Go Into The Story

Page One: “Lincoln” (2012)

Screenplay by Tony Kushner, based on a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Go Into The Story Resource: Writing Mantras

Some writing inspiration I have picked up along the way.

Humanize Your Nemesis

We don’t need to sympathize with an Antagonist, but it we empathize with them, that makes for a more compelling character.

Scene Description Spotlight: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”

The ending sequence includes a most interesting sentence…

Interview: Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith

Background and writing tips from the screenwriter of such hit movies as 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde.

Page One: “The Lego Movie” (2014)

Screenplay by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, story by Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Zach, every so often, I like to feature comments from some of the Old Guard who worked in movies…

There’s no right way to write.

My Writing Workshop Schedule

Two online workshops this summer… my only ones in 2021!

40 conseils du scénariste Scott Myers

In English: “40 tips from screenwriter Scott Myers”

Go Into The Story Resource: Writing and the Creative Life

Dozens of articles about creativity, what it is, how to nurture it, and steer our writing into the center of our creative soul.

Screenwriting 101: John Milius

“A writer’s greatest fear now is not that he’s going to be no good when he sits down to write. A writer’s greatest fear is that he’s going…

Page One: “L.A. Confidential” (1997)

Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson, novel by James Ellroy

Go Into The Story Resource: Script To Screen

Nearly 100 scenes from scripts compared to the their movie versions.

Narrative Voice

What if you were to think of scene description as Narrative Voice’s dialogue?

Great Scene: “Jaws”

It’s the antithesis of “show it, don’t say it”… and it flat out works.

On Writing

“One maxim that my students find helpful is: One thought per sentence. Readers only process one thought at a time. So give them time to…

Page One: “Knocked Up” (2007)

Written by Judd Apatow

Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing”

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

Happy Birthday, Go Into The Story!

Launched on May 16, 2008, here we are 4,748 days of blogging later… but what does it all mean?

Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “First Cow”

The entire 6-part series on the lauded indie movie.

The Nemesis as the Protagonist’s ‘Shadow’

Want drama? Ask your Protagonist: What do you fear the most? Then put them in a story where they have to confront that fear: Their Nemesis.

Page One: “Knives Out” (2019)

Written by Rian Johnson

Go Into The Story Resource: Movie Script Scene-By-Scene Breakdowns

Go Into The Story followers are contributing breakdowns of contemporary screenplays to an ongoing script analysis series.

Script Analysis: “First Cow” — Part 6: Takeaways

A week-long analysis of the script for the lauded indie movie by writer-director Kelly Reichardt. Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday:

Script To Screen: “Little Miss Sunshine”

The climax of the 2006 movie Little Miss Sunshine, written by Michael Arndt.