Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Fireworks

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Interview (Video): Lawrence Kasdan

The Season 10 episode of the PBS series “On Story” with the screenwriter of over a dozen movies including Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire…

Daily Dialogue — June 27, 2020

“If you were involved in that fight, get off the train now. Don’t make me come in there and pull you off.”

Great Scene: “The Untouchables”

Late night. A quiet bridge. Ness and Malone meet for the first time.

Character Introductions: Part 5

Think there’s nothing to introducing characters in a script? Think again!

Writing and the Creative Life: Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling (Part 3)

“Every storytelling exercise should begin by asking: Who is my audience and what is the message I want to share with them? Each decision…

Daily Dialogue — June 26, 2020

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood A beautiful day for a neighbor Would you be mine? Could you be mine?

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”…

Character Introductions: Part 4

Think there’s nothing to introducing characters in a script? Think again!

The Business of Screenwriting: Selling Scripts and Shooting Scripts

There are two key stages in the life of a screenplay: There is the selling script and the shooting script.

Daily Dialogue — June 25, 2020

“What’s so funny, freak?”

Facebook Live: The Protagonist’s Journey

A recording of my half-hour Willamette Writers Conference Q&A yesterday.

Character Introductions: Part 3

Think there’s nothing to introducing characters in a script? Think again!

How They Write A Script: Walter Hill

“I tried to write in an extremely spare, almost haiku style, both stage directions and dialogue. Some of it was a bit pretentious — but at…

Daily Dialogue — June 24, 2020

“You stubborn asshole.”

Thoughts on the Disunity to Unity Arc

Reflections on The Lion King and Simba’s physical and psychological journey.

Character Introductions: Part 2

Think there’s nothing to introducing characters in a script? Think again!

Screenwriting 101: Meg LeFauve

“I just open a document and start brain dumping anything I can think of, all my questions, all my inspiration, all my ideas. Then I go…

Daily Dialogue — June 23, 2020

Howard Payne: I’m smarter than you, Jack. Jack: Yeah, but I’m taller.

Great Scene: “Bull Durham”

Annie lays down some ground rules for Ebby and Crash.

Character Introductions: Part 1

Think there’s nothing to introducing characters in a script? Think again!

On Writing

“You learn the most from sitting down and doing the work, regularly, patiently, sometimes in hope, sometimes despairingly. When you have…

Daily Dialogue — June 22, 2020

INT. SUBWAY TO FIGHTS TRAIN — NIGHT

Screenwriting Mantra: 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.”

Songwriters On Songwriting: Jimmy Webb

“Could other things be done? Are there other worlds to conquer? Are there other things to discover? Are there other things to explore…