Qualities of a Tragic Hero

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 04, 2024
• Script to Screen: "Alien"

  Here is a memorable scene from Alien (1979), screenplay Dan O'Bannon, story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

  writing

  film

  Aug 04, 2024
• Page One: "Death Proof" (2007)

  Written by Quentin Tarantino

  writing

  Aug 04, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Aug 03, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 14(B): The Conditions of a Tragedy

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 03, 2024
• Great Scene: "Goodfellas"

  "Funny how? What's funny about it?"

  film

  Aug 03, 2024
• Page One: "Death Becomes Her" (1992)

  Written by Martin Donovan & David Koepp

  writing

  Aug 03, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Aug 02, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 14(A): Fear and Pity

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 02, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: Writing sprint? How about a writing walk!

  If you frequent Twitter — and more specifically writers on Twitter — you may have run across the idea of a writing sprint. I first...

  writing

  Aug 02, 2024
• Page One: "Death at a Funeral" (2007)

  Written by Dean Craig

  writing

  Aug 02, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Aug 01, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 13(B): A Well-Constructed Plot

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Aug 01, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Sometimes you're just going to get it wrong

  In which I got it completely and utterly wrong about a movie project which went on to win six Oscars.

  writing

  Aug 01, 2024
• Page One: "The Dead Zone" (1983)

  Screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on the novel by Stephen King

  writing

  Aug 01, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 31, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 13(A): A Perfect Tragedy

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 31, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Aliens"

  It's Surrogate Mother vs. Alien Mother in this memorable fight scene.

  writing

  Jul 31, 2024
• Page One: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014)

  Written by Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, based on characters created by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver

  writing

  Jul 31, 2024
• Interview (Part 2): Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 30, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 12: Prologue, Episode, Exode and Chorus

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Jul 30, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: John August

  "If you have four ideas, all equally viable, I'd recommend writing the one that has the best ending. That's the one you've thought through...

  writing

  film

  Jul 30, 2024
• Page One: "Dawn of the Dead" (2004)

  Screenplay by James Gunn, based on the 1978 screenplay by George A. Romero

  writing

  Jul 30, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): Harris McCabe

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 29, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 11: Reversal, Recognition and Suffering

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 29, 2024
• On Writing

  "Here's one simple rule to remember: Characters carry theme. Always. Develop your characters fully and set them in the story world where...

  writing

  Jul 29, 2024
• Page One: "Darkest Hour" (2017)

  Written by Anthony McCarten

  writing

  Jul 29, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  Jul 28, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 10: Simple and Complex Plots

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 28, 2024
• Script To Screen: "All About Eve"

  A scene from the 1950 movie All About Eve, written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and featuring one of the most famous lines of dialogue in movie...

  writing

  Jul 28, 2024
• Page One: "Dark City" (1998)

  Screenplay by Alex Proyas and Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, story by Alex Proyas

  writing

  Jul 28, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 27, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 9(D): Surprise, Cause and Effect

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Jul 27, 2024
• On Writing

  "People forget years and remember moments."

  writing

  Jul 27, 2024
• Page One: "Daredevil" (2003)

  Written by Mark Steven Johnson

  writing

  Jul 27, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 26, 2024
• Happy Birthday, Carl Jung: Screenwriting Guru!

  Swiss psychotherapist and founder of analytical psychology Carl Jung was born today in 1875. He died in 1961 at the age of 85.

  writing

  Jul 26, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 9(C): Episodic

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 26, 2024
• Page One: "D2: The Mighty Ducks" (1994)

  Written by Steven Brill, characters by Steven Brill

  writing

  film

  Jul 26, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 25, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 9(C): Episodic

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 25, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Sometimes you just have to say "Yes"

  I am sitting in the Beverly Hills office of my entertainment lawyer. In front of me is a contract. It's for a writing assignment. My gig...

  writing

  Jul 25, 2024
• Page One: "The Cutting Edge" (1992)

  Written by Tony Gilroy

  writing

  Jul 25, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 24, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 9(B): Possibility, Probability and Necessity

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 24, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Almost Famous"

  A terrific movie Almost Famous (2000), written and directed by Cameron Crowe. One of the keys to creating drama is to put characters under...

  writing

  film

  Jul 24, 2024
• Page One: "Curly Sue" (1991)

  Written by John Hughes

  writing

  Jul 24, 2024
• Interview (Part 2): Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 23, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 9(A): Poet and Historian

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 23, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: John August

  "While working on Big Fish, I got very Method: I'd stare at a mirror until I could get myself crying, and then I would start writing. It...

  writing

  film

  Jul 23, 2024
• Page One: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008)

  Screenplay by Eric Roth, story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  writing

  Jul 23, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): Kayla Sun

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 22, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 8: Unity

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 22, 2024
• On Writing

  "To be a novelist or a short story writer, you first have to pretend to be a writer or a short story writer."

  writing

  Jul 22, 2024
• Page One: "The Crow" (1994)

  Screenplay by David J. Schow and John Shirley, based on a comic book series by James O'Barr

  writing

  Jul 22, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  Jul 21, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 7(C): Story Length and Change of Fortune

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Jul 21, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Familiar"

  Paramount Pictures acquires horror thriller spec script "Familiar" written by Julien Magnat. Via Deadline:

  film

  Jul 21, 2024
• Page One: "Critters" (1986)

  Screenplay by Domonic Muir and Stephen Herek, story by Domonic Muir

  writing

  Jul 21, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 20, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 7(B): Beauty, Magnitude and Order

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 20, 2024
• 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

  Jul 20, 2024
• Page One: "Crimson Peak" (2015)

  Written by Guillermo del Toro & Matthew Robbins

  writing

  Jul 20, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 19, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 7(A): Beginning, Middle, End

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 19, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Guillermo Arriaga

  "I've written novels and screenplays, and with a screenplay you are writing something that's going to be filmed, and you have to understand...

  writing

  film

  Jul 19, 2024
• Page One: "Creed II" (2018)

  Screenplay by Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone, story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker, characters created by Sylvester Stallone

  writing

  Jul 19, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 18, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(G): Spectacle Sixth

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 18, 2024
• On Writing

  "Creation of character is, like much of fiction writing, a mixture of subjective feel and objective control."

  writing

  Jul 18, 2024
• Page One: "Creed" (2015)

  Screenplay by Ryan Coogler & Aaron Covington, story by Ryan Coogler, characters created by Sylvester Stallone

  writing

  Jul 18, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 17, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(F): Diction Fourth, Song Fifth

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 17, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "If I Had Your Face"

  Orion Pictures acquires horror spec script "If I Had Your Face" written by Ran Ran Wang. Via Deadline:

  film

  Jul 17, 2024
• Page One: "Crawl" (2019)

  Written by Michael Rasmussen & Shawn Rasmussen

  writing

  Jul 17, 2024
• Interview (Part 2): c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 16, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(E): Thought Third

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 16, 2024
• The Theology of Cinema Live!

  Five multimedia presentations from the popular Go Into The Story series, August 5–9 in Frankfort, Michigan.

  writing

  film

  Jul 16, 2024
• Page One: "The Craft" (1996)

  Screenplay by Peter Filardi and Andrew Fleming, story by Peter Filardi

  writing

  Jul 16, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): c. Craig Patterson

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 15, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(D): Plot First, Character Second

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 15, 2024
• "My world is not spectacle and explosion. It's two people talking."

  Words of writing wisdom from Taika Watiti.

  writing

  Jul 15, 2024
• Page One: "Corpse Bride" (2005)

  Screenplay by John August and Caroline Thompson and Pamela Pettler, characters by Tim Burton and Carlos Grangel

  writing

  Jul 15, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 14, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(C): The 6 Parts of Tragedy, Part 2

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 14, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Amadeus"

  The glorious "Requiem" scene from the 1984 movie Amadeus, screenplay by Peter Shaffer based on his original stage play.

  writing

  Jul 14, 2024
• Page One: "Copycat" (1995)

  Written by Ann Biderman and David Madsen

  writing

  Jul 14, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 13, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(B): Character and Thought

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 13, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Over Asking"

  Paramount Pictures acquires erotic thriller spec script "Over Asking" written by Caroline Dries. Via Deadline:

  film

  Jul 13, 2024
• Page One: "Cool Runnings" (1993)

  Screenplay by Lynn Siefert and Tommy Swerdlow & Michael Goldberg, story by Lynn Siefert & Michael Ritchie

  writing

  Jul 13, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 12, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 6(A): The 6 Parts of Tragedy

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 12, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: The Joy of Running... Creatively Speaking

  "Does some creative block have you feeling stuck? Go for a run. Are you deliberating between one of two potentially life-altering...

  creativity

  writing

  Jul 12, 2024
• Page One: "Contagion" (2011)

  Written by Scott Z. Burns

  writing

  Jul 12, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  film

  Jul 11, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 5: Comedy and Epic Poetry

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Jul 11, 2024
• Reader Question: Are screenplay contests any good or not?

  With literally dozens of script competitions, this is an important question.

  writing

  Jul 11, 2024
• Page One: "Coneheads" (1993)

  Written by Tom Davis & Dan Aykroyd and Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner

  writing

  Jul 11, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 10, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 4: Poetry and the Development of Tragedy

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 10, 2024
• "Good isn't good enough. You have to be great."

  If you've been paying attention to the business of Hollywood, you're probably aware that Skydance is taking over Paramount.

  writing

  film

  Jul 10, 2024
• Page One: "Commando" (1985)

  Screenplay by Steven E. de Souza, story by Jeph Loeb & Matthew Weisman and Steven E. de Souza

  writing

  Jul 10, 2024
• Interview (Part 2): Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 09, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 3: Medium, Objects, Manner

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 09, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Guillermo Arriaga

  "I have no education at all in screenwriting. But when I have read all these manuals of screenwriting, they say things that I will never...

  writing

  film

  Jul 09, 2024
• Page One: "Coming to America" (1988)

  Screenplay by David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein, story by Eddie Murphy

  writing

  Jul 09, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 3: Medium, Objects, Manner

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Jul 09, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): Brent Delaney

  My interview with the 2023 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

  writing

  Jul 08, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 2: Moral Character, Types, Tragedy and Comedy

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 08, 2024
• On Writing

  "If you're going to be a writer, there's nothing I can say to stop you."

  writing

  Jul 08, 2024
• Page One: "Coming Home" (1978)

  Screenplay by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones, story by Nancy Dowd

  writing

  Jul 08, 2024
• Reader Question: Do all Protagonists need a character arc?

  A character's 'arc' is a big buzzword in Hollywood development circles.

  writing

  Jul 07, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 1: Structure and Imitation

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  Jul 07, 2024
• Script To Screen: "The American"

  The opening incident in the 2010 movie The American, starring George Clooney, screenplay by Rowan Joffe, based on a novel by Martin Booth.

  writing

  Jul 07, 2024
• Page One: "The Comedian" (2016)

  Screenplay by Art Linson & Jeffrey Ross and Richard LaGravenese and Lewis Friedman, story by Art Linson

  writing

  Jul 07, 2024
• Script To Screen: "American Beauty"

  One of the most memorable scenes from the 1999 movie American Beauty, written by Alan Ball, a plastic bag dancing in the wind.

  writing

  film

  Jul 06, 2024
• Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Introduction: The Nature and Purpose of the Arts

  As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again...

  writing

  film

  Jul 06, 2024
• Great Scene: "Fight Club"

  One of the most effective ways to begin a script is to start at the ending. And one of the best scenes that opens with the ending is in the...

  writing

  film

  Jul 06, 2024
• Page One: "Come to Daddy" (2019)

  Written by Toby Harvard

  writing

  Jul 06, 2024
• Script To Screen: "American Pie"

  The infamous apple pie scene.

  writing

  Jul 05, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 28

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jul 05, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: "The best way to have a good idea..."

  ...is to have lots of ideas." Those are the words of Linus Pauling, chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator, the only...

  writing

  Jul 05, 2024
• Page One: "Colette" (2018)

  Screenplay by Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland & Rebecca Lenkiewicz, story by Richard Glatzer

  writing

  Jul 05, 2024
• Great Scene: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

  One of the most memorable scenes in one of the most memorable John Hughes movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986).

  film

  Jul 04, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 27

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jul 04, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Research Trips

  "You're the writer. Why not pick a terrific place for your story setting? Just in case you get the chance to go on a research trip."

  writing

  Jul 04, 2024
• Page One: "Christine" (1983)

  Screenplay by Bill Phillips, novel by Stephen King

  writing

  Jul 04, 2024
• Reader Question: Are there movies where the Protagonist is the Nemesis?

  Is it possible for the Protagonist to also be the story's Nemesis? A deep dive into Fight Club, The Shawshank Redemption, and Carl Jung.

  writing

  film

  Jul 03, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 26

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jul 03, 2024
• Script To Screen: "American Psycho"

  A scene from the 2000 movie American Psycho, screenplay by Mary Harron & Guinevere Turner, novel by Bret Easton Ellis.

  writing

  Jul 03, 2024
• Page One: "Gone Baby Gone" (2007)

  Screenplay by Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard, novel by Dennis Lehane

  writing

  Jul 03, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 25

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jul 02, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Guillermo Arriaga

  "I never outline the story, never. I once went to a seminar by one of these gurus of the screen, and this person said, 'You must know...

  writing

  film

  Jul 02, 2024
• Page One: "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1997)

  Written by Mike Myers

  writing

  Jul 02, 2024
• Story Type: Time Travel

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  film

  Jul 02, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Argo"

  A dramatic scene from the 2012 movie Argo, written by Chris Terrio, book by Tony Mendez, magazine article by Joshuah Bearman.

  writing

  Jul 01, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 24

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jul 01, 2024
• On Writing

  "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit."

  writing

  Jul 01, 2024
• Page One: "Collateral Damage" (2002)

  Screenplay by David Griffiths & Peter Griffiths, story by Ronald Roose and David Griffiths & Peter Griffiths

  writing

  Jul 01, 2024
• Reader Question: What makes a stellar logline?

  Two words: Concept. Concise.

  writing

  Jun 30, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 23

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jun 30, 2024
• Story Type: Ticking Clock

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  Jun 30, 2024
• Page One: "Collateral Beauty" (2016)

  Written by Allan Loeb

  writing

  Jun 30, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: 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

  Jun 29, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 22

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jun 29, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Army of Darkness"

  Yes, it's the Boomstick scene from the classic 1992 comic horror movie Army of Darkness, written by Ivan Raimi and Sam Raimi.

  writing

  Jun 29, 2024
• Page One: "Cocoon" (1985)

  Screenplay by Tom Benedek, story by David Saperstein

  writing

  Jun 29, 2024
• "Mlle Bottine" gets a theatrical release date!

  The French-language family film I consulted on is set to open its theatrical run on November 29th.

  film

  Jun 28, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 21

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jun 28, 2024
• Great Scene: "The Exorcist"

  "Regan sits up and with a nightmare slowness, a fraction at a time, her head begins to turn, swiveling like a mannequin's and creaking with...

  writing

  Jun 28, 2024
• Page One: "Clockers" (1995)

  Screenplay by Richard Price and Spike Lee, novel by Richard Price

  writing

  Jun 28, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Mice"

  A24 acquires horror thriller spec script "Mice" written by Todd Spence and Zak White. Via Deadline:

  writing

  film

  Jun 27, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 20

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  film

  Jun 27, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Premieres!

  It's one of the perks of working in the business: Attending movie premieres.

  writing

  film

  Jun 27, 2024
• Page One: "The Climb" (2019)

  Written by Michael Angelo Covino & Kyle Marvin

  writing

  Jun 27, 2024
• Story Type: Sports

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  Jun 26, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 19

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jun 26, 2024
• Script To Screen: "The Artist"

  A cute scene that turns into a significant plot point from the 2011 silent movie The Artist, written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius.

  writing

  Jun 26, 2024
• Page One: "Clerks II" (2006)

  Written by Kevin Smith

  writing

  Jun 26, 2024
• Story Type: Slasher

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  Jun 25, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 18

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jun 25, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Darren Aronofsky

  "First, you start with an idea, then you start to flesh out the structure, and that's a long process. I think that's where we spend a lot...

  writing

  film

  Jun 25, 2024
• Page One: "Clerks" (1994)

  Written by Kevin Smith

  writing

  Jun 25, 2024
• Reader Question: How about adapting a comic book into a screenplay?

  Hollywood may be crazy about comic books, but for a writer there are some specific concerns which need to be addressed.

  writing

  Jun 24, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 17

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jun 24, 2024
• On Writing

  "I am the sort of man who writes because he has made progress, and who makes progress by writing."

  writing

  Jun 24, 2024
• Page One: "Cinderella Man" (2005)

  Screenplay by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman, story by Cliff Hollingsworth

  writing

  Jun 24, 2024
• Story Type: Road Picture

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  Jun 23, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 16

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jun 23, 2024
• Script To Screen: "As Good As It Gets"

  The final scene from the 1997 movie As Good As It Gets, written by Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks.

  writing

  Jun 23, 2024
• Page One: "Child's Play" (1988)

  Screenplay by Don Mancini and John Lafia and Tom Holland, story by Don Mancini

  writing

  Jun 23, 2024
• Story Type: Post-Apocalypse

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  Jun 22, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 15

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  film

  Jun 22, 2024
• Great Scene: "The Elephant Man"

  It's one of the most poignant, sad, and beautiful movie moments I can remember: The ending of The Elephant Man (1980). Directed by David...

  film

  Jun 22, 2024
• Page One: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005)

  Screenplay by John August, book by Roald Dahl

  writing

  Jun 22, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Never forget who the star is

  "It's no surprise that William Goldman began his excellent book "Adventures in the Screen Trade" with a chapter titled 'Stars.' Of...

  writing

  Jun 21, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 14

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jun 21, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: "That pure part of you"

  Writing words of wisdom from the screenwriter of "Ordinary People".

  writing

  Jun 21, 2024
• Page One: "Challengers" (2024)

  Written by Justin Kuritzkes

  writing

  Jun 21, 2024
• Story Type: Mockumentary

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  film

  Jun 20, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 13

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jun 20, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery"

  A scene from the 1997 comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, written by Mike Myers.

  writing

  Jun 20, 2024
• Page One: "CB4" (1993)

  Screenplay by Chris Rock & Nelson George and Robert LoCash, story by Chris Rock & Nelson George

  writing

  Jun 20, 2024
• "Go into the story and find the animals"

  Writing wisdom from a three year-old boy: My son Luke.

  writing

  Jun 19, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 12

  Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

  writing

  Jun 19, 2024
• How to Escape the Box You've Become Trapped in as an Artist

  Screenwriter and novelist Cole Haddon asked more than 20 filmmakers, novelists, and comic book writers to weigh in about how to avoid being...

  writing

  Jun 19, 2024
• Page One: "Carnage" (2011)

  Screenplay by Yasmina Reza and Roman Polanski, translated by Michael Katims

  writing

  Jun 19, 2024
• "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

  Jun 18, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 11

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Ace in the...

  writing

  film

  Jun 18, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Wes Anderson

  "I use little notebooks. I write out everything longhand first, then I type it into the computer... I create seven of these [notebooks] for...

  writing

  film

  Jun 18, 2024
• Page One: "Car Wash" (1976)

  Written by Joel Schumacher

  writing

  Jun 18, 2024
• The Spirit of the Spec

  The creative empowerment of writing a spec script.

  writing

  Jun 17, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 10

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Ace in the...

  writing

  film

  Jun 17, 2024
• On Writing

  "As for writing, most people secretly believe they themselves have a book in them, which they would write if they could only find the time...

  writing

  Jun 17, 2024
• Page One: "Capernaum" (2018)

  Screenplay by Nadine Labaki & Jihad Hojeily & Michelle Keserwany in collaboration with Georges Khabbaz & Khaled Mouzanar

  writing

  Jun 17, 2024
• "May you listen... May you use your words... May you create a life worth living."

  Three life lessons in the invocation I delivered Saturday to a graduating class of university students.

  writing

  Jun 16, 2024
• 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

  Jun 16, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 9

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Ace in the...

  writing

  film

  Jun 16, 2024
• Page One: "Cape Fear" (1962)

  Screenplay by James R. Webb, novel by John D. MacDonald

  writing

  Jun 16, 2024
• Test Your Story Concept

  5 questions to ask about a story idea to assess its viability as a scripted project.

  writing

  Jun 15, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 8

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  Jun 15, 2024
• Script Analysis: "American Hustle" — Scene By Scene Breakdown

  Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

  writing

  Jun 15, 2024
• Page One: "Calvary" (2014)

  Written by John Michael McDonagh

  writing

  Jun 15, 2024
• 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

  Jun 14, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 7

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  Jun 14, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: To Write, Stop Thinking

  Think character. Think plot. Think theme. But when you sit down to write, don't think... feel.

  writing

  Jun 14, 2024
• Page One: "C'mon C'mon" (2021)

  Written by Mike Mills

  writing

  Jun 14, 2024
• Interview: Tor Valenza

  My conversation with a Hollywood screenwriter using his storytelling skills to advocate for solar power and the Earth's well-being.

  writing

  Jun 13, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Net profits

  "Net profit participation" sounds so nice, but...

  writing

  film

  Jun 13, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 6

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  Jun 13, 2024
• Page One: "Burnt" (2015)

  Screenplay by Steven Knight, story by Michael Kalesniko

  writing

  Jun 13, 2024
• 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

  Jun 12, 2024
• Story Type: Martial Arts

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  Jun 12, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 5

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  film

  Jun 12, 2024
• Page One: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992)

  Written by Joss Wheadon

  writing

  Jun 12, 2024
• Story as Psychological Journey

  "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."

  writing

  Jun 11, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 4

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  film

  Jun 11, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Wes Anderson

  "The project almost always begins with a character or a group of characters. Usually there's a sort of world that's tied in. The last film...

  writing

  film

  Jun 11, 2024
• Page One: "Brigsby Bear" (2017)

  Screenplay by Kevin Costello & Kyle Mooney, story by Kyle Mooney

  writing

  Jun 11, 2024
• "Movies don't owe anybody a living"

  The original quote is about music, but it pertains to all entertainment.

  writing

  Jun 10, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 3

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  film

  Jun 10, 2024
• On Writing

  "Creation is not a moment of inspiration but a lifetime of endurance. The drawers of the world are full of things begun. Unfinished...

  creativity

  writing

  Jun 10, 2024
• Page One: "Brightburn" (2019)

  Written by Brian Gunn & Mark Gunn

  writing

  Jun 10, 2024
• If you write a great script...

  ...Hollywood will find you.

  writing

  Jun 09, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Badlands"

  A memorable scene from the 1975 movie Badlands, written and directed by Terrence Malick.

  writing

  Jun 09, 2024
• Script Analysis: "All Is Lost" — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

  Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic...

  writing

  Jun 09, 2024
• Page One: "Bright" (2017)

  Written by Max Landis

  writing

  Jun 09, 2024
• Imagematic writing

  Good screenwriting is visual writing. After all, movies are: Motion. Pictures.

  writing

  Jun 08, 2024
• Great Scene: "Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"

  It's one of my five favorite movies: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Directed by Stanley...

  film

  Jun 08, 2024
• Story Type: Heist Movies

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  film

  Jun 08, 2024
• Page One: "Bride of Chucky" (1998)

  Written by Don Mancini, based on characters by Don Mancini

  writing

  Jun 08, 2024
• "Don't think... feel"

  With writing, there are times to think... and times to feel.

  writing

  Jun 07, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Barton Fink"

  The final scene from the 1991 movie Barton Fink, written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

  writing

  Jun 07, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: Something is Better Than Nothing

  "No matter what you write, good or bad, it's an improvement to a blank page."

  writing

  Jun 07, 2024
• Page One: "Breathe" (2024)

  Written by Doug Simon

  writing

  Jun 07, 2024
• "Beginning. Middle. End."

  Consider the universality of narrative in three movements.

  writing

  Jun 06, 2024
• 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

  Jun 06, 2024
• Great Scene: "The Deer Hunter"

  This has to rank as one of the most riveting scenes in movie history: The Russian roulette sequence in The Deer Hunter (1978).

  film

  Jun 06, 2024
• Page One: "Breach" (2007)

  Screenplay by Adam Mazer & William Rotko and Billy Ray, story by Adam Mazer & William Rotko

  writing

  Jun 06, 2024
• "Get the damn thing done!"

  The one unalterable truth about writing a first draft.

  writing

  Jun 05, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Basic Instinct"

  No matter what you think about Joe Eszterhas, the fact remains that at one point in time, he was the hottest screenwriter in Hollywood...

  writing

  Jun 05, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Daniel Taradash

  Daniel Taradash's screenwriting credits include many memorable movies such as From Here to Eternity (1953), Picnic (1955), and Hawaii...

  writing

  Jun 05, 2024
• Page One: "The Boy" (2016)

  Written by Stacey Menear

  writing

  Jun 05, 2024
• Feet on the ground... head in the clouds

  A twist on a familiar adage speaks to the business of writing.

  writing

  Jun 04, 2024
• Story Type: Found Footage

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  film

  Jun 04, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Wes Anderson

  "When I'm on a movie, part of that process is creating a setting for the story and a world that they live in. That's the kind of movie that...

  writing

  film

  Jun 04, 2024
• Page One: "Bound" (1996)

  Written by Lilly Wachowski & Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowski Brothers)

  writing

  Jun 04, 2024
• 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

  Jun 03, 2024
• How They Write a Script: Ted Tally ("The Silence of the Lambs")

  Ted Tally is yet another screenwriter who started out as a playwright. His film credits include White Palace (1990), The Juror (1996), All...

  writing

  Jun 03, 2024
• On Writing

  "Character gives us qualities, but it is in actions — what we do — that we are happy or the reverse. All human happiness and misery takes...

  writing

  Jun 03, 2024
• Page One: "The Boondock Saints" (1999)

  Written by Troy Duffy

  writing

  Jun 03, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 2

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  film

  Jun 02, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Batman"

  The Final Struggle in the 1989 movie Batman.

  writing

  Jun 02, 2024
• Similar but different

  Or Precedent / Analogy. However you refer to it, it's how Hollywood operates.

  writing

  film

  Jun 02, 2024
• Page One: "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018)

  Screenplay by Anthony McCarten, story by Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan

  writing

  Jun 02, 2024
• Great Scene: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"

  A cinematic moment in Spielberg's classic science fiction movie.

  writing

  film

  Jun 01, 2024
• Story Type: Fish Out Of Water (FOOW)

  When a central character finds themselves WAY out of their natural element.

  writing

  Jun 01, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: One key to creativity... naps?

  "There is a cultural bias against sleep that sees it as akin to shutting down..."

  creativity

  writing

  Jun 01, 2024
• Page One: "Blue Ruin" (2013)

  Written by Jeremy Saulnier

  writing

  Jun 01, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Alvin Sargent

  "I think too many people are too organized; they've got it all worked out, instead of hearing their characters first. Get the goop out...

  writing

  May 31, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Beetlejuice"

  A memorable scene from the 1988 movie Beetlejuice with some significant changes from script to screen [screenplay by Michael McDowell and...

  writing

  May 31, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: "Writing is rewriting"

  Perhaps no more true than in relation to screenwriting.

  writing

  May 31, 2024
• Page One: "Blood Diamond" (2006)

  Screenplay by Charles Leavitt, story by Charles Leavitt and C. Gaby Mitchell

  writing

  May 31, 2024
• Stacking projects

  One key to the craft: Learn how to manage several projects at once.

  writing

  May 30, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Reality Vice"

  Paramount Pictures acquires comedy spec script "Reality Vice" written by Katie Silberman. Via Deadline:

  writing

  film

  May 30, 2024
• 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 30, 2024
• Page One: "Blonde" (2022)

  Written for the screen by Andrew Dominik, based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates

  writing

  May 30, 2024
• Break your story in prep

  My only Prep: From Concept to Outline workshop of 2024 begins July 8th.

  writing

  May 29, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: Watch Movies. Read Scripts. Write Pages.

  I came up with this screenwriting mantra a decade ago. Still works.

  writing

  May 29, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Wendell Mayes

  Wendell Mayes (1918–1992) had a significant career as a screenwriter and TV writer with quite a range of movies including The Spirit of St...

  writing

  May 29, 2024
• Page One: "The Blob" (1988)

  Screenplay by Chuck Russell & Frank Darabont, story by Irvine H. Millgate, earlier screenplay by Theodore Simonson and Kay Linaker

  writing

  May 29, 2024
• Short Film: "The Smallest Power"

  This compelling animation is the first in a series of The New Yorker documentaries.

  film

  May 28, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Before Midnight"

  The final scene in the 2013 movie Before Midnight, written by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke, characters by Richard...

  writing

  May 28, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Paul Thomas Anderson

  "Bad movie dialogue speaks in complete sentences without any overlapping or interruption, and avoids elliptical speech, which is truer to...

  writing

  film

  May 28, 2024
• Page One: "Blindspotting" (2018)

  Written by Rafael Casal & Daveed Diggs

  writing

  May 28, 2024
• The Owl Screenwriting Workshop

  Join me in Athens, Greece from October 1–4, 2024.

  writing

  film

  May 27, 2024
• Great Scene: "Citizen Kane"

  The marriage montage is an excellent example of efficient storytelling.

  writing

  May 27, 2024
• On Writing

  "If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."

  writing

  May 27, 2024
• Page One: "Blankman" (1994)

  Screenplay by Damon Wayans & J.F. Lawton, story by Damon Wayans

  writing

  May 27, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  May 26, 2024
• "Conversations With Wilder": Part 1

  Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17...

  writing

  May 26, 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

  May 26, 2024
• Page One: "Blades of Glory" (2007)

  Screenplay by Jeff Cox & Craig Cox and John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky, story by Craig Cox & Jeff Cox & Busy Philipps

  writing

  May 26, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: What is the point of the scene?

  Begin the scene-writing process by asking this fundamental question.

  writing

  May 25, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  writing

  May 25, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Being John Malkovich"

  The 7 1/2 floor scene from Being John Malkovich (1999), written by Charlie Kaufman. Setup: Craig (John Cusack) goes to an unusual office...

  writing

  May 25, 2024
• Page One: "Blade Runner 2049" (2017)

  Screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, story by Hampton Fancher, based on characters from the novel "Do Androids Dream of...

  writing

  May 25, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Richard Matheson

  Richard Matheson has written novels and short stories, as well as screenplays for both film and television. Notably, he is among the few...

  writing

  May 24, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  writing

  May 24, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: "Nothing succeeds like failure"

  Re-thinking the role of failure in the creative life.

  creativity

  writing

  May 24, 2024
• Page One: "Blade" (1998)

  Written by David S. Goyer

  writing

  May 24, 2024
• Update: "The Protagonist's Journey"

  Named one of 20 Best Story Writing Books of All Time

  writing

  May 23, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  writing

  May 23, 2024
• The Business of 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

  May 23, 2024
• "Black Panther" (2018)

  Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole, based on the Marvel comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

  writing

  May 23, 2024
• 30 Things About Screenwriting: Facing the odds

  How to sustain creativity in the face of considerable odds against success.

  writing

  May 22, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  writing

  film

  May 22, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Big Fish"

  A scene from the 2003 movie Big Fish, screenplay by John August, novel by Daniel Wallace.

  writing

  May 22, 2024
• Page One: "Black Christmas" (1975)

  Written by Roy Moore

  writing

  May 22, 2024
• 30 Things About Screenwriting: When something happens... something ELSE happens

  The dynamic dual nature of a screenplay universe.

  writing

  May 21, 2024
• Interview (Part 2): Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  writing

  May 21, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Arash Amel

  "Craft is discipline. I'm a professional. This is my job. You have a lot of hungry agents to feed and a lot of attorneys to feed. The way...

  writing

  May 21, 2024
• Page One: "The Birdcage" (1996)

  Screenplay by Elaine May, earlier screenplay by Francis Veber and Édouard Molinaro and Marcello Danon and Jean Poiret, play by Jean Poiret

  writing

  May 21, 2024
• Deep Focus: Go Into The Movies Project

  Film school on the cheap!

  film

  May 20, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): Sam Boyer

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Foragers.

  writing

  May 20, 2024
• On Writing

  "I write to find out what I didn't know I knew, to find out what I didn't know I felt."

  writing

  May 20, 2024
• Page One: "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" (1991)

  Written by Chris Matheson & Ed Solomon, based on their characters

  writing

  May 20, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: Trust the Process

  "There is a magic to this process that cannot be controlled by the ego. Somehow it always finds the way to the place where you need to be...

  writing

  May 19, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  May 19, 2024
• Great Scene: "Cast Away"

  In a fundamental way, screenwriting is scene-writing, so the more we learn about this aspect of the craft, the better. One way to do that...

  writing

  film

  May 19, 2024
• Page One: "Big Trouble in Little China" (1986)

  Written by Gary Goldman & David Z. Weinstein, adaptation by W.D. Richter

  writing

  May 19, 2024
• Story Types: Disaster

  In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and...

  writing

  film

  May 18, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  writing

  May 18, 2024
• Script To Screen: "The Big Lebowski"

  The scene that kick-starts the entire plot from the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski, written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

  writing

  May 18, 2024
• Page One: "Big Time Adolescence" (2019)

  Written by Jason Orley

  writing

  May 18, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Imagine the movie

  One test of a story concept: Can you imagine it as a movie?

  writing

  May 17, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  writing

  May 17, 2024
• 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

  May 17, 2024
• Page One: "The BFG" (2016)

  Screenplay by Melissa Mathison, based on the book by Roald Dahl

  writing

  May 17, 2024
• Happy Birthday, Go Into The Story!

  Launched on May 16, 2008, here we are 5,000+ days of blogging later... but what does it all mean?

  writing

  May 16, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  writing

  May 16, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Ben Maddow

  Ben Maddow (1909–1992) had a long successful career in Hollywood as a screenwriter and TV writer. His writing credits include Asphalt...

  writing

  May 16, 2024
• Page One: "The Nutty Professor" (1996)

  Screenplay by David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein and Tom Shadyac & Steve Oedekerk

  writing

  May 16, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Hit the Gas"

  Paramount Pictures acquires thriller spec script "Hit the Gas" written by Chris McCoy. Via Deadline:

  film

  May 15, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  writing

  May 15, 2024
• 30 Things About Screenwriting: There are no screenwriting rules

  There are guidelines, conventional wisdom, patterns, and principles... but no rules.

  writing

  May 15, 2024
• Page One: "Maniac Cop" (1988)

  Written by Larry Cohen

  writing

  May 15, 2024
• 2024 Black List Feature Writer Labs

  Two unique screenwriting labs set in beautiful Ojai, California.

  writing

  May 14, 2024
• Interview (Part 2): Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  writing

  May 14, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Jay Presson Allen

  "I don't do anything but write. I get up and I write and I write, until I have to go to sleep; then, I get up, eat something, then go back...

  writing

  film

  May 14, 2024
• Page One: "Tequila Sunrise" (1988)

  Written by Robert Towne

  writing

  May 14, 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

  May 13, 2024
• Interview (Part 1): Sean Harrigan

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script First You Hear Them.

  writing

  May 13, 2024
• On Writing

  "The story must be a conflict, and specifically, a conflict between the forces of good and evil within a single person."

  writing

  May 13, 2024
• Page One: "My Policeman" (2022)

  Screenplay by Ron Nyswaner, based upon the book by Bethan Roberts

  writing

  May 13, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: "The story rules"

  The first and last commandment of writing.

  writing

  May 12, 2024
• Story Type: Chick Flick

  "Slang term for a film mainly dealing with love and romance designed to appeal to a female target audience."

  writing

  film

  May 12, 2024
• The Business of Screenwriting: Let's do lunch!

  In the Real World, lunch is a meal that people eat to provide their body and mind sustenance for the remainder of their work day. In...

  writing

  May 12, 2024
• Page One: "The Spy Who Dumped Me" (2018)

  Written by Susanna Fogel & David Iserson

  writing

  May 12, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: Look... don't overlook

  As writers in order for us to have any hope of securing a meaningful degree of understanding of a story universe and its characters, we...

  writing

  May 11, 2024
• Story Type: Chase

  There are genres (e.g., Action, Comedy, Drama). Cross genres (e.g., Action-Thriller, Comedy-Science Fiction). Sub-genres (e.g., Romantic...

  writing

  May 11, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: On the other hand...

  One of the best ways for writers to combat the dreaded Voices Of Negativity.

  writing

  May 11, 2024
• Page One: "Mimic" (1997)

  Screenplay by Matthew Robbins & Guillermo del Toro, screen story by Matthew Robbins & Guillermo del Toro, based on a short story by Donald...

  writing

  May 11, 2024
• How They Write A Script: J.F. Lawton

  Screenwriter J.F. Lawton has numerous writing credits including Pretty Woman (1990), Under Siege (1992), Blankman (1994), Chain Reaction...

  writing

  May 10, 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

  May 10, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"

  So many great monologues in the 2014 movie Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), but this one may be the best.

  writing

  film

  May 10, 2024
• Page One: "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)

  Screenplay by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum, characters by Ian Fleming

  writing

  May 10, 2024
• Story Type: Briefcase Full Of Cash

  There are genres (e.g., Action, Comedy, Drama). Cross genres (e.g., Action-Thriller, Comedy-Science Fiction). Sub-genres (e.g., Romantic...

  writing

  film

  May 09, 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

  May 09, 2024
• Great Scene: "The Breakfast Club"

  The classic John Hughes teen comedy The Breakfast Club was released 39 years ago. That's right... you're officially old! In honor of the...

  film

  May 09, 2024
• Page One: "The Nun" (2018)

  Screenplay by Gary Dauberman, story by James Wan & Gary Dauberman

  writing

  May 09, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: "Go into the story and find the animals"

  Writing wisdom from a three year-old boy: My son Luke.

  writing

  May 08, 2024
• Script To Screen: "The Birds"

  A scene from the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Birds, screenplay by Evan Hunter, short story by Daphne Du Maurier.

  writing

  May 08, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Charlie Kaufman

  "When I started screenwriting, I never really knew what I was doing, but I instinctively understood how to do it."

  writing

  May 08, 2024
• Page One: "The Last Castle" (2001)

  Screenplay by David Scarpa and Graham Yost, story by David Scarpa

  writing

  May 08, 2024
• A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2010–2024)

  Over 400 story concepts pulled from news reports free for you to use.

  writing

  May 07, 2024
• Spec Script Deal: "Dyersville

  Netflix and Higher Ground acquire crime thriller spec script "Dyersville" written by Will Hettinger. Via Deadline:

  film

  May 07, 2024
• Screenwriting 101: Jay Presson Allen

  "I've always been interested in the why of human behavior. I think most dramatic writers are natural psychologists."

  writing

  film

  May 07, 2024
• Page One: "The Boxtrolls" (2014)

  Screenplay by Irena Brignull & Adam Pava, novel by Alan Snow, story adapted by Anthony Stacchi & Phil Dale

  writing

  May 07, 2024
• 30 Things About Screenwriting: Learn the craft

  Being a screenwriter is much more than just writing a script.

  writing

  May 06, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Justin Piasecki

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for his script Stakehorse.

  writing

  film

  May 06, 2024
• On Writing

  "Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too."

  writing

  May 06, 2024
• Page One: "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" (2020)

  Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern, story...

  writing

  May 06, 2024
• Writing and the Creative Life: Is the key to creativity "unlearning"?

  What if we are inherently creative as children, then over time lose much of that capability? That possibility is what I discovered when I...

  writing

  May 05, 2024
• Go Into The Story Interview: Laura Stoltz

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for her script Last Resort.

  May 05, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Blade Runner"

  Batty and Deckard's final struggle from the movie Blade Runner (1982), screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples, based on a...

  writing

  May 05, 2024
• Page One: "Boomerang" (1992)

  Screenplay by Barry W. Blaustein & David Sheffield, story by Eddie Murphy

  writing

  May 05, 2024
• Screenwriting Mantra: Get the damn thing done!

  The one unalterable truth about writing a first draft.

  writing

  May 04, 2024
• Interview (Part 6): Laura Stoltz

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for her script Last Resort.

  writing

  May 04, 2024
• How They Write A Script: Garson Kanin

  Garson Kanin (1919–1999) was a Broadway actor and director, but best known as a screenwriter. His most renowned movies: A Double Life...

  writing

  May 04, 2024
• Page One: "Menace II Society" (1993)

  Screenplay by Tyger Williams, story by Allen Hughes & Albert Hughes

  writing

  May 04, 2024
• "12 Years a Slave": Scene By Scene Breakdown

  The practice of reading scripts is critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. One key to this practice is to work with a scene-by-scene...

  writing

  May 03, 2024
• Interview (Part 5): Laura Stoltz

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for her script Last Resort.

  writing

  May 03, 2024
• Great Scene: "Blue Velvet"

  The introduction of Frank Booth and his obsession with "Mommy."

  film

  May 03, 2024
• Page One: "Lean on Me" (1989)

  Written by Michael Schiffer

  writing

  May 03, 2024
• Script To Screen: "Blood Simple."

  The Coen brothers first feature-length film Blood Simple. (1984) is arguably one of their best.

  writing

  film

  May 02, 2024
• Interview (Part 4): Laura Stoltz

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for her script Last Resort.

  writing

  May 02, 2024
• How They Write a Script: Richard Brooks

  Another in the Go Into The Story series "How They Write a Script," excerpts from interview with notable Hollywood screenwriters. Today, we...

  writing

  May 02, 2024
• Page One: "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (1996)

  Screenplay by Richard Stanley and Ron Hutchinson, novel by H.G. Wells

  writing

  May 02, 2024
• My Writing Workshop Schedule

  Two online workshops this summer... my only ones in 2024!

  writing

  May 01, 2024
• Interview (Part 3): Laura Stoltz

  My interview with 2023 Black List writer for her script Last Resort.

  writing

  May 01, 2024
• Great Scene: "Almost Famous"

  Sometimes it's a great idea to put your story's characters together in a situation that 'rattles their cages' — and that's certainly what...

  writing

  May 01, 2024
• Page One: "Phone Booth" (2002)

  Written by Larry Cohen

  writing

  May 01, 2024