The Coen Brothers and the Long Shadow of Authority Figures If there is one thing about the craft writers hear ad nauseam, it’s this: There is no drama without conflict. And there is no story without…
Story Types: Biopic “The process of adapting a real person’s life into a movie is one of the trickiest writing jobs around. The wealth of historical anecdotes…
Screenwriting 101: Byron Hamel “If I have a good idea, I try to write a brief summary of what that story would look like. We’re talking five paragraphs, maybe. If I can…
Page One: “The Croods” (2013) Screenplay by Chris Sanders & Kirk DeMicco, story by John Cleese & Kirk DeMicco & Chris Sanders
Story Type: Assumed Identity “At the deepest level of meaning for assumed identity stories, there are two questions: Who am I? Do I really know what another person is…
On Writing “If we’re lucky, writer and reader alike, we’ll finish the last line or two of a short story and then just sit for a minute, quietly…
Page One: “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007) Screenplay by Andrew Dominik, novel by Ron Hansen
Sundays with Sidney Lumet’s “Making Movies” A series featuring reflections on filmmaking by one of the truly great movie directors.
Great Scene: “Bottle Rocket” It’s a heist gone awry in this funny scene from the 1996 movie co-written Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson, who also directed the film.
Interview (Video): Zach Cregger An hour-long conversation with the writer-director of the surprise horror hit film Barbarian.
Celebrate Your Victories Based on my experiences as a screenwriter in Hollywood, there are many things I can advise you to do that are not particularly enjoyable…
Page One: “The Aeronauts” (2019) Screenplay by Jack Thorne, story by Tom Harperand Jack Thorne, inspired by the book by Richard Holmes
How to Use Go Into The Story Blog resources to support your growth as a screenwriter in five areas: Watch Movies. Read Scripts. Write Pages. Study the Craft. Learn the…
TED Talk: J.J. Abrams In 2007, J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Super 8) gave a TED Talk. I’m sure some of you have seen it. However, like many great presentations…
