Scott Myers

The Business of Screenwriting: OWA

Three little letters: OWA. But they mean big things for Hollywood screenwriters. What do these letter stand for?

Daily Dialogue — October 5, 2017

“Don’t fight it son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardize your credit rating.”

Reader Question: What are some tips for figuring out the ending of a story?

Question via Twitter from @WrittenbyKendra:

Screenwriting Lessons [Part 3]: Michael Arndt

A series featuring insights from the Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter.

THE BLACK LIST ANNOUNCES SIX FINALISTS FOR 4TH ANNUAL FEATURE WRITERS LAB

An amazing week in L.A. for 6 lucky screenwriters.

How They Write a Script: Ernest Lehman

Wrote Sabrina, The King and I, North by Northwest, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? among others.

Great Scene: “North by Northwest”

It was one of the scenes which inspired Hitchcock to make the movie.

Daily Dialogue — October 4, 2017

Harold Lee: Can we have the right to make a phone call? Ron Fox: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m sorry. You want rights now. You want freedoms. Right…

The Thing With Coincidences in Movies…

If you have more than one, you’ve got to finesse your way around them.

Screenwriting Lessons [Part 2]: Michael Arndt

A series featuring insights from the Toy Story 3 screenwriter.

From Zero Draft… to Hero Draft

Think of them as choices, not mistakes.

How They Write A Script: Nancy Meyers

Nancy Meyers was for many years part of the Meyers & Shyer writing team that produced numerous hit movies including Private Benjamin…

Screenwriting 101: David E. Kelley

“Writing’s hard work. But what fuels you often is the euphoria that comes with hatching an idea, breaking a story, coming up with a…

Daily Dialogue — October 3, 2017

Detective Del Spooner: Human beings have dreams. Even dogs have dreams, but not you, you are just a machine. An imitation of life. Can a…

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 September Challenge: FADE OUT!

FADE IN. FADE OUT. 30 Days. That describes what just transpired in September. Dozens of writers from around the world dove into their…

Screenwriting Lessons [Part 1]: Michael Arndt

A series featuring insights from the Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter.

Character = Function

Learn all about Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster.

How They Write A Script: Paddy Chayefsky

The only individual to win 3 Academy Awards for screenwriting.

On Writing

“It’s like climbing a mountain — you get some fantastic views when you pause or when you get to the top, but the actual process can be…

Daily Dialogue — October 2, 2017

“Well, you’ve taken good care of your body. Such a waste.”

Video: 2017 Courier 12 Screenwriters Conference

Five panels covering streaming, web series, TV, screenwriting, and Pixar.

Reader Question: Is an 80-page spec script too short?

If 120 pages is no longer the norm, is there one and if so, what?

Screenwriting News (September 25-October 1, 2017)

The week’s writing deals and movie project news.

Fair point, Paul.

Re The Third Man: Absolutely Greene, and I’ve written about that on the blog before.

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: What to do after you finish your first draft

It may seem like a really dumb idea, but it’s a crucial step in rewrite process.