Pixar and Visual Storytelling A tiny bit of business in the movie Up reminds us that movies are primarily a visual medium.
Character Type: Loner “The thing is, we’ve all experienced loneliness and almost all of us are, by our human nature, social creatures. So when we happen upon a…
Story and the Question of Self-Identity Every story inevitably raises this question about the Protagonist: “Who am I?”
The Narrative Imperative of the Hero’s Journey “The adventure they are ready for is the adventure they get.”
Writing and the Creative Life: Mind Wandering “What no [spouse] of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he’s staring out of the window.”
Page One: “Toy Story” (1995) Screenplay by Joss Whedon and Andrew Stanton and Joel Cohen & Alec Sokolow, original story by John Lasseter & Pete Docter & Andrew Stanton…
Script To Screen: “10 Things I Hate About You” Kat reads a poem she wrote… a poem with a LOT of subtext!
Writing a Logline for a Character Driven Drama “Who’s your Protagonist? What is the distinctive issue they’re confronting, the source of their conflict? What is at the emotional core of…
What is your daily writing “workout” routine? Some advice from A Quiet Place screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
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…
Great Scene: “Little Miss Sunshine” Read how screenwriter Michael Arndt scripted Olive’s dance routine in his Oscar-winning screenplay.
Interview: Jessica Ellis My conversation with the writer-director of the new indie film What Lies West.
Reader Question: What can a writer learn from reading a script while watching the movie at the same… An in-depth analysis of the opening sequence in The Shawshank Redemption demonstrates the value of this learning exercise.
Screenwriting 101: Rita Mae Brown “Character is destiny. The resolution of any plot must come from within the character. The redemption or destruction of any character is…
Page One: “Minority Report” (2002) Screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen, short story by Philip K. Dick
