Scott Myers

Songwriters on Songwriting

I wrote my first song when I was 14 years old. Over the years, I’ve composed hundreds of songs. It was that interest — music — that led me to take a year off from pursuing a doctorate and led me down the circuitous path that has been the rest of

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 135th installment of Saturday Hot Links. Today: The “Some Images From Gordon Willis Movies” Edition Indiewire obit: Gordon Willis. 5 tips from Gordon Willis. Cannes mid-festival report: Already delivers a strong message. Cannes Panel: Studios fight piracy while indies embrace digital. Cannes: 21 THR interviews. Cannes:

Classic 90s Movie: “Jurassic Park”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Abdullah AL-Twaijri. Movie Title: Jurassic Park Year: 1993 Writers: Michael Crichton (novel), Michael Crichton & David Koepp (screenplay) Lead Actors: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum Director: Steven Spielberg. IMDB Plot Summary: A family struggles to

Interview [Written]: Thomas McCarthy (“Million Dollar Arm”)

TheWrap interview with Thomas McCarthy whose screenwriting credits include The Station Agent, The Visitor, Up, and Win Win. His latest: Million Dollar Arm. This story jumps around from L.A. to India and moves all around India and back, so did you block it out section by section, to break

Daily Dialogue — May 24, 2014

Bonnie: What’s it like? Clyde: What you mean, prison? Bonnie: No. Armed robbery. Clyde: It ain’t like anything. Bonnie: Shoot, I knew you never robbed any place, you faker. Clyde reaches into his pocket. Reveals a pistol. Bonnie touches it. Bonnie: But you wouldn’t have the gumption

Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling

I’ve received some questions via email and Twitter about Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling, my 1-week online class which starts next Monday, so let me address those here in one post: What Coen brothers movies will you be analyzing in the class? Here is the list

Songwriters on Songwriting: David Byrne

“I think you have to wait for the inspiration, but unless you’re there, waiting at the bus stop… if you’re doing other things all day, a song ain’t gonna get on the bus.” I wrote my first song when I was 14 years old. Over the years,

“Draft №4: Reflections on the Writing Life” by John McPhee

I am in the process of working my way through a backlog of New Yorkers, so it was only recently that I happened upon an article in the April 29, 2013 edition penned by one of the great nonfiction writers of our era: John McPhee. [If you have a subscription,

Movie Trailer: “Good People”

Screenplay by Kelly Masterson, novel by Marcus Sakey Discovering a cache of cash in their dead tenant’s apt, a couple in debt take the money and find themselves the target of a deadly adversary-the thief who stole it. IMDB Comment Archive

Classic 90s Movie: “L.A. Confidential”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Paul Graunke. Movie Title: L.A. Confidential Year: 1997. Writers: Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson. They won the Oscar for best screenplay adaption from other material, the novel by James Ellroy Lead Actors: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce,

Great Character: Johnny Castle (“Dirty Dancing”)

This month’s theme: Attractor characters. Today: Johnny Castle from Dirty Dancing written by Eleanor Bergstein. In the 1987 musical romance dance floor drama Dirty Dancing, actress Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) plays the recent high school graduate Baby Houseman, capturing that whimsical teenaged heart murmur known as

Daily Dialogue — May 23, 2014

As the bank robbery progresses, Desmond realizes that someone has pulled the silent alarm. Desmond Elden: Hold it! [touches his ear] Silent alarm, this address. James Coughlin: Who did it? Assistant Bank Manager: Look, nobody did anything. James Coughlin: What?’! Huh?’! What’d you say? Assistant Bank Manager: Nobody did

Reader Question: How to keep from getting stuck in Act Two?

Reader question from Mahmoud: I always get stuck in the 2nd act and it sucks. I have great concept for a drama film and I write the first act successfully, then in the second the characters seem to shutdown, I just can’t connect with them. Do you have any

Songwriters on Songwriting: Tom Petty

Singer-songwriter talks about how long he waited to write “The Waiting”. I wrote my first song when I was 14 years old. Over the years, I’ve composed hundreds of songs. It was that interest — music — that led me to take a year off from pursuing a doctorate and

25 Books Every Writer Should Read

From Flavorwire: The hard work, the MFA vs. NYC debate, the negativity, the importance of a good Twitter account, the parties you have to go to, the readings you have to do, people you should meet, the agents you need to impress — amid all the different ways writers have found

Movie Trailer: “Magic in the Moonlight”

https://screen.yahoo.com/video/magic-moonlight-trailer-150208670.html?format=embed Written by Woody Allen A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue. IMDB Release Date: 25 July 2014 Comment Archive

Classic 90s Movie: “Dave”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Daryl Powell. Movie Title: Dave Year: 1993 Writers: Gary Ross Lead Actors: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella Director: Ivan Reitman IMDB Plot Summary: To avoid a potentially explosive scandal when the U.S. President goes into a

Writing and the Creative Life: Of Beginnings and Endings

Remember when you first came up with the story idea you’re currently writing? How great that felt? We all know the act of writing a story is hard work. Coming up with good ideas. Figuring out characters, Solving plot issues. Confronting scenes that don’t work. Dialogue that won’

Daily Dialogue — May 22, 2014

Loretta: How can I help you, sir? Foley: Loretta, you see that guy talking to your manager, has his case open? Foley takes out a ZIPPO LIGHTER and casually, yet expertly, begins to fiddle with it as the teller looks across the bank. Loretta: That’s Mr. Guindon, one of

Inside the Latest Rise of Faith-Driven Movies

While Godzilla stomps its way toward hundreds of millions of dollars in box office revenue, it’s easy to miss some other monstrous results arising from a more heavenly locale: Faith-driven movies. TheWrap took this on in a recent article: Hollywood worships at the altar of the box office,

Songwriters on Songwriting: Suzanne Vega

“You’re drawing the listener into this world with very simple, basic information. And it then proceeds to state the problem without ever saying what the problem is.” I wrote my first song when I was 14 years old. Over the years, I’ve composed hundreds of songs. It was

What happens when Charlie Day speaks at your commencement

Via Vulture: This is a terrific speech: “I don’t think you should do what makes you happy, you should do what makes you great.” Wisdom from a guy who sounds like a “ten year old who smokes.” It’s that time of year, so if you stumble across writers,

Seven Tips From F. Scott Fitzgerald on How to Write Fiction

Open Culture selected seven quotations from F. Scott Fitzgerald on Writing, edited by Larry W. Phillips, to put together a nice little list of tips from the novelist on how to write fiction. Here are two of them: Make a detailed outline of your story. When Fitzgerald was working on

Movie Trailer: “Transformers: Age of Extinction”

Screenplay by Ehren Kruger An automobile mechanic and his daughter make a discovery that brings down the Autobots and Decepticons — and a paranoid government official — on them. IMDB Release Date: 27 June 2014 (USA)  Comment Archive

Classic 90s Movie: “Trainspotting”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Sue Bennett. Movie Title: Trainspotting Year: 1996 Writers: Irvine Welsh (novel) John Hodge (screenplay) Lead Actors: Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kelly Macdonald Director: Danny Boyle IMDB Plot Summary: Renton, deeply immersed in the