Go Into The Story

Reader Question: Do you have any suggestions to warm up for writing?

Two suggestions to help you overcome the dreaded “how to get my ass into the chair and writing” conundrum.

Writing and the Creative Life: “The Power of Structured Procrastination”

“The beauty of the structured procrastination method is that it recognizes the extreme challenge in changing that pro-tomorrow vein, and…

Page One: “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007)

Screenplay by John Logan, musical by Hugh Wheeler, musical adaptation by Christopher Bond

Simon, I believe you are correct in that script readers often look for a writer’s transgressions…

The thing is, 9 times out of 10, a writer can bypass the whole “we see” conundrum by simply describing what’s on screen. You don’t need to…

Find Your Writer’s Voice

I hear this a lot in conversations with writers, but mostly with managers, agents, and producers. They’re looking for writers who cover a…

The Importance of Theme in Writing a Screenplay About an Historical Figure

“You may very well have to shape the details and contour of your central character’s life-story to make it a movie. As they say in…

How They Write A Script: Charlie Kaufman

“When I started screenwriting, I never really knew what I was doing, but I instinctively understood how to do it.”

The Business of Screenwriting: Do you know your stuff?

It’s one thing to write a script. It’s another thing to understand the craft.

Page One: “Synecdoche, New York” (2008)

Written by Charlie Kaufman

Update: 2022–2023 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 1 New Script, 7 Total

It’s that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.

Reader Question: Do all Protagonists need a character arc?

A character’s ‘arc’ is a big buzzword in Hollywood development circles.

60 Second Screenwriter: Let’s talk story structure

A video series addressing key screenwriting concerns in one minute.

Great Scene: “Black Swan”

Nina dances the role of a lifetime, then loses her life … or does she?

Page One: “Swordfish” (2001)

Written by Skip Woods

The Importance of Subplots

An in-depth exploration of the value of these mini-stories.

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Create an argument

Let’s say you’re stuck writing a flat scene. No matter how you’ve approached it, the scene just lays there.

Think Concepts

The foundation of a good script is a strong story concept.

Screenwriting 101: Brian Arnold

“One of the reasons I historically have not been a big outliner is I have a lot of experience with improv. I know that’s a weird thing to…

Page One: “Suffragette” (2015)

Written by Abi Morgan

Is My Screenplay Big Enough to Be a Movie?

This is a fundamental question screenwriters must ask themselves at all stages of a screenplay’s development and writing. Why? Because it’s…

How To Read A Screenplay

If you’re serious about learning the craft, here are some ways to dig into scripts.

The Curse of Shiny Object Syndrome

“It’s not quite ADD/ADHD. It’s more that a new idea captures your imagination and attention in such a way that you get distracted from the…

On Writing

“Three things are in your head: First, everything you have experienced from the day of your birth until right now. Every single second…

Michael, absolutely true.

That said, there is a path of least resistance to breaking into Hollywood and that is — in part — staying “within the lines” of…

Page One: “The Stuntman” (1980)

Screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus, adaptation by Richard Rush, novel by Paul Brodeur