Go Into The Story

Page One: “Mikey and Nicky” (1976)

Written by Elaine May

“In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail”

When legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would speak in public, he rarely strayed far from two closely related subjects: success and…

Go Into The Story Interview: Aaron Guzikowski

My in-depth interview with the screenwriter whose credits include Prisoners, Papillon, and the TV series The Red Road and Raised by Wolves.

The Business of Screenwriting: They will pigeonhole you (and why this can be a good thing)

The co-star of K-9 was a dog named Jerry Lee.

Page One: “The Mighty Ducks” (1992)

Written by Steven Brill

Writing Tip: Inside and Outside the Story Universe

The importance of Receptive Writing and Reflective Writing.

Script Analysis: “Get Out” — Scene By Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Great Scene: “Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”

It’s one of my five favorite movies: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Directed by Stanley…

Page One: “Midway” (2019)

Written by Wes Tooke

What is the point of the scene?

Begin the scene-writing process by asking this fundamental question.

Screenwriting 101: Brian Duffield

“Interesting things happening to interesting people is basically the only rule of screenwriting.”

Go Into The Story Interview: Kryzz Gautier

My conversation with the 2021 Black List writer for her original screenplay “Wheels Come Off.”

Page One: “The Midnight Sky” (2020)

Screenplay by Mark L. Smith, based on the book ‘Good Morning, Midnight’ by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Deep Work vs. Shallow Work

As writers, we need to protect time for the former from the encroachment of the latter. Here are four strategies to do precisely that.

Go Into The Story Interview: John Gary

My conversation with a longtime Hollywood screenwriter.

On Writing

“The writer’s only responsibility is to his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one. He has a dream. It anguishes him so…

Page One: “Memories of a Murder” (2003)

Written by Bong Joon Ho and Sung-bo Shim, play by Kwang-rim Kim

What was Hollywood’s first spec script?

In 1967, William Goldman wrote and sold Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for a reported $400,000. While we may consider it the first spec…

Screenwriting 101: Matt Duffer

“The first thing our screenwriting professors taught us was that all stories share one thing in common: there is a protagonist, and that…

What are you afraid of?

The single greatest inhibitor to creativity is fear. Do you recognize any of these negative voices?

Page One: “Megamind” (2010)

Written by Alan Schoolcraft & Brent Simons

Great Scene: “The Big Lebowski”

“Donny was a good bowler, and a good man. He was one of us.”

On Writing

“I write only when I’m inspired. Fortunately, I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.”

Go Into The Story Interview: Andrew Friedhof

My conversation with the 2015 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Page One: “The Meg” (2018)

Screenplay by Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber, based on a novel by Steve Alten