Go Into The Story

Page One: “Strangers on a Train” (1951)

Screen play by Raymond Chandler and Czenzi Ormonde

Praise for “The Protagonist’s Journey”

See what professional screenwriters, novelists, and academics are saying about my new book.

Why You Should Write Three Pages of Garbage Every Morning

“Freewriting forces you to keep moving forward, keep creating, without a thought given to quality.”

Movie Story Types: The [Blank] From Hell

This was a popular story conceit back in the 80s and 90s.

On Writing

“Over-writing is a bigger problem than under-writing. It’s much more likely you’ve written too much than too little. It’s a lot easier to…

Page One: “Stranger Than Fiction” (2006)

Written by Zach Helm

Here you go!

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/studies-in-voice-over-narration-5-part-series-98de1d8effc6

Precisely. You need to LEARN the shit.

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/learn-the-craft-782693cbc2a7

Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing”

A series featuring reflections on writing from the famed author’s memoir.

How to Break Into the Film Industry Without Any Connections

The screenwriters of the smash hit movie A Quiet Place share the ins and outs of their journey to Hollywood.

“Star Wars” and the Question of Identity

At the foundation of the Star Wars universe lies an existential challenge facing key characters posed by the question: Who are you?

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: “The Sting” (1973)

Written by David S. Ward

When something happens… something ELSE happens

The dynamic dual nature of a screenplay universe.

Great Scene: “A Quiet Place”

In a brief respite from the monster’s violence, Evelyn and Lee confront the pain of the past as it exists in the present… and their…

Studies in Voice-Over Narration: “The Shawshank Redemption”

Part 1 of a five-part series on movies where voice-over narration works.

Interview (Video): Kenneth Lonergan

A 2017 conversation / presentation as part of the BAFTA Guru series.

Page One: “Steve Jobs” (2015)

Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, based on a book by Walter Isaacson

The Protagonist’s Journey: “We are not prisoners of that room”

A reflection on Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet”

Reader Question: Where do you go for inspiration when the words just aren’t coming?

What to do to break through a creative funk?

Writing and the Creative Life: Creativity-In-Action

“Creativity requires more than a dream. In many cases, people struggle to turn their dreams into a reality not because they lack ambition…

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything You Wanted to Know About Specs

Part 18: Sell Them Your Dream.

Page One: “Star Trek” (2009)

Screenplay by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, based on TV series created by Gene Roddenberry

Why are we fascinated with Bad Guys?

So many current TV series feature anti-heroes. Why?

The Thing With Coincidences in Screenplays…

The difference between Fate… and Writer’s Convenience.