Go Into The Story

The Essence of Character Driven Storytelling

“While spending a lot of time inside the story universe with the characters is critical, it’s also important to step outside and assess…

The Business of Screenwriting: There is always another way

Between writing assignments, I wrote a spec script. It’s a contained thriller called “Legacy,” about a child psychiatrist who ends up on a…

Daily Dialogue — March 7, 2019

“What’s in there is ours. It belongs to us. They got our money. Our hard earned paper. They snuck in last night when we was asleep, took…

Rose and Cameron, you’ve both done some excellent analysis of the plot in Roma.

Cameron, I’m also drawn to your approach which is to zero in on some “key markers” as well as noting some key setups and payoffs, the…

Thanks for your comments, Cameron.

Movies like Roma are a great reminder that there is so much more we can do as screenwriters than follow some cookie cutter approach to…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 6

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

Script Analysis: “Roma” — Part 3: Characters

Read the Oscar-nominated screenplay and analyze it this week.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Continuity (Part 1)

“The continuity writer visualizes the story in a series of scenes.”

Spec Script Deal: “King Richard”

Star Thrower Entertainment and Overbrook Entertainment acquire sports dram “King Richard” written by Zach Baylin. From Variety:

Daily Dialogue — March 6, 2019

Butch Cassidy: Woodcock? Woodcock: Yes, sir. Butch Cassidy: You know who we are? Woodcock: You’re the Hole-In-The-Wall Gang, Mr. Cassidy. I…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 5

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

Script Analysis: “Roma” — Part 2: Plot

Read the Oscar-nominated screenplay and analyze it this week.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Story Synopsis

“The first step in preparing a photoplay is to put it into plain English telling the entire plot in from 500 to 1,500 words. This is called…

Screenwriting 101: Stephanie Shannon

“To me, writing is a lot like playing God. You’ve got these people down there with free will. And you don’t want to tell them exactly what…

Daily Dialogue — March 5, 2019

“Good afternoon, this is the Barrow gang. Now if everybody will just take it easy, nobody will get hurt.”

When reading the scene-by-scene breakdown, I am struck by how the story goes against Hollywood…

In Roma, the Protagonist (Cleo) has no apparent conscious goal. Yes, for a time, she wishes to find Fermín and get him to accept some…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 4

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

Script Analysis: “Roma” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Read the Oscar-nominated screenplay and analyze it this week.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 5]

“Never take your audience off the path of the real plot.”

On Writing

“Why not revise as you go along? Some people do, but my own general insecurity and confusion are so high that if I revised as I wrote, it…

Daily Dialogue — March 4, 2019

“Make some noise. Keep these people back.”

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 3

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

Screenwriting News (February 25— March 3, 2019)

Script sales, pitch deals, greenlit projects, talent attachments, and more.

Go Into The Story Interview: Joey Clarke, Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Great Scene: “Psycho”

78 shots in 45 seconds = One of the most memorable movie scenes ever.