“Don’t market yourself. Editors and readers don’t know what they want until they see it. Scratch what itches. Write what you need to write, feed the hunger for meaning in your life. Play at the serious questions of life and death.” — Donald M. Murray Via @AdviceToWriters

OPERATING ROOM — THE LONDON HOSPITAL We see a bellows pumping air into the open grate of a cast iron stove. We hear moaning in the background. The coals flare to a fierce glow. From the mouth of the stove protrude the handles of several cauterizing irons, their heads imbedded in

Links to the week’s most notable posts: Character Type: Artist Character Type: Clown Character Type: Femme Fatale Character Type: Loner Character Type: Orphan Daily Dialogue Theme for Next Week: Surgery Go Into The Story interview: Ted Hope Go Into The Story interviews: Women Writers Great Character: Truman Capote (Capote)

Craig Borten adapting “Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller” for Relativity Media. David Coggeshall supernatural thriller “The Shuddering” with Next Wednesday Productions and Aloris Entertainment. Robert Ben Garant scripted horror “The Veil” at Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, Thomas Jane attached to star. Joe Gazzam sells action thriller spec

This is pure gold: A nearly 2-hour interview with famed Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He may be known as a director, but if you check out his IMDB page, he has 71 writing credits. Some of Kurosawa’s memorable movies include Rashomon, Ikiru, Throne of Blood, Seven Samurai, and

“Yes it’s true. This man has no dick.” — Ghost Busters (1984), written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is sarcasm, recommended by blueneumann. Today’s suggestion by @mbconnband. Trivia: In the DVD commentary, Ivan Reitman says he received a call from William

As we wrap up a week filled with sarcasm (thanks to blueneumann for the recommendation), next week we get medical as the theme is… Surgery. The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962) The usual drill: * Copy/paste dialogue from IMDB Quotes or some other transcript source. * Copy/paste the URL

If I asked you to name the most memorable scene in Witness (1985), it would probably be this one: Where young Samuel witnesses a murder in a Philadelphia train station bathroom. It is an incident that unbeknownst to the story’s Protagonist John Book (Harrison Ford) will become his Call

Time for the 123rd installment of Saturday Hot Links! The All Hail Sid Casear Comic Genius Edition! Great Caesar’s Ghost: On the passing of Sid Caesar. Sid Caesar’s influence on comedy will never die. Snow is on the ground in 49 U.S. states. The one literary reference

David Mello at Whedonopolis interviews TV writer-producer Amy Berg (Eureka, Leverage, Person of Interest) about Amy’s new web series “Caper”: How did you get involved with Geek and Sundry? Felicia [Day] and I have been friends since I brought her onto Eureka as a recurring guest star. For

Ugarte: You despise me, don’t you?  Rick: If I gave you any thought I probably would. — — Major Strasser: What is your nationality?  Rick: I’m a drunkard. — — Captain Renault: What brought you to Casablanca?  Rick: My health. I came for the water.  Captain Renault: We’re in a desert.

Written by Misan Sagay An illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle. IMDB Release Date: 2 May 2014 (USA)  Comment Archive

This month’s theme: Great Philip Seymour Hoffman characters. Today: Guest poster Jason Cuthbert looks at Truman Capote from the 2005 movie Capote, screenplay by Dan Futterman (screenplay), book by Gerald Clarke. The very first time actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was up for an Academy Award, in 2005’s Capote,

“Caroline, the day you see anything through to the end, I’ll stick my own dick in my ear.” — The Ref (1994), screenplay by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss, story by Marie Weiss The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is sarcasm, recommended by blueneumann. Today’s suggestion by Brian

Working with types is a great way to brainstorm and develop characters, exploring a limitless range of possible personalities for any of the five primary character archetypes: Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster. Addit Advocate Angel Artist Bully Clown Companion Femme Fatale Gambler Healer Innocent Loner Martyr Orphan Prostitute Rebel Rookie

Yesterday UCLA put out a 36 page document called “2014 Hollywood Diversity Report: Making Sense of the Disconnect” (you can download the PDF here). Not hard to project that the numbers are abysmal. For example: * Minorities underrepresented by a factor of more than 3 to 1 among lead roles in

Last December, I was fortunate enough to have an in-depth interview with movie producer Ted Hope, who is leading the charge to give the indie film business what he calls a “systems reboot.” If there is a person best suited for this task, it’s Ted. You can go

Awesome parody featuring a special cameo by screenwriter Geoff LaTulippe (@DrGMLaTulippe) who wrote Go The Distance: Comment Archive

Sony Pictures acquires action thriller spec script “Shadow Run” written by Joe Gazzam. From THR: The action is put in motion when a viral attack puts lives in danger, forcing a CIA agent to enact a secret prisoner exchange of Russia’s most notorious spy for the American scientist who