Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — November 29, 2019

Madame Mallory: What is this flavor that is fighting against the chicken ? Hassan: I added some spices for flavor to the sauce, and…

Great Scene: “Get Out”

Missy hypnotizes Chris and sends him down into the Sunken Place.

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The Business of Screenwriting: Everything You Wanted to Know About Specs [Part 9]

“Everything’s basically a lottery, but it’s not a lottery if you own all the tickets. You want to have the best team possible put together…

Daily Dialogue — November 28, 2019

“Nobody means what they say on Thanksgiving, Mom. You know that. That’s what the day’s supposed to be all about, right? Torture.”

“We will sell no wine before its time”

How a wine advertisement campaign featuring the famed writer-actor-director Orson Welles is an apt metaphor for the story-crafting process.

Script To Screen: “The Departed”

The violent elevator scene in the 2006 movie, screenplay by William Monahan.

Daily Dialogue — November 27, 2019

“What you’ve got to realize is that the clever cook puts unlikely things together, like duck and orange, like pineapple and ham. It’s…

Reprise: Emotional Logic Versus Rational Logic in Screenwriting

“J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg are savvy enough to know when it comes to story, what a moviegoer wants to see, what they enjoy…

Unpacking the Mysteries of Screenplay Time

Flashback, Flashforward, Set-Up / Payoff, Callback, Montage, Series of Shots, Cross Cut, Visual-to-Visual Transition, Audio-to- Audio…

Screenwriting 101: Sean Robert Daniels

“When I’m writing, I like to research second. Steven King said this amazing thing in his book on writing. Don’t write what you know. Write…

Daily Dialogue — November 26, 2019

“Well, someone’s got to break the ice, and it might as well be me. I mean, I’m used to being a hostess, it’s part of my husband’s work. And…

Learning the Craft in 2020 and Beyond

It’s not too soon to be thinking about courses I am offering through Screenwriting Master Class next year.

Theme as Motif

Stories have multiple themes ranging from a Central Theme and Sub-Themes to Talismans and Motifs.

On Writing

“Truly, I just try to get out of my own way and inhabit the characters. I strive to get inside of them and leave myself in the dust, so I…

Daily Dialogue — November 25, 2019

“It’s so fucking good, I should kill you.”

The Theology of Cinema: Cross

“A six-pointed star, a crescent moon, a lotus — the symbols of other religions suggest beauty and light. The symbol of Christianity is an…

Script To Screen: “Boyhood”

The beautiful denouement of the 2014 movie Boyhood, written and directed by Richard Linklater.

Interview (Written): Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster

The screenwriters of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood open up about how they adapted the life of one of TV’s most cherished figures.

Daily Dialogue — November 24, 2019

Dr. Noboru Yasumoto attempts to give medicine to a sick patient. She swats his hand away splashing the liquid across Yasumoto’s face. Dr…

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Midway in the Photoplay [Part 6]

“By showing more and more action, you will elaborate your plot in the best way.”

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Feast

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Interview (Written): Minhal Baig

Conversation with the writer-director of the movie Hala.

Daily Dialogue — November 23, 2019

“Oh, Frank, my lips are hot! Kiss my hot lips!”

Character Type: Advocate

“The Advocate taps into powerful psychological and emotional strains at work in our collective psyche. The hope there are good people out…