Black List writers on the craft: Theme (Part 3) “I don’t necessarily start with theme, but by the time I’m done — I always have one. And often, writing a script shows me what my theme is…
The Persistent Writers Hall of Fame: Adrian McKinty This is an amazing story of a novelist who almost gave up his writer’s dream only to have a pair of established writers encourage him… and…
“When you come to a fork in the road… take it.” Who knew baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was a writing guru?
Great Scene: “2001: A Space Odyssey” The use of a tool… violence against others… and the dawn of man.
Daily Dialogue — June 19, 2019 “I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it…
Short Films and The Hero’s Journey Pixar shows it’s possible to adapt Hero’s Journey in short form storytelling.
Black List writers on the craft: Theme (Part 2) “I’m personally a big fan of knowing what your theme is before starting. I think they can arise as you tell the story, but writing within…
Screenwriting and Psychology Characters drive Story, therefore, it’s imperative for writers to be ‘armchair psychologists’ when crafting a narrative.
Script To Screen: “Thelma & Louise” One of the most memorable movie endings in the last quarter century: Thelma & Louise (1990), written by Callie Khouri.
Screenwriting 101: Amy Tofte That’s the one thing that screenwriters all understand, I think. There have been people who say, ‘It’s the hardest kind of writing to do…
Daily Dialogue — June 18, 2019 “Keep the sand out of your weapons. Keep those actions clear. I’ll see you on the beach.”
Prep: From Concept to Outline — “It works!” I’m only offering one more Prep workshop this year, so check it out.
Black List writers on the craft: Theme (Part 1) Over the years, I have interviewed over 50 Black List screenwriters. Over the next four weeks, I am running a series featuring one topic…
How to Generate and Critique Story Ideas (10 Part Series) How important are story ideas, the central concept upon which a script is based? Consider these quotes from professional screenwriters:
On Writing “First you look for discipline and control. You want to exercise your will, bend the language your way, bend the world your way. You want…
Daily Dialogue — June 17, 2019 “What are your legs? Springs. Steel springs. What are they going to do? Hurl me down the track. How fast can you run? As fast as a leopard…
Script To Screen: “The Terminator” The beginning of the 1984 film The Terminator, written by James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd.
Reflections on “Constructive Critique” All the screenwriting classes I teach have some sort of workshop component to them, where participants are invited or depending upon the…
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 2] “In writing for a producer, try to conform to the type of picture he has been making.”
Interview (Video): Gale Anne Hurd The Season 8 episode of the PBS series “On Story” with producer Gale Anne Hurd who also co-wrote the original The Terminator.
Reader Question: Should I write a science fiction script on spec or not? I get this question occasionally, something like this:
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