There is no short cut There is no golden method. There is no guaranteed approach to writing a million dollar spec script. All of that hype is bull shit.
Movie Analysis: “Gravity” When we think of the movie Gravity, we most likely think BIG. Yet in interview after interview, co-writer and director Alfonso Cuarón has…
Video: “10 Ways to Invest Your Audience in Your Hero” Another in the excellent screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 5: Reader Identification Tap into the Protagonist’s qualities which a reader can connect with.
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek” Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, and story as psychological journey.
Reader Question: When is the best time to reveal a character’s backstory? Key character revelations from their past. When? Where? How?
Writing and the Creative Life: Wherein I embrace my messy desk! For decades, I have waged a relentless war. The battlefield? My desk. Raised a military brat and a Southern Baptist to boot, the message I…
Page One: “Ratatouille” (2007) Screenplay by Brad Bird, original story by Jan Pinkava & Jim Capobianco & Brad Bird, additional story material by Emily Cook & Kathy…
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 4: Character = Function Every character in a screenplay has to be there for a reason. That is their narrative function, who they are and what they do tied to the…
140 Scene-Writing Prompts At a fundamental level, screenwriting is scene-writing. Use these prompts to improve your scene-writing chops.
Breaking the 4th Wall in Scene Description To everyone who claims there’s a screenwriting rule asserting we can’t include so-called ‘unfilmables’ in scene description, read this!
The Business of Screenwriting: Hurry up and wait The bane of a screenwriter’s existence: They want the script NOW… then they make you WAIT… and wait… and wait…
Thanks, Michelle. You can read 100s more Go Into The Story interviews here: https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/go-into-the-story-interviews-9fff8e1cdbda#.umppz2lxe
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 3: Plot Emerges From Character No matter what paradigm or theory you use to craft your screenplay’s plot, the single most important thing you can do is this: Start with…
Test Your Story Concept 5 questions to ask about a story idea to assess its viability as a scripted project.
Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 2: The Protagonist’s Journey Transformation lies at the heart of the character’s arc.
“Earn this.” When it comes to a scene where a character makes a critical choice, it’s imperative that you — as the writer — have earned that moment.
Screenwriting 101: Chris Mundy “If you have a choice between a hard plot and what falls more on the emotional side, always fall on the emotional side. People watch shows…
