Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Teacher

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Interview (Video): Mark Frost

The Season 8 episode of the PBS series “On Story” with screenwriter and novelist Mark Frost best known for co-writing Twin Peaks.

Daily Dialogue — June 1, 2019

“You want to hear about our specials? We don’t have any.”

Reading a Screenplay: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

There are multiple layers to any story. The more you dig, the deeper your understanding.

Go Into The Story Resource: Great Scenes

When you boil it down, screenwriting is scene-writing. Hone your scene-writing ability by studying these scenes.

Script To Screen: “Short Term 12”

Sometimes you can say it… not show it.

“When the student is ready, the teacher arrives”

In the Protagonist’s journey, they usually get the Mentor they need.

Writing and the Creative Life: Of Beginnings and Endings

Remember when you first came up with the story idea you’re currently writing? How great that felt?

Daily Dialogue — May 31, 2019

Goldie Wilson: [rushes up to George] Say! Why do you let those boys push you around like that for? George McFly: Well, they’re bigger than…

Beginning. Middle. End.

In Poetics, Aristotle wrote, “A whole [story] is what has a beginning and middle and end.” His articulation of each of these three parts…

Go Into The Story Resource: Screenwriting 101

Hundreds of observations about the craft of screenwriting from professional writers.

Scene Description Spotlight: “The Matrix”

Still for my money, one of the best scripts for action-writing. The Wachowskis use the basic elements of visual writing — strong verbs and…

Why Creativity Thrives in the Dark

Some scientific props for all you fellow night writers out there!

The Business of Screenwriting: Withdrawing screen credit and pseudonyms

Let’s begin this post with a quote from arguably the dean of contemporary American screenwriters William Goldman:

Daily Dialogue — May 30, 2019

Iris: God, you’re square. Travis Bickle: Hey, I’m not square, you’re the one that’s square. You’re full of shit, man. What are you talking…

So-Called Screenwriting Rule: Unfilmables

I don’t know who came up with this term — unfilmables — but please stop! How much proof does one have to see to know it is a wrongheaded…

How They Write A Script: Nancy Meyers

“My first draft was exactly 250 pages. I didn’t have brads deep enough, long enough to get through the script.”

Go Into The Story Resource: The Story Behind Script Coverage

Script readers are Hollywood’s threshold guardians, so it behooves writers to try to understand their mindset.

Screenplays are stories, not formulas

William Goldman famously wrote, “Screenplays are structure.” That is true in a tangible sense because at some point, a script becomes a…

Script To Screen: “The Shining”

This notable scene from the 1980 movie The Shining, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson, based on a Stephen King novel.

Daily Dialogue — May 29, 2019

Dan: I just wanted to come here. Herb: To Winkie’s? Dan: This Winkie’s. Herb: Okay, why this Winkie’s? Dan: It’s kind of embarrassing…

Pound Out That First Draft!

Go from FADE IN to FADE OUT in my upcoming online writing workshop. Starts June 10th!

Tweetstorm: F. Scott Frazier on Writing Action Set-Pieces

A series of tweets delving into what goes into crafting action scenarios.

Go Into The Story Resource: The Spirit of the Spec

Creativity meets Productivity in the 5 stages of writing a spec script.

The Virtues of Non-Linear Writing

If you’re stuck with a story, try this: Write whatever scenes you want.