Go Into The Story

Reflections on Carl Jung (Part 2): Make the Unconscious Conscious

Carl Jung’s theory of individuation is directly applicable to the Protagonist’s journey in a screenplay.

The Business of Screenwriting: Commencement of Principal Photography

When your movie officially starts production, that can trigger a writer’s payday.

Page One: “American Hustle” (2013)

Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 1

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Interview (Part 3): Ian Shorr

My interview with 2022 Black List writer for his script The House in the Crooked Forest.

Reflections on Carl Jung (Part 1): Are We Related to the Infinite or Not?

The more I study Carl Jung, the more I discover his ideas about psychology have a direct relevance to screenwriting (specifically) and…

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Free Association

Sometimes if you’re stuck in your writing, it’s best just to cut loose.

Page One: “Amour” (2012)

Written by Michael Haneke

Writing Dialogue

Nothing catches the eye of a script reader or actor more than distinctive, entertaining dialogue. Up your dialogue-writing chops in this…

Interview (Part 2): Ian Shorr

My interview with 2022 Black List writer for his script The House in the Crooked Forest.

Great Scene: “Witness”

Oscar-winning project has been called a B-movie with A-movie performances.

Screenwriting 101: Christopher McQuarrie

“Emotion first. Information second. In every frame.”

Page One: “American Sniper” (2014)

Written by Jason Hall, book by Chris Kyle and Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice

Character-Driven Storytelling

Read the entire Twitter thread of my conversation yesterday with the #scriptchat community.

Interview (Part 1): Ian Shorr

My interview with 2022 Black List writer for his script The House in the Crooked Forest.

Great Scenes: “Wall Street”

It’s one of the more infamous monologues in movie history: The “greed is good” speech from the 1987 movie Wall Street.

On Writing

“Writing is an extension of my body. I am seeking the body on the page, even the broken body, even the ecstatic body — even the broken and…

Page One: “American Pie” (1999)

Written by Adam Herz

Reader Question: Are there any script rules that really shouldn’t be broken?

Or this: “How can you break screenwriting rules if there are none?”

The Theology of Cinema: Conversion

A character transforming from their Old Self into a New Self is a narrative arc we see time and time again, a kind of “conversion”…

Great Scene: “The Verdict”

Courtroom dramas. A staple of Hollywood cinema for decades. From a string of great films nearly a half-century ago Anatomy of a Murder…

Interview (Video): Todd Field

A conversation with the writer-director of the movie Tár.

Page One: “American Gangster” (2007)

Written by Steven Zaillian, based on an article by Mark Jacobson

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Story Prep — Get Your Head On Straight

A series to help prepare writers for next month’s Zero Draft Thirty writing challenge.

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Adopt a Different Writing Persona

This is a first in this humble blog’s history: Another Dumb Little Writing Trick That Work, only this one isn’t my idea, but from some…