Screenwriting 101: Jeff Nichols “Find a way to get around linear thinking. Stories, even ones with jumbled timelines and time periods, are linear. They start, stuff…
Jonathan, I think there’s a lot to be said for the value of age and the quality — at least… I sold my first screenplay when I was 34. Ava DuVernay (director, Selma) didn’t pick up a camera until she was 30. Sometimes life gets in…
Reader Question: How insane is it for a 46 year-old to try to start a Hollywood writing career? It’s crazy, but then it’s crazy for ANYONE to expect to break into Hollywood.
Black List writers on the craft: Characters (Part 1) Over the years, I have interviewed over 40 Black List screenwriters. This month, I will run a series featuring one topic per week related…
Screenwriting Lessons: “The King’s Speech” — Part 1: Sympathetic Protagonist Five-part series exploring lessons from David Seidler’s Oscar winning script.
On Writing “When you write, you lay out a line of words. The line of words is a miner’s pick, a woodcarver’s gouge, a surgeon’s probe. You wield it…
Reader Question: Could you explain how writing credits work? Peering into the mystery of screenwriting credits.
Interview (Written): Sam Patton The director of Desolation, a project discovered on the Black List website.
Interview (Video): Zal Batmanglij & Brit Marling Writers. Director. Actor. The Sound of My Voice and The OA.
Daily Dialogue — June 18, 2017 Clarice: Starling. Lecter: Well, Clarice, have the lambs stop screaming? Clarice: Dr. Lecter? Lecter: Don’t bother with a trace, I won’t be…
Daily Dialogue theme next week: Unexpected Death Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,320 consecutive days and counting.
Interview (Part 6): Stephanie Shannon 2013 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting winner and Black List honoree.
Saturday Hot Links Time for the 294th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…
Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” — Part 5: Handling Exposition A five-part series exploring lessons we can glean from Aaron Sorkin’s script.
Interview (Written): Kiel Murray, Bob Peterson, and Mike Rich The three credited screenwriters of the new Pixar movie Cars 3.
Daily Dialogue — June 17, 2017 JAN (V.O.): He respected you. He didn’t even try to kiss you. Maybe you just don’t appeal to him. He didn’t write your number down. Why…
Reader Question: How do you decide between managers? Some thoughts on how to decide who you should choose as your manager.
Interview (Part 5): Stephanie Shannon 2013 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting winner and Black List honoree.
Screenwriting Lessons: “The Social Network” — Part 4: Subplots A five-part series exploring lessons we can glean from Aaron Sorkin’s script.
Daily Dialogue — June 16, 2017 “I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… you’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the…
