Go Into The Story

Page One: “Hostel” (2005)

Written by Eli Roth

Is there a rule as to how many “cuss words” can be used in a script?

Delving into the sometimes mysterious world of the MPA ratings system.

Go Into The Story Interview: Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Page One: “Horrible Bosses 2” (2014)

Screenplay by Sean Anders & John Morris, story by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Sean Anders & John Morris, characters by…

2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge!

One month. Fade In. Fade Out. Write an entire zero draft.

Interview (Part 6): Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Page One: “Horrible Bosses” (2011)

Screenplay by Michael Markowitz and John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, story by Michael Markowitz

Interview (Part 5): Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Scene Description Spotlight: “The African Queen”

Today a blast from the past: An excerpt from the shooting script for the movie The African Queen (1951), adapted from the C.S. Forrester…

Page One: “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” (1992)

Screenplay by Thom Eberhardt and Peter Elbling & Garry Goodrow, story by Garry Goodrow, characters by Stuart Gordon & Brian Yuzna & Ed Naha

Interview (Part 4): Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

The Business of Screenwriting: “Everyone is here because of us”

It is late spring 1988. I am in San Diego where K-9 is being shot. It’s my first day on a movie set. Ever. The scene the crew is shooting…

Page One: “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989)

Screenplay by Ed Naha and Tom Schulman, story by Stuart Gordon & Brian Yuzna & Ed Naha

“Raising the Stakes” video series

The entire four-season series of screenwriting videos from Black List screenwriter Jonathan Stokes.

Interview (Part 3): Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Page One: “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)

Written by John Hughes

Screenwriting 101: John Cassavetes

“As an artist I feel that we must try different things — but above all we must dare to fail. You can fail in films because you don’t have…

Interview (Part 2): Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Page One: “Home Alone” (1990)

Written by John Hughes

Interview (Part 1): Ward Kamel

My interview with the 2024 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

On Writing

“There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.”

Page One: “The Hollars” (2016)

Written by Jim Strouse

Reader Question: Do I HAVE to use INT/EXT — LOCATION — DAY/NIGHT in scene headings?

Wherein we consider selling scripts, shooting scripts, conventional wisdom, and writing whatever the hell we want.

Go Into The Story Interview: Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin

My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.

Page One: “Day of the Fight” (2023)

Written by Jack Huston