Go Into The Story

Great Scene: “The Thing From Another World”

An excellent example of visual storytelling.

Are You a Push Writer or a Pull Writer?

Do you do your best creative work when you’re pushed… or pulled?

Page One: “8 Mile” (2002)

Written by Scott Silver

The Difference Between a Character’s Want and Need

One is a conscious goal. The other is an unconscious goal.

Script Analysis: “Aftersun” — Part 4: Themes

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

Great Scene: “Thief”

What makes a great movie scene? Why do they work? What are their narrative elements that elevate them to greatness? Let’s face it: In a…

The Business of Screenwriting: Bidding War

They don’t happen in Hollywood as often as they used to … but a hot spec script can still generate interest with multiple buyers.

Page One: “47 Ronin” (2013)

Screenplay by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini, screen story by Chris Morgan & Walter Hamada

What do you want the audience to feel…

…when they walk out of the theater at the end of your movie?

Script Analysis: “Aftersun” — Part 3: Character

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

Great Scene: “There’s Something About Mary”

Ah, the infamous hair gel scene.

Hollywood Tale

Peter Jackson had been developing Lord of the Rings at Miramax when one day he was called into a meeting where they informed him they…

Page One: “28 Days” (2000)

Written by Susannah Grant

Character Development for Writing TV

Writing episodic television is its own unique thing and different in many respects to feature-writing. However, when it comes to character…

Script Analysis: “Aftersun” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

Spec Script Deal: “Seismic”

Netflix acquires thriller spec script “Seismic” written by Greg Russo. Via Deadline:

Screenwriting 101: John Swartzwelder

This insight comes from longtime The Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder.

Page One: “20th Century Women” (2016)

Written by Mike Mills

I just got done reading the script while watching the movie.

One comment I can make in reference to the scene-by-scene breakdown: There are several scenes, moments, even characters cut from the film…

Style = Voice

Style goes beyond mere “scene description.” My one-week online class focuses on expressing your voice on the page. It begins February 27th.

Script Analysis: “Aftersun” — Part 1: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

Great Scene: “Sunset Blvd.”

It’s one of the most famous endings in Hollywood film history: Sunset Blvd. (1950), co-written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder, their…

On Writing

“You can’t write for other people. You can’t write for the left or the right, this religion or that religion, or this belief or that…

Page One: “A League of Their Own” (1992)

Screenplay by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel, story by Kim Wilson & Kelly Candaele

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Read your dialogue aloud

This is truly one of the easiest things you can do to improve your dialogue writing: When you finish a draft of your script, read aloud…