Go Into The Story

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 29

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Movie Within a Movie

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,635 consecutive days and counting.

Daily Dialogue — April 29, 2018

“My name is Lt. Aldo Raine and I’m putting together a special team, and I need me eight soldiers. Eight Jewish-American soldiers. Now…

This is one of my favorite exchanges in the movie: The shootout between Ray and Harry:

Ray: Harry, I’ve got an idea.

In Bruges is an excellent example of the mantra: “Screenplay = Simple Plot, Complex Characters”.

While Harry is a pretty straight-ahead character, bound by his own ‘moral’ code of hit man ‘ethics’ — comparable to Chigurh in No Country…

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 339th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 28

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Movie Analysis: “In Bruges” — Part 6: Takeaways

Watch this critically acclaimed indie movie and analyze it all week.

Spec Script Deal: “Thug”

Tooley Productions acquires crime drama spec script “Thug” written by Tony Gayton. From Deadline:

Daily Dialogue — April 28, 2018

“If you try to run, I’ve got six little friends and they can all run faster than you can.”

Based on your comments, Mark, I checked out the script for In Bruges that I have.

He picks up the handgun from the bedside table and puts it to his head.

How To Read A Screenplay

If you’re serious about learning the craft, here is a 7-part series to give you tools to make the most of your script-reading and analysis.

Movie Analysis: “In Bruges” — Part 5: Dialogue

Watch this critically acclaimed indie movie and analyze it all week.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 27

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Writing and the Creative Life: Possibility Thinking, Practicality Thinking

You can not overestimate the value of a great idea as the basis of a story. Here are some quotes from a pair of established screenwriters…

Daily Dialogue — April 27, 2018

“AK-47. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively got to kill every motherfucker in the room, accept no substitutes.”

Carl Jung on the structure of dreams

Subconscious stories revealed in our sleep in four acts.

Movie Analysis: “In Bruges” — Part 4: Themes

Watch this critically acclaimed indie movie and analyze it all week.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 26

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs

Part 12: Serendipity.

Daily Dialogue — April 26, 2018

“It was not my intention to do this in front of you. For that I’m sorry. But you can take my word for it, your mother had it comin’. When…

Chris, your thoughts got me thinking about science v.

I think that’s why I was drawn to the AI God having a crisis of faith. Logic and rationality are fine, but not the necessarily the path…

Mark, I totally agree with your archetype alignment of the characters in the movie.

Your observations about Marie convinced you’re right: She DOES play the role of an Attractor, her pregnancy evocative of the young life Ray…

“Get the damn thing done!”

The one unalterable truth about writing a first draft.

Movie Analysis: “In Bruges” — Part 3: Characters

Watch this critically acclaimed indie movie and analyze it all week.