Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — January 25, 2019

“I was a big slut, but I’m not anymore. There will always be a part of me that is sloppy and dirty, but I like that, just like all the…

Reader Question: Are there differences between seeking representation with a manager versus and…

The answer is yes. As one manager put it to me: “Agents wear suits, managers wear blue jeans.” Why that makes a big difference to you.

Script Analysis: “Destroyer” — Part 4: Themes

Read the script for the gritty crime drama and analyze it this week.

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 18

A chance for you to work on your dialogue chops and win free prizes!

The Business of Screenwriting: The Travails of Pitching (Part 1) — The Distracted Exec

We are seated in a studio executive’s office for a pitch meeting. He’s late. Very late. We’ve been waiting for close to a half-hour. His…

Daily Dialogue — January 24, 2019

“When do I know I’m Spider-Man?”

This is one of those stories for which these character archetypes work well.

Shelby is an Attractor character, but so is Chris. It would be one thing if Chris were just a memory, but in the script he comes to ‘life’…

Character Type: Bully

“Why are bullies such a recurring character type in movies? First, they give an audience someone to hate, a focused object of personal…

Script Analysis: “Destroyer” — Part 3: Characters

Read the script for the gritty crime drama and analyze it this week.

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 17

A chance for you to work on your dialogue chops and win free prizes!

Script To Screen: “Network”

One of the greatest satires in cinema history: The 1976 movie Network, writen by Paddy Chayfesky.

Daily Dialogue — January 23, 2019

“Casey Jones was a sonofabitch; Drove his train through a 30 foot ditch; Came on out with his dick in his hand; Said “Listen ladies, I’m a…

Rose, this is a really solid take.

In the Gospels, it’s written: “And the truth shall set you free.”

Roo, I’m in alignment with your take on the script’s story structure and major plot points.

Re the snow scene: Is it too simplistic to think it represents the purity (white snow) of the original mother-daughter relationship?

TV Show Ingredients

A guest post from screenwriter Tom Benedek on the TV series ‘Killing Eve’

Script Analysis: “Destroyer” — Part 2: Plot

Read the script for the gritty crime drama and analyze it this week.

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 16

A chance for you to work on your dialogue chops and win free prizes!

Screenwriting 101: Robert Towne

“If you have a good ear for dialogue, you just can’t help thinking about the way people talk. You’re drawn to it. And the obsessive…

Daily Dialogue — January 22, 2019

“What’s wrong with wanting to be the best you can be? What’s wrong with wanting to be perfect? What’s wrong with wanting to be loved?”

Mark, your comment about “all the flashbacks” echoed my sentiments.

After all these years of the supposed ‘rule’ about not using flashbacks, I wonder if, indeed, there is a growing preference for multiple…

Go Into The Story: Character Driven Screenwriting Workshop

I am excited to announce a three-day writing master class in Paris, France: Go Into The Story: Character Driven Writing, March 20–22, 2019.

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

Read the script for the gritty crime drama and analyze it next week.

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 15

A chance for you to work on your dialogue chops and win free prizes!

On Writing

“There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has…

Daily Dialogue — January 21, 2019

“That day for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run.”