Go Into The Story

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 3

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

Interview (Part 6): Jonathan Stokes

My interview with the 5-time Black List screenwriter.

How Michael Arndt wrote “Little Miss Sunshine”

He wrote the first draft quickly, but then…

Writing and the Creative Life: Is the key to creativity “unlearning”?

What if everything we have learned in our lives has actually diminished our creativity?

Page One: “Rio Bravo” (1959)

Screenplay by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett, short story by B.H. McCampbell

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 2

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

Interview (Part 5): Jonathan Stokes

My interview with the 5-time Black List screenwriter.

“Get the damn thing done!”

The one unalterable truth about writing a first draft.

Writing and the Creative Life: 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…

Page One: “The Ring” (2002)

Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, novel by Kôji Suzuki

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 1

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

Interview (Part 4): Jonathan Stokes

My interview with the 5-time Black List screenwriter.

Screenplay Structure Simplified

“Plot is critical, but how a writer gets to plot is even more critical.”

The Business of Screenwriting: How to Respond When Taking Script Notes

“It doesn’t matter whether you love the suggestion, hate it, or don’t know. Always give this same response.”

Page One: “Road to Perdition” (2002)

Screenplay by David Self, graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner

Scene Description Spotlight: Express Your Voice

On September 12, I’ll be offering a terrific one-week online class. It’s called Scene Description Spotlight which sounds super practical…

Interview (Part 3): Jonathan Stokes

My interview with the 5-time Black List screenwriter.

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…

Enter Late, Exit Early

“You always attack a movie scene as late as you possibly can. You always come into the scene at the last possible moment.”

Page One: “Richard Jewell” (2019)

Written by Billy Ray, article by Marie Brenner, book by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen

Ashish, you can participate via my blog or the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/731218807011913

Ashish, I would encourage you to use the upcoming Challenge to leap into your story, pound out…

That said, I suspect the reason you got stuck was because you have not figured out what your Protagonist is ultimately about. Why do they…

Aditya, the song is written by a musician and was found during the course of the filmmaking process.

Yes, you can include self-written lyrics in a spec. Just make sure they're on point thematically, work logically with the characters, and…

2022 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Story Prep — Gender Bend

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

Interview (Part 2): Jonathan Stokes

My interview with the 5-time Black List screenwriter.