Scott Myers

Consider a holiday gift to Young Storytellers Foundation

Every year at this time, I feature a non-profit organization involved in doing something excellent to better our world. This year: Young Storytellers Foundation. In 1997, a group of young film students learned that Los Angeles public schools were cutting creative arts programs from the budget. Knowing the value

Update: Full Scholarship to Spain Writers Retreat!

On December 7th, I announced this: A full scholarship to some lucky Go Into The Story reader to a writer’s retreat in Spain. After many blog followers made their submissions, the mentors for the retreat have unanimously selected Georgia Clark (Brooklyn, by way of Australia) as the winner. Congratulations,

Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 8] — First Draft

We pick up from last week with our year-end attempt to help GITS readers set and achieve their writing goals for 2016. To revisit the process of self-reflection from last week, here are the links: Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 1] — Looking Back Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 2] — Assessing

Interview (Audio): Quentin Tarantino

The Nerdist interview with writer-director Quentin Tarantino. HT Indiewire.

Great Scene: “It’s a Wonderful Life”

A fine example of subtext is this memorable scene from the Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). It’s Mary and George on the phone together with their ol’ pal George Wainwright. And while they’re talking about business opportunities, what are they really talking about? INT. SAM’

Daily Dialogue — December 23, 2015

JONATHAN: Hey, excuse me, sir? These are ours. MALE SHOPPER: Oh, your gloves? JONATHAN: Yes. MALE SHOPPER: Well, how come? They’re just sort of hanging there, sleeping with their little price tag on. JONATHAN: We were just discussing them. MALE SHOPPER: Well, I have news for you. You can

Analysis: 2015 Black List

A deep dive into the scripts named to this year’s annual Black List. The 2015 Black List rolled out last week — you can find titles, writers and loglines for all of the selected scripts here — and as promised, today we have some statistics and analysis for you. First some

Next Go Into The Story Script Read and Analysis: “Ex Machina”

In 2015, several initiatives launched here at Go Into The Story. One of the best: A bi-weekly script read and analysis series. As a result, we have 50 scripts GITS readers have analyzed. Moreover I sought out volunteers this year to write up scene-by-scene breakdowns for each

Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 7] — Time Management

We pick up from last week with our year-end attempt to help GITS readers set and achieve their writing goals for 2016. To revisit the process of self-reflection from last week, here are the links: Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 1] — Looking Back Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 2] — Assessing

Update: Award season screenplay downloads — 1 new script / 42 total

It’s that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season. As in years past, we will be tracking them and posting links as they become available. UPDATE: Current total of 2015 scripts for download: 42. Newly added script (1)

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 happens, they end. When working out a story, I try to stay away from traditional outlines. Trying to sit down and begin by listing the scenes in order

Daily Dialogue — December 22, 2015

“You guys give up or you thirsty for more?” — Home Alone (1990), written by John Hughes The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Christmas Frenzy. Trivia: The movie is considered a traditional Christmas movie in Poland. It has aired on national TV during prime-time Christmas season every year since

2015 Black List Word Cloud Logline Challenge: Winners!

It started here: It’s simple. Every year after the annual Black List is released, we take the loglines from each of the Black List scripts and create a word cloud. Here is this year’s version: Then I invite anyone and everyone to participate in the Black List Word

THR 2015 Screenwriter Roundtable

The Hollywood Reporters annual screenwriter roundtable featuring Emma Donoghue (‘Room’), Nick Hornby (‘Brooklyn’), Meg LeFauve (‘Inside Out’), Tom McCarthy (‘Spotlight’), Amy Schumer (‘Trainwreck’), and Aaron Sorkin (‘Steve Jobs’). Via THR.

Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 6] — Schedule

We pick up from last week with our year-end attempt to help GITS readers set and achieve their writing goals for 2016. To revisit the process of self-reflection from last week, here are the links: Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 1] — Looking Back Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 2] — Assessing

Interview (Written): Charlie Kaufman

This is a treat for Charlie Kaufman fans: An extensive Vulture interview with the filmmaker (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Anomalisa). It seems that you would be an ideal person for an Amazon or a Netflix to throw a lot of money at and say, “Hey,

On Writing

“No book ever gets written by thinking about it or going bowling or playing golf. You have to put your butt down and spend many, many hours in front of a computer or a piece of paper, and don’t get up, even if you’re blocked or don’t

Daily Dialogue — December 21, 2015

Willie: You people are monsters. Marcus: There’s no joy in this for me, Willie. Willie: I’m not talking about you taking me out. That part I get. Look at all that shit. Do you really need all that shit. For Chrissakes, it’s Christmas. Marcus: It is Christmas,

Update: Who’s up to rewrite their script in January?

Last Sunday, I posted this: In November, upward to 1,000 writers — myself included — took a crack at pounding out a script as part of the Zero Draft Thirty Challenge. Many of us reached FADE OUT / THE END. Now comes the hard part: Rewrites. So I thought why not use

Rewriting Your Script: 10 Part Series

There is no right way to write. There’s also no right way to rewrite. Here is my approach. Part 1: Set It Aside Part 2: A Clean Read Part 3: Characters Part 4: Themes Part 5: Structure Part 6: Pace Part 7: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Part 8: Revision

Screenwriting News (December 14-December 20, 2015)

Isaac Adamson writing “51 Dons” for Walden Media and Mandalay Sports Media. Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan 2015 Black List script “Chappaquiddick” going forward with Apex Entertainment. Lindsey Beer, Bert V. Royal, and Hilary Winston rewriting three versions of “Barbie” for Sony Pictures Entertainment. Vondie Curtis-Hall adapting thriller novel

There were 409 original scripted series on TV in 2015

I’ve noted this trend over the last several years and it continues: The growth of scripted TV. Check out this chart: Observations: * There were 133 original scripted series on broadcast networks in 2002 and 147 in 2015, which would appear not to be a significant increase, but there was

Interview (Video): J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy

Via YouTube: J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Gwendoline Christie participated in a panel and Q&A at YouTube Space LA on December 4th. The panel was moderated by YouTube executive Danielle Tiedt and topic focused on the power storytelling and Star Wars: The Force

Daily Dialogue — December 20, 2015

Scar: Ahh, so you haven’t told them your little secret. Well, Simba, now’s your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mufasa’s death! Adult Simba: [pause] I am. Sarabi: [whispering] It’s not true. Tell me it’s not true. Adult Simba: It’s

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Christmas Frenzy

The Daily Dialogue theme next week: Christmas Frenzy. A Christmas Story (1983) There are sweet Christmas movies. Scary Christmas movies. Christmas movies which feature lots of tears. And then there are movies which feature Christmas frenzy Let’s come up with 7 great examples this Holiday week, okay? The usual