Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — January 8, 2019

“You think when I was a kid I dreamed of running a fucking chemical company? No. I dreamed of retiring. Of being fed tropical fruit on a…

I’m waiting on my article on First Reformed as well!

Re Chayefsky: If you haven’t seen Network, please do yourself a favor and watch that movie. It’s a brilliant satire which is as relevant…

Thanks for those comments, Mark, and I’m glad you enjoyed doing the scene-by-scene breakdown.

There is an important lesson here for aspiring screenwriters: The trend nowadays is NOT to include camera shots and directing jargon. Why…

Script Analysis: “A Quiet Place” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Read the script for the hit horror movie and analyze it all this week.

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 5

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

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Boss

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,889 consecutive days and counting.

On Writing

“Usually, a story is triggered by a notion I have of a character in a particular situation, and the various reactions that character might…

Daily Dialogue — January 7, 2019

Miranda and some assistants are deciding between two similar belts for an outfit. Andy sniggers. Heads turn toward her.

Reader Question: How to convey a character’s emotional state in scene description?

How much latitude does a screenwriter have to ‘editorialize’ in scene description?

Learn the Craft

“You don’t need books on screenwriting or prose to be a writer. You don’t need workshops or classes either. If you stumble around in the…

Script To Screen: “Marty”

The final scene from the 1955 drama Marty, written by Paddy Chayefsky, one of three screenplays for which he won an Academy Award.

Interview: Christina Hodson

A conversation with the screenwriter of Bumblebee.

Daily Dialogue — January 6, 2019

Jim McAllister: Paul, what’s your favorite fruit? Paul Metzler: Pears. Jim McAllister: [goes to the chalkboard] Pears, good. OK, let’s say……

Great, Halil. Check out other movie script scene-by-scene breakdowns here:

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Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 374th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

The next Go Into The Story Reading and Analysis Script: “A Quiet Place”

Read the script for the smash hit horror movie and analyze it next week.

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Week 1

Writing prompts #1–4. Practice writing dialogue. Win a free class with me.

Interview: Daniel Stiepleman

An interview with the screenwriter of On the Basis of Sex.

Daily Dialogue — January 5, 2019

Ben Bradlee: So, can I ask you a hypothetical question? Kay Graham: Oh, dear. I don’t like hypothetical questions. Ben Bradlee: Well, I…

Reader Question: Is there a danger of having an Act One that is too short?

“There is a reason most first acts clock in between 20–30 minutes long and that is because it takes that much time to establish a baseline…

2019 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 4

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

Update: 2018 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 3 New Scripts, 39 Total

It’s that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.

Writing and the Creative Life: Writing as Pilgrimage

I am a pilgrim and a stranger  Traveling through this wearisome land  I’ve got a home in that yonder city, good Lord  And it’s not, not…

Daily Dialogue — January 4, 2019

Abraham Lincoln: Abolishing slavery by constitutional provisions settles the fate for all coming time. Not only of the millions now in…

Screenwriting and Historical Accuracy

When writing a movie based on actual historical events, how accurate does a screenwriter have to be?