Go Into The Story

Great Scene: “Fight Club”

One of the most effective ways to begin a script is to start at the ending. And one of the best scenes that opens with the ending is in the…

Screenwriting 101: Eric Heisserer

“If I could figure that out then I would be able repeat that process ad nauseam until I had a giant library of ideas. I don’t know how they…

Page One: “Some Like It Hot” (1959)

Screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, suggested by a story by Robert Thoeren and Michael Logan

Pound Out That First Draft!

Go from FADE IN to FADE OUT in my upcoming online writing workshop. Starts August 23!

Black List writers on the craft: Story Prep (Part 1)

“I’ll consume everything from biographies and memoirs to archival news clipping and documentaries. It’s about mastering a field of study…

Reader Question: When can you stop tinkering with a script and finally say “done”?

And for a writer, what the hell does “done” mean?

On Writing

“Pace is crucial. Fine writing isn’t enough. Writing students can be great at producing a single page of well-crafted prose; what they…

Page One: “Prometheus” (2012)

Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, based on elements created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett

EM, you highlighted three key elements for a story:

* Appealing character

Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing”

A series featuring reflections on writing from the famed author’s memoir.

Black List writers on the craft: Story Concept

“It comes from a place of some question or theme I want to explore. And then, just by keeping my eyes peeled– listening to music or reading…

The Theology of Cinema: Chosen

The archetype of the Chosen One is common to movies, echoing the Messiah figure in ancient religions.

Interview (Video): Ed Solomon

From Season 11 of the PBS series “On Story”.

Page One: “Pleasantville” (1998)

Written by Gary Ross

Black List writers on the craft: Story Concepts (Part 5)

“It starts with a character, and then an arc, and then I build the story around that arc.”

“Turn on. Tune in. Drop out.”

Wherein we appropriate the words of Timothy Leary for some writing advice.

Great Scene: “Double Indemnity”

“There’s a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. Forty-five miles an hour.”

Interviews (Video): Stephen King

Since I’m doing the weekly series Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing”, I thought it would be helpful as background to aggregate…

Page One: “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” (1987)

Written by John Hughes

Black List writers on the craft: Story Concepts (Part 4)

“I really think that ultimately any story idea I ever come up with comes directly from an emotional experience. Your stories are already in…

Three Things About Screenplay Structure

Do not let page count concerns stifle your creativity… or your story.

Spec Script Deal: “Relay”

Original Film acquires science fiction spec script “Relay” written by Macmillan Hedges. Via Deadline:

Writing and the Creative Life: Dark Places

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

Page One: “Philomena” (2013)

Screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, book by Martin Sixsmith

Black List writers on the craft: Story Concepts (Part 3)

“I listen to people talking about life when I’m out. Little seeds can come out of overhearing people. Even if it doesn’t launch an idea for…