Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — October 6, 2019

Student: [V.O.] One fine day… I went out with an old man. He’s studied noodles for 40 years. He was showing me the right way to eat them.

Character Type: Orphan

“Without parents to help shape the child’s sense of self, the Orphan grows into adulthood with a pronounced need to answer the question at…

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Golf

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 4,160 consecutive days and counting.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: How To Begin [Part 1]

“A good beginning, the value of which appears to have been sadly underrated by most amateurs, makes a photoplay nearly as salable as a good…

Daily Dialogue — October 5, 2019

“Fuck, yeah.”

2019 Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference Schedule

The annual event in Austin, Texas runs from October 24 through October 31 and I’ll be there for my 5th appearance.

Non-Linear Storytelling in ‘Pulp Fiction’

“Tarantino, whether intended it or not, hit upon non-linearity as the only way he could tell one particular storyline involving the fates…

Writing and the Creative Life: What to do when you feel out of touch with your creative energy

When a creative spark seems so very far, far… FAR… away…

Daily Dialogue — October 4, 2019

“Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another. Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness believes he…

The First Draft is a Journey of Discovery

“As a writer, when you put something down, you make something happen.”

Script To Screen: “Young Frankenstein”

A classic scene from the 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein.

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs [Part 1]

“What exactly is a spec script? How did they come into being in the first place? What are some of the things that can happen with a spec…

Daily Dialogue — October 3, 2019

“à Votre Santé.”

We’re on the road to… somewhere.

A really long-ass bridge… story outlines… and YOU!

The #1 Reason Why You Won’t Finish A Screenplay

A 6-minute video featuring… me, reflecting on the importance of ‘breaking story’ and working up an outline.

Great Scene: “When Harry Met Sally”

An excellent example of how to handle exposition in a scene.

Daily Dialogue — October 2, 2019

“Nonsense, young lady. You’re going to start your day with a nice, big breakfast. Here’s some pancakes… eggs… sausage… some good crisp…

Writing Mantra: On the other hand…

One of the best ways for writers to combat the dreaded Voices Of Negativity.

Style = Voice

Style goes beyond mere ‘scene description’. It goes to Narrative Voice. My one-week online class Core IV: Style begins Monday, October 7.

Screenwriting 101: Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith

“You can’t write a movie without watching tons of movies and deconstruct them and what makes them tick. I find it helpful because when I…

Daily Dialogue — October 1, 2019

“Raising daughters is like cooking a meal. You lose your appetite by the time you’re finished.”

2019 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 30

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Discovery Writing and Efficient Writing

Another way of thinking about writing and rewriting.

On Writing

“You can teach almost anyone determined to learn them the basics required to write sentences and paragraphs that say what you want them to…

Daily Dialogue —September 30, 2019

[No dialogue for a 4:40 minute scene.]