Go Into The Story

Great Scene: “The Graduate”

This memorable montage from the 1967 movie The Graduate, screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, novel by Charles Webb.

2018 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 30

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

Daily Dialogue — September 30, 2018

“Man, come on, I had a rough night and I fucking hate The Eagles, man.”

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 361st installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

Courier 12 Screenwriting Conference live today!

At DePaul University in Chicago and live stream on YouTube!

2018 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 29

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

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Acting

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,789 consecutive days and counting.

Daily Dialogue — September 29, 2018

“There’s more to this than I thought, Charlie. I’m tellin’ ya’, there’s a lot more.”

Reader Question: What does “literary style” mean in terms of writing a screenplay?

Over time, screenplays have become less ‘scripty’ and more ‘literary’.

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: Part 5

There are conventions. There are expectations. There are patterns. But the simple fact is… THERE ARE NO SCREENWRITING RULES!

2018 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 28

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

Writing and the Creative Life: Trust the Process

In 1978, I was in my final year of a Masters of Divinity program at Yale. Going there was part of the plan I had formulated as an…

Daily Dialogue — September 28, 2018

“Listen, this car runs like shit, man. I had to pull the plugs myself this afternoon.”

Brigette, this is an excellent question because frankly for many pro screenwriters, a script is…

For writers who have yet to obtain representation, this is less of a concern. If a script goes out and doesn’t generate interest, there’s…

Reader Question: Could you explain how writing credits work?

A deep dive into the mysteries of screenwriting credits.

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: Part 4

There are conventions. There are expectations. There are patterns. But the simple fact is… THERE ARE NO SCREENWRITING RULES!

2018 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 27

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

The Business of Screenwriting: Never send out a script before it’s ready

Or how I almost managed to kill my screenwriting career before it started.

Daily Dialogue — September 27, 2018

“Where are we? You mean WHEN are we.”

Can a Protagonist evolve into an Antagonist?

“I prefer to look at it in Jungian terms: The Protagonist’s shadow has emerged from latency and because the Protagonist has not confronted…

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: Part 3

There are conventions. There are expectations. There are patterns. But the simple fact is… THERE ARE NO SCREENWRITING RULES!

2018 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 26

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

Script to Screen: “Jerry Maguire”

A fired sports agent… a goldfish… and a personal assistant make a defiant, if awkward exit.

Daily Dialogue — September 26, 2018

Max: Yeah, Lenny, what’s up? It’s me. Lenny: Just got off the phone with the cops. Desk sergeant called to check if you brought the cab in…

“Facing the odds”

How to sustain creativity in the face of considerable odds against success.