Go Into The Story

Interview (Video): Sean Baker

A video of the writer-director’s speech as part of the 2017 BAFTA screenwriting lecture series.

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 394th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

The Six Word Test

If you’re having trouble finding the focus of your story, try this test.

Script Analysis: “Eighth Grade” — Part 6: Takeaways

Read the script for the hit movie which won the Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay Award.

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Swimming Pool

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 4,041 consecutive days and counting.

Interview (Video): Noah Hawley

The Season 8 episode of the PBS series “On Story” with screenwriter and TV producer Noah Hawley whose credits include the television series…

Daily Dialogue — June 8, 2019

“I am sick of your foul language, your crude behavior and your sluttish manner. There are certain things a decent woman keeps private, and…

“The story rules”

The first and last commandment of writing.

How They Write A Script: Diablo Cody

If there’s a modern day ‘talisman’ for anybody who dreams of breaking into Hollywood as a screenwriter, that would have to be Diablo Cody…

Script Analysis: “Eighth Grade” — Part 5: Dialogue

Read the script for the hit movie which won the Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay Award.

How to Generate and Critique Story Ideas (Part 5): Gender-Bending

Changing the gender isn’t a minor thing, rather it can alter the entire landscape of a story.

Writing and the Creative Life: One key to creativity… naps?

“There is a cultural bias against sleep that sees it as akin to shutting down…”

Daily Dialogue — June 7, 2019

Prof. Robert Crawford: [to Jamal] Perhaps your skills do reach farther than basketball.  Jamal: “Further”  Prof. Robert Crawford: What…

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek

“Almost without exception, the stories we write involve a character or characters who, along with whatever else happens to them along the…

How a Screenwriter Thinks

Analysis of Emily Carmichael writing a scene.

Script Analysis: “Eighth Grade” — Part 4: Themes

Read the script for the hit movie which won the Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay Award.

How to Generate and Critique Story Ideas (Part 4): Titles

A great title can lead to a great story idea and a great script. It can suggest a plot, key characters, the central conceit and story…

The Business of Screenwriting: Writing Credits

A reader question from Courtney:

Daily Dialogue — June 6, 2019

Keating stands on his desk.

The Power of Death in Stories

There is no more emotionally compelling narrative dynamic than death.

Reader Question: How can I immerse myself in the story I’m writing?

“I find I get way too many projects on the front burner, which is overwhelming.”

Script Analysis: “Eighth Grad” — Part 3: Characters

Read the script for the hit movie which won the Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay Award.

How to Generate and Critique Story Ideas (Part 3): Images

Take a clue from Alfred Hitchcock whose movie North by Northwest had its origin with a single image of a scene he had in mind.

Script To Screen: “Silverado”

An early scene in the 1985 western Silverado, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Mark Kasdan.

Daily Dialogue — June 5, 2019

Russell: Yes, you speak some English? Student: Son of bitch. Shit.