Go Into The Story

2017 Spec Script Deal List

Every year since I launched the blog in 2008, I do a week-long analysis of the recent year in terms of spec script deals. This week, we…

2018 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 14

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

On Writing

“Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely necessary.”

Daily Dialogue — January 22, 2018

“Hey, Dad. You wanna have a catch?”

Franklin Leonard’s advice on screenwriting

The Black List founder gives his take on what the biggest mistake people make when writing a screenplay.

Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: “The Big Sick”

The entire 6 part series delving into hit romantic drama-comedy.

2018 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Week 3

Writing prompts #10–14. Practice writing dialogue. Win a free class with me.

Interview (Video): Abraham Polonsky

A hour-long conversation with the writer of classic movies ‘Body and Soul’, ‘Force of Evil’, and ‘Tell Them Willie Boy is Here’.

Daily Dialogue — January 21, 2018

“Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It’s a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cane iced his brother…

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Question

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,537 consecutive days and counting.

Script Analysis: “The Big Sick” — Part 6: Takeaways

Read the script for the hit romantic comedy and analyze it all this week.

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 325th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

Interview (Written): Liz Hannah and Josh Singer

The co-screenwriters of the movie ‘The Post’.

Daily Dialogue — January 20, 2018

“You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well-scrubbed, hustling rube with a…

Dave, this dovetails into my take that a key theme, if not central theme of the story is…

But the most interesting variation on this theme is how Emily is, at first, completely tolerant, to the point of sleeping with Kumail on…

The very first script I wrote way back in 1986 was called “Stand Up” and it was loosely based on my…

However, I want to focus my attention on a character who may tend to be overlooked and that’s Kumail’s father: Azmat. He’s hysterical. For…

Short Film: “Sundance”

Pitch perfect two minute film about the Sundance Film Festival… that wasn’t.

Script Analysis: “The Big Sick” — Part 5: Dialogue

Read the script for the hit romantic comedy and analyze it all this week.

2018 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 14

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

Writing and the Creative Life: “Come to the edge”

Going beyond the edge of the Old World into the New World can be a terrifying experience, but a necessary one for the transformation…

Daily Dialogue — January 19, 2018

“You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do…

James Gunn on “chasing your dreams”

The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director makes a really solid point.

Script Analysis: “The Big Sick” — Part 4: Themes

Read the script for the hit romantic comedy and analyze it all this week.

2018 Dialogue-Writing Challenge: Day 13

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

The Business of Screenwriting: Don’t stand in water where you should be fishing

I use fishing as a metaphor for one’s approach to screenwriting. Seriously.