Scott Myers

“Twitter has democratized the process”

Did you see this? How a Middle-aged IT Guy From Peoria Tweeted His Way Into a Writing Job on Late Night With Seth Meyers Bryan Donaldson lived in central Illinois nearly his entire life. He was born in Michigan but moved to a tiny town north of Peoria when

Movie Trailer: “A Night in Old Mexico”

Written by William D. Wittliff Forced to give up his land and his only home, cantankerous Texas rancher Red Bovie isn’t about to go quietly to the dismal trailer park that’s all he can now afford, and instead goes off with his grandson Gally — son of his long-

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 18

This is the fifth year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today’s story: Mystery deaths… mystery package… mystery sender. Marge Habib waved to her brother and sister as they rode past early that Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend in 1976. Her brother’s 16-

Great Character: Sam Shakusky (“Moonrise Kingdom”)

This month’s theme: Wes Anderson characters. Today: Sam Shakusky from the delightful 2012 movie Moonrise Kingdom, written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola. Director and screenwriter Wes Anderson has created several cinematic sensations that have featured youthful protagonists seeking out the worldly guidance of older, but not always wiser

Daily Dialogue — April 18, 2014

“Why shouldn’t I work for the N.S.A.? That’s a tough one, but I’ll take a shot. Say I’m working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. Maybe I take a shot at it and maybe

Everything You Wanted to Know About Specs

Been a lot of buzz going around social media about spec scripts recently. Thought it was time to bring back this 20 part series I did some time back. Essential reading for anyone who is writing spec scripts hoping to break into the business. In Part 1, we look at

Interview: Elijah Bynum (2013 Black List) — Part 4

The Black List is a pretty exclusive club, especially so for those writers who manage to land two scripts on the List in a single year. That’s what Elijah Bynum did in 2013 when two of his original screenplays — “Mississippi Mud” and “Hot Summer Nights”. I sought out Elijah

“Fear On Film”: Roundtable with John Carpenter, David Cronenberg and John Landis

For your midday viewing pleasure: Via Indiewire. For more videos featuring these filmmakers, click More. Comment Archive

Movie Trailer: “The Drop”

Dennis Lehane (screenplay), Dennis Lehane (short story “Animal Rescue”) Bob Saginowski finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood’s past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living — no matter the cost.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 17

This is the fifth year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today: Dave Matthews fans give star a ride. Two Dave Matthews fans gave the musician a ride to his own concert after his bicycle broke down on the side of the road and he found

Writing and the Creative Life: Boundaries of Space, Boundaries of Time

We all know John Cleese from his work with Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers, but he has also emerged as something of an authority on creativity. Here is an excerpt from a presentation he gave in Belgium some years ago: Here is a transcript of the main

Daily Dialogue — April 17, 2014

Miranda Priestly: So you don’t read Runway. Andy Sachs: No. Miranda Priestly: And until today you had never heard of me. Andy Sachs: No. Miranda Priestly: You have no sense of fashion… Andy Sachs: I think that depends on… Miranda Priestly: No, no, that wasn’t a question. — The

Create a Compelling Protagonist

In almost every movie, the most critical character is the Protagonist. * Typically the story is told through their perspective. * Their goal usually dictates the end point of the plot. * All the other primary characters are somehow linked to the Protagonist. * Normally they go through the most significant metamorphosis. * And the

Interview: Elijah Bynum (2013 Black List) — Part 3

The Black List is a pretty exclusive club, especially so for those writers who manage to land two scripts on the List in a single year. That’s what Elijah Bynum did in 2013 when two of his original screenplays — “Mississippi Mud” and “Hot Summer Nights”. I sought out Elijah

Movies You Made: “Resignation”

Last month, I ran a series called Movies You Made, comprised of 31 original films submitted to me by a diverse group of filmmakers from all over the world. You can find links to all of the movies and trailers by going here. A few filmmakers subsequently contacted me, therefore

Movie Trailer: “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Screenplay by Simon Kinberg, story by Jane Goldman & Simon Kinberg & Matthew Vaughn The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants. IMDB Release Date: 23 May 2014 (USA)  Comment

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 16

This is the fifth year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today: What is it like to be the lone survivor of a catastrophe? I’m sure most of you remember the horrible tragedy of the Yarnell Hill fire which overran and killed 19 Arizona firefighters

Script To Screen: “Milk”

One of the most memorable scenes in the powerful 2008 movie Milk, written by Dustin Lance Black. Plot Summary: The story of Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California’s first openly gay elected official. Setting: Dan White has

Daily Dialogue — April 16, 2014

“I… am the Waffler. With my griddle of justice, I BASH the enemy in the head, or I burn them like so! I also have some truth syrup, which is low in fat.” — Mystery Men (1999), written by Neil Cuthbert, created by Bob Burden The Daily Dialogue theme for the

Question: How far can a writer go with the “similar but different” approach?

A reader question from The_High_Dweller: I got one for ya… We’re always talking about “Similar But Different” here, right? And we’ve even had suggestions on how to go about coming up with something that’s similar but different… Check out successful movies from the past and

Interview: Elijah Bynum (2013 Black List) — Part 2

The Black List is a pretty exclusive club, especially so for those writers who manage to land two scripts on the List in a single year. That’s what Elijah Bynum did in 2013 when two of his original screenplays — “Mississippi Mud” and “Hot Summer Nights”. I sought out Elijah

Ten Career Lessons From An Oscar-Winning Producer

I had a lengthy conversation yesterday with a Hollywood movie producer. Always interesting to see how their minds operate. I often talk about how we, as writers, should be able to put on our ‘producer’s hat’ in order to see our stories through their eyes. But what does that

Movie Trailer: “Gone Girl”

Screenplay by Gillian Flynn, based on her novel A woman mysteriously disappears on the day of her wedding anniversary. Based on the novel, “Gone Girl.” IMDB Release Date: 3 October 2014 (USA)  Comment Archive

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 15

This is the fourth year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Last week I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit to be generating story ideas. This week, I’ll give you some tips on how to come up with stories.

Screenwriting 101: Nancy Meyers

“I think it’s a mistake to write something you think people will like, or a combination idea, or this year’s version of last year’s movie. I don’t think you’ll ever get noticed doing that. I think you’re only going to get noticed by following