Go Into The Story

Interview (Video): Gurinder Chadha

A conversation with the co-writer and director of the Bruce Springsteen inspired movie Blinded by the Light.

Daily Dialogue — August 3, 2019

“Wake up, will you, pal? If you’re not inside, you are outside, okay? And I’m not talking about some four hundred thousand dollar year…

Reader Question: When is the best time to reveal a character’s backstory?

Key character revelations from their past. When? Where? How?

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 2

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Writing and the Creative Life: The Magic of Ambient Noise

There may be a decibel level of ambient noise to facilitate creative thought.

Daily Dialogue — August 2, 2019

“Mr. McCallister, here’s your very own… cheese pizza.”

Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “Logan”

The entire 6 part series analyzing the hit superhero movie.

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 1

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

The Business of Screenwriting: Anatomy of a Deal (Part 3)

“Bottom line: That single idea which we worked up as a pitch results in a sale and what eventually turns out to be a three-year overall…

Daily Dialogue — August 1, 2019

Limo Driver: Uh, sir. I think we just hit a kid. Marty Wolf: [waving cellphone] I’m on the phone.

Great Scene: “Kramer vs. Kramer”

Two scenes making french toast provide signposts to measure the nature of a father-son relationship.

Spec Script Deal: Untitled Supernatural Thriller

Sony Pictures Entertainment acquires an untitled supernatural thriller spec script written by Gavin Heffernan. Logline being kept under…

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’

Free downloadable Go Into The Story eBook.

Daily Dialogue —July 31, 2019

“You don’t ever disrespect me. FUCKER! YOU NEVER DISRESPECT ME, YOU FUCKER!”

Psychological Writing in a Screenplay

“Screenwriters do have some latitude to dip into the psychological currents of our story and splash onto our pages the occasional insight…

Crafting an Effective Series of Shots / Montage

In prepping a recent Daily Dialogue post which featured a scene from the movie Chocolat, I watched two video clips — a Series of Shots and…

Screenwriting 101: Max Lance

“Every screenwriting book that I ever read started with saying, ‘The best thing you can do for your writing is to go write.’ The best…

Daily Dialogue — July 30, 2019

Tom Farrell: What’s your name? Bill the Limo Driver: Bill. Tom Farrell: Hi, Bill. Could you close the slide, please. Bill the Limo Driver…

Script To Screen: “The Usual Suspects”

From The Usual Suspects, written by Christopher McQuarrie, the final sequence in which all is revealed.

Writing Monologues

Don’t do it… unless your character mandates you do it. Then if you do it… write the ever-loving shit out of it.

Daily Dialogue — July 29, 2019

John McClane: Don’t you got any Christmas music? Argyle: This is Christmas music!

On Writing

“I still feel strongly that the one thing a writer has above all else, the reward which is bigger than anything that may come to him after…

Movie Story Type: Mistaken Identity

In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and…

Tweetstorm: Paul Guyot on Writing Peaks and Valleys

“I go through self-loathing, guilt of being a shitty father, a shitty writer, but I keep getting up. Michael Connelly once told me writing…

Great Scene: “Thief”

What makes a great movie scene? Why do they work? What are their narrative elements that elevate them to greatness? Let’s face it: In a…