Go Into The Story

Just email me so I can enroll you in Craft class and for those who won Black List goodies, set you…

scott at screenwritingmasterclass dot com

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 373rd installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

2018 Black List Word Cloud Logline Challenge: Winners!

Some inventive loglines based on key words from 2018 Black List scripts.

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Politics

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,880 consecutive days and counting.

Interview: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, and Karyn Kusama

A conversation with the co-writers and director of the movie Destroyer.

Daily Dialogue — December 29, 2018

“It is Hebrew, from the Talmud. It says, ‘Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.”

Roo, no need to be nervous.

In any event, thanks! Destroyer is yours! I’m featuring an interview with the movies screenwriters and director tomorrow on the blog. You…

Time to Read 2018 Movie Scripts

One of the best ways to learn the craft: Read scripts!

How to Use Go Into The Story (Part 3): Write Pages

Some end of the year advice for GITS readers.

Script To Screen: “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior”

A key scene from the 1981 movie Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, screenplay by Terry Hayes & George Miller & Brian Hannant.

Writing and the Creative Life: Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling (Part 5)

“We like to be engaged and entertained by what transpires in the plot, but more important we want to find meaning in the characters’…

Daily Dialogue — December 28, 2018

Grandpa: When I was your age, television was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I…

“What Being an Editor Taught Me About Writing”

Article by a Random House editor has a lot of takeaways for writers in general… and screenwriters.

How to Use Go Into The Story (Part 2): Read Scripts

Some end of the year advice for GITS readers.

Great Scene: “A Christmas Story”

Tongue meets frozen pole in this memorable scene from the charming 1983 holiday movie.

The Business of Screenwriting: The Path of Least Resistance

There is no right way to write. No correct way to approach your career as a writer. No single secret to success. You can take some of the…

Daily Dialogue — December 27, 2018

“Whaddya say? Whaddya say? Whaddya say? You have never thanked me, you little brat!”

Reader Question: Are there specific ways to simplify and focus a story?

“What is the central theme of my movie? If you can’t answer that question, then that’s probably an area where you would benefit spending…

How to Use Go Into The Story (Part 1): Watch Movies

Some end of the year advice for GITS readers.

Character Type: Advocate

“The Advocate taps into powerful psychological and emotional strains at work in our collective psyche. The hope there are good people out…

Great Scene: “Magnolia”

The ‘frog storm’ near the end of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 movie.

Daily Dialogue — December 26, 2018

Sergeant (V.O.): It’s a… Rex: It’s A WHAT? WHAT IS IIIITTTTT?

Why I keep hosting this blog… and a Christmas wish for you

Because of emails like this:

Update: 2018 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 15 New Scripts, 36 Total

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

Video: “The Last Days of TJ Staggs”

Watch the Black List produced short comedy film starring Paul Scheer and the screenplay written to produce it.