Go Into The Story

Go Into The Story Resource: Screenwriting 101

Hundreds of observations about the craft of screenwriting from professional writers.

Screenplays Are Stories, Not Formulas

“If you go in with formula, you come out with formula.”

How They Write A Script: Paul Schrader

In a previous post, I noted two radically different approaches to writing as represented by Neil Simon, who doesn’t “make outlines at all”…

Screenwriting 101: Ben Hecht

“Two generations of Americans have been informed nightly that a woman who betrayed her husband (or a husband a wife) could never find…

Page One: “Mank” (2020)

Screen play by Jack Fincher

Go Into The Story Resource: An Argument Against Screenplay Formulas

“We end up with a ceaseless cesspool of formulaic crap carving its way into and ultimately out of Hollywood movie and TV development…

How to Use Dashes and Ellipses in a Screenplay

Examples from movie scripts demonstrate these two tiny forms of punctuation can be a valuable asset for a screenwriter.

Spec Script Deal: “Shots! Shots! Shots!”

Universal Pictures acquires action comedy spec script “Shots! Shots! Shots!” written by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows. Jason Momoa is…

On Writing

“Writing is like everything else: the more you do it the better you get. Don’t try to perfect as you go along, just get to the end of the…

Page One: “Manchester by the Sea” (2016)

Written by Kenneth Lonergan

Go Into The Story Resource: Black List Writers on the Craft

Some of Hollywood’s top screenwriters share insights from my interviews.

Is My Screenplay Big Enough to Be a Movie?

This is a fundamental question screenwriters must ask themselves at all stages of a screenplay’s development and writing. Why? Because it’s…

Great Scene: “Wonder Woman”

Diana single-handedly takes on the German Army in the breathtaking No Man’s Land scene from the movie Wonder Woman.

Interview (Video): Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

A conversation with the writer-directors of Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Page One: “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956)

Screenplay by John Michael Hayes based on a story by Charles Bennett and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis

Go Into The Story Resource: The Story Behind Script Coverage

Script readers are Hollywood’s threshold guardians, so it behooves writers to try to understand their mindset.

Screenwriting Mantra: Minimum Words, Maximum Impact

The origin and importance of one of the best screenwriting mantras… ever!

Script Analysis: “The Tender Bar” — Part 5: Dialogue

A week-long analysis of the 2021 drama starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney.

Videos: 20 Tips from Martin Scorsese

The writer-director of Mean Streets, Goodfellas, The Age of Innocence, and Casino with reflections on cinematic storytelling.

Page One: “Man Up” (2015)

Written by Tess Morris

Go Into The Story Resource: Character Introductions

Everything you need to know about the subject… and probably more.

Alexander Payne on appealing characters vs. sympathetic characters

“I hate when movie people say, ‘Your lead character has to be sympathetic,’ which for them means ‘likable.’ I don’t give a shit about…

Script Analysis: “The Tender Bar” — Part 4: Themes

A week-long analysis of the 2021 drama starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney.

Writing and the Creative Life: “The hard is what makes it great”

Wisdom about writing and creativity from the movie ‘A League of Their Own’.

Page One: “Man on Fire” (2004)

Screenplay by Brian Helgeland, novel by A.J. Quinnell