Scott Myers

Daily Dialogue — June 2, 2016

EXT. WATERPARK — BUZZARD’S BAY GIFT SHOP — MOMENTS LATER — DAY We STEADY CAM as Owen leads Duncan, now wearing the ill-fitting swim suit, on a “tour of the park.” This is our first real glimpse of Water Wizz in all its glory. Clearly, built in the 80’s and

The Way In

A guest post from Tom Benedek, screenwriter (Cocoon) and co-founder of Screenwriting Master Class: I have been working on a rewrite of a feature script. I am in the planning stagings — criticizing, brainstorming, second guessing. I am trying to crystalize so many important things to help make this story

Interview (Part 3): Elizabeth Chomko (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Elizabeth Chomko wrote the original screenplay “What They Had” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Elizabeth about her background as a writer and her award-winning screenplay. Today in Part 3, Elizabeth and I delve more deeply into her script

Mickey Fisher on Writing, Selling, and Producing a TV Pilot Spec Script — Part 3

On May 24, 2013, I posted about a TV pilot spec script which had Hollywood all abuzz: Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood development world — movies and TV — nothing shifts the tectonic plates of The Biz more than a spec script that gets people salivating over it. It’

2016 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 1

For the fourth straight year, June is Scene-Writing Month here at Go Into The Story. Every Monday-Friday at noon Eastern / 9AM Pacific, I will upload a post with a scene-writing prompt. Each day, write a scene per those guidelines. Upload your scene here in the comments section

Classic 30s Movies: The Entire Series

May has been Classic 30s Movies Month at Go Into The Story. Here are links to all of the movies reviewed during the last 30 days: All Quiet on the Western Front Bride of Frankenstein Bringing Up Baby Captain Blood City Girl Dracula Duck Soup Gone With the Wind Gunga

Daily Dialogue — June 1, 2016

“Scariness is the true measure of a monster. If you’re not scary, what kind of a monster are you? It’s my job to make great students greater, not make mediocre students less mediocre. That is why at the end of the semester there will be a final exam.

Starting tomorrow: The 2016 Scene-Writing Exercise Challenge!

Back for the fourth year in a row, it’s our annual Scene-Writing Challenge! In June, every Monday-Friday at noon Eastern / 9AM Pacific, I will upload a post with a prompt for writing a script scene. Each day, write a scene per those guidelines. If you really want

Interview (Part 2): Elizabeth Chomko (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Elizabeth Chomko wrote the original screenplay “What They Had” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Elizabeth about her background as a writer and her award-winning screenplay. Today in Part 2, Elizabeth talks about what inspired her to write “What

Mickey Fisher on Writing, Selling, and Producing a TV Pilot Spec Script — Part 2

On May 24, 2013, I posted about a TV pilot spec script which had Hollywood all abuzz: Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood development world — movies and TV — nothing shifts the tectonic plates of The Biz more than a spec script that gets people salivating over it. It’

Classic 30s Movie: “The Informer”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Megaen Kelly. Title: The Informer Year: 1935 Writers: Screenplay by Dudley Nichols, based on a novel by Liam O’Flaherty Lead Actors: Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame Director: John Ford Plot Summary: Driven by desperation,

Free Tickets to “Preacher” Special Screening and Writers Panel Tonight!

From the good folks at the Writers Guild Foundation, a last minute offer! Dark, gory, and based on the popular comic book by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, PREACHER is the latest AMC show you’ll probably find yourself obsessing about (and judging from other AMC shows that are dark,

Screenwriting 101: Justin Marks

“There’s not a single battle a writer can win on a conference call, a notes meeting, anything. We win the battle on the page.” — Justin Marks

Daily Dialogue — May 31, 2016

Mark Thackeray: You will be adults in a few weeks, with all the responsibilities. From now on, you will be treated as such by me and by each other… as adults. Responsible adults. Next, we´ll be reasonable with each other. We are just going to talk, you and I.

Check out our new Screenwriting Master Class website!

We have a new website! Check it out here. If you look at our course offerings, you will see that Tom Benedek and I have put together a comprehensive curriculum, grounded in our collective 60+ years of working in the movie and TV business, and nearly 30 years of teaching

Interview (Part 1): Elizabeth Chomko (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Elizabeth Chomko wrote the original screenplay “What They Had” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Elizabeth about her background as a writer and her award-winning screenplay. Today in Part 1, Elizabeth talks about her background growing up in the

Mickey Fisher on Writing, Selling, and Producing a TV Pilot Spec Script — Part 1

7-part series on going from original TV pilot script to network series. On May 24, 2013, I posted about a TV pilot spec script which had Hollywood all abuzz: Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood development world — movies and TV — nothing shifts the tectonic plates of The

Classic 30s Movie: “Midnight”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Niki Leydecker. Movie Title: Midnight Year: 1939 Writers: Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, based on a story by Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz Schulz Lead Actors: Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, John Barrymore, Francis Lederer, Mary Astor and Elaine Barrie

On Writing

“You write until the rust comes out of the faucet and it’s clear water. Then you write down the clear water.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda

Daily Dialogue — May 30, 2016

KEATING: Now, who’s next? Mister Anderson. See you sitting there in agony. C’mon, Todd, step up. Let’s put you out of your misery. ANDERSON: I…I didn’t do it. I didn’t write a poem. KEATING: Mister Anderson thinks that everything inside of him is worthless

Coming in June: The 2016 Scene-Writing Exercise Challenge!

Back for the fourth year in a row, it’s our annual Scene-Writing Challenge! In June, every Monday-Friday at noon Eastern / 9AM Pacific, I will upload a post with a prompt for writing a script scene. Each day, write a scene per those guidelines. If you really want

The Story Behind Script Coverage

Script readers are Hollywood’s threshold guardians, so it behooves writers to try to understand their mindset. Here I did a series of posts breaking down the guidelines one of the major Hollywood agencies provided for their script readers. It is instructive and informative. Part 1: Overview Part 2: General

Screenwriting News (May 23-May 29, 2016)

This week’s writing deals and movie project news. Chris Borrelli writing remake of 2009 Korean movie “Secret” for New Line. Whitney Cummings and Neal Brennan comedy adaptation “The Female Brain” going with Black Bicycle Entertainment, Cummings to star and direct. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley rewriting and directing

Black List Interview: Britta Lundin

Kate Hagen, director of community at @theblcklst, recently interviewed Britta Lundin. Last autumn, I worked with Britta at the Athena Film Festival / Black List Screenwriter Lab in New York City and am happy to see how her career has blossomed as she has landed an agent and got staffed on

Interview (Audio): Leon Capetanos

A WUNC interview with screenwriter-novelist Leon Capetanos whose movie credits include Moscow on the Hudson, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, and Moon Over Parador. I met Leon years ago. He was a very busy writer in Hollywood for many years. To listen, go here.