Go Into The Story

The Business of Screenwriting: “Qualify the customer”

Okay, this week’s post is a blast from the past and only comes about due to a recent revelation from a TV producer I know that she has…

Page One: “Ronin” (1998)

Screenplay by J.D. Zeik and David Mamet (as Richard Weisz), story by J.D. Zeik

Blake, I am so glad you responded as this confirms — with numerous other…

My answer to this issue is always the same: Read movie scripts by pro writers. Time and again, this paves the way for us to be free to tell…

Great Scene: “Big Fish” (2003)

The story within the story culminates in the final scene between father and son.

Page One: “Rush” (2013)

Written by Peter Morgan

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 7

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

Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages.

You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about screenwriting by doing these three things:

Separation as a Theme in Pixar Movies

“When we step back from the movies Pixar has produced and look at them with a meta view, it is surprisingly — and blindingly — obvious how…

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 6

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

Redemption as a Movie Theme

A character seeking freedom from psychological bondage to a past event is one of the most common themes in movies.

Sundays with Ray Bradbury

The entire series of articles featuring the writing wisdom of one of the truly great authors of our time.

Screenwriting 101: Paul Schrader

“There are a great many scripts, and only a certain number of movies get made. You just do the math. It’s like if you’re an actor. You go…

Page One: “Rocketman” (2019)

Written by Lee Hall

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 5

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

The Problem with Script Literalists

“Stories are not a series of widgets. This fact disquiets a certain portion of writers who wish they could reduce writing a story to some…

Great Scene: “Whale Rider”

The 2003 movie Whale Rider is a wonderful story, aptly described in this IMDB plot summary:

On Writing

“It’s fashionable now to object on principle to the idea that writing is hard. Writing isn’t hard, this camp says; working in coal mines is…

Page One: “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991)

Screenplay by Pen Densham & John Watson, story by Pen Densham

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 4

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

Go Into The Story Interview: Jonathan Stokes

My interview with the 5-time Black List screenwriter.

Reader Question: Where to start when developing a story?

As always, my advice is: Begin with your story’s characters.

Podcast: San Diego Screenwriters Studio

Yours truly featured on a recent interview.

Page One: “The Road” (2009)

Screenplay by Joe Penhall, based on a book by Cormac McCarthy

If you like Leigh Brackett, you'll enjoy this interview.

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/how-they-write-a-script-leigh-brackett-7eb1d1a2f9c5

They work for me:

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/whos-with-me-to-pound-out-a-script-in-november-5076ef8b72f3