Go Into The Story

Thanks for that.

Which is to say, Waymond can exist as a Second Protagonist ... a Mentor ... a Trickster ... an Attractor, either intermittently or even…

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 22

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Script Analysis: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of the movie which won 7 Oscars including Best Original Screenplay. Download. Read. Discuss.

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Snacks

It’s like maybe fifteen years ago and I’m reading an interview with noted playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon. And in this interview…

Hollywood Tales

“[Paul] Schrader probed the edges of Hollywood, working as a reader at Warners for fifteen dollars a synopsis and teaching himself…

Page One: “Beginners” (2010)

Written by Mike Mills

For as much of a wild ride the script (and movie) create ...

The major impression I come away with after reading the script is this: It's amazing that this movie got made. A24 and the other funding…

Blake, I found the script pretty "trackable," but I saw the movie before reading the script.

Re dual protagonists: Who do you see as the two Protagonists? As I say, there's no right way to use archetypes in analyzing scripts. In my…

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 21

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Script Analysis: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of the movie which won 7 Oscars including Best Original Screenplay. Download. Read. Discuss.

WGA Contract Negotiations Begin

What’s at stake and what to expect.

Screenwriting 101: Billy Wilder

“Film’s thought of as a director’s medium because the director creates the end product that appears on the screen. It’s that stupid auteur…

Page One: “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)

Animated screenplay by Linda Woolverton, story by Brenda Chapman & Chris Sanders & Burny Mattinson & Kevin Harkey & Brian Pimental & Bruce…

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 20

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Script Analysis: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” — Part 1: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

A week-long analysis of the movie which won 7 Oscars including Best Original Screenplay. Download. Read. Discuss.

Great Scene: “American Graffiti”

It’s Harrison Ford’s breakout role as Bob Falfa, a wise-cracking farm boy.

On Writing

“People write me all the time, or get in touch with me about ‘What should I do if I want to be a writer? I say, ‘Well, do you really want…

Page One: “Beautiful Girls” (1996)

Written by Scott Rosenberg

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 19

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Go Into The Story Interview: Miguel Flatow

My interview with 2022 Black List writer for his script Viva, Mexico!

The Challenge of Writing Dialogue

How to be entertaining, yet serve the story by advancing the plot?

The Theology of Cinema: Evil

“The question of theodicy provides writers a starting point for a conversation about our stories: The innate nature of evil as embodied in…

Page One: “Beautiful Boy” (2018)

Screenplay by Luke Davies and Felix van Groeningen, books by David Sheff and Nic Sheff

2023 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 18

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Interview (Part 6): Miguel Flatow

My interview with 2022 Black List writer for his script Viva, Mexico!