Go Into The Story

Spec Script Deal: “The Traveler”

MGM acquires science fiction spec script “The Traveler” written by Austin Everett. Via Deadline:

Writing and the Creative Life: Here’s to Us Night Owls!

“The conventional wisdom is that morning people are high achievers, go-getters, while late risers are lazy. But what if going to bed in the…

Daily Dialogue — October 18, 2019

“Hello. Anybody here?”

Why are we fascinated with ‘Bad Guys’?

So many current TV series feature anti-heroes. Why?

A Screenwriter’s Guide to Aristotle’s “Poetics”

Free downloadable Go Into The Story eBook.

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs [Part 3]

“In tracking the spec script market over the last three decades, one thing is clear: It’s a cyclical business. However, with the emergence…

Daily Dialogue — October 17, 2019

“18th Century Cameroon, yes? Your taste is in your ass.”

The Thing With Coincidences in Movies…

The difference between Fate… and Writer’s Convenience.

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: What to Do After You Finish Your First Draft

It may seem like a really dumb idea, but it’s a crucial step in rewrite process.

Great Scene: “Wonder Woman”

Diana single-handedly takes on the German Army in the breathtaking No Man’s Land scene from the movie Wonder Woman.

Daily Dialogue — October 16, 2019

“Long live the king.”

The Trouble with ‘Character Flaws’

“Characters, at least good ones, are multilayered individuals.”

Reader Question: Is it useful to read a bad script to see what not to do?

Can we learn something from slogging through bad screenplays?

Screenwriting 101: Grace Sherman

“Usually, with the first draft I know what I have to come back to, and what’s not sounding quite right and just needs to be cleaned up, but…

Daily Dialogue — October 15, 2019

“We’re good.”

Test your story concept

If your goal is to traffic in mainstream, commercial movies, I cannot overstate the importance of your spec script’s story concept. As I…

Writing Dialogue

There are many intangibles about the craft of screenwriting. Much of that derives from the fact that story itself is organic. Stories —…

On Writing

“Write like you’re on deadline, even if nobody is waiting for your work.”

Daily Dialogue — October 14, 2019

“You think water moves fast? You should see ice. It moves like it has a mind. Like it knows it killed the world once and got a taste for…

The Theology of Cinema: Faith

“Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun, as a process than as a possession. It is on-again-off-again rather than…

Movie Story Type: Frustration Comedy

With movies, there are Genres. Cross Genres. Sub-Genres. Also Story Types. One of them: Frustration Comedy.

Interview (Video): Bong Joon-ho

Several videos featuring the writer-director of such movies as Snowpiercer, Okja, and the upcoming Parasite.

Daily Dialogue — October 13, 2019

Having a bad day of golfing due to a member of the crowd.

Character Type: Healer

“Educated and intelligent, combined with their calling to make people well, the Healer is generally a character others put their trust in…

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: How To Begin [Part 2]

“Always try to tell the basic facts of the plot in as few scenes and sub titles as possible. The audience is not interested in the life…