Go Into The Story

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

Part 5: Developing the Spec Script

Page One: “1917” (2019)

Written by Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns

First off, there really are only five characters of any import in the story: Cookie, King-Liu…

Who is the Protagonist? I'd have to say Cookie. The story is told through his perspective, he's the one who has the culinary skills which…

First Cow is a perfect example of my description of the type of movie I prefer: Simple plot.

The plot is a "slow burn," a term used in Hollywood to describe a story which takes its own sweet time getting to where it eventually wants…

Laura, that's a nifty bit of insight, comparing the movie to Jack and the Beanstalk because Jack…

However, I do think the Garden of Eden is still an apt reference. The many, MANY shots of Nature in the movie display its pristine beauty…

Script Analysis: “First Cow” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of the script for the lauded indie movie by writer-director Kelly Reichardt. Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday:

Great Scene: “Network”

“I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

Go Into The Story Resource: Screenwriting Tweetstorms

Twitter threads uploaded by professional screenwriters, TV writers, and producers on a wide variety of subjects.

Reader Question: How to approach writing a story with multiple main characters?

Exploring three keys to writing multilinear screenplays.

Page One: “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021)

Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King, story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenneth Lucas & Keith Lucas

There simply isn't another filmmaker like Kelly Reichardt.

This simple story about two strangers, who become business partners and friends, is much more than that. At its core, it is a story about…

Go Into The Story Resource: Story Types

With movies, there are Genres. Cross Genres. Sub-Genres. Also Story Types.

Script Analysis: “First Cow” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of the script for the lauded indie movie by writer-director Kelly Reichardt. Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday:

Writing Wisdom from Akira Kurosawa

“You need to get used to the task of writing. You must make an effort to learn to regard it not as something painful, but as routine.”

Screenwriting 101: Scott Rothman

“I believe in a very thorough outline, of really cracking the story. I think that’s where you make your money. That’s where the thing…

Page One: “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020)

Written by Aaron Sorkin

Go Into The Story Resource: Great Characters

Need inspiration? Here are 100+ articles analyzing great movie characters.

Script Analysis: “First Cow” — Part 1: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

A week-long analysis of the script for the lauded indie movie by writer-director Kelly Reichardt. Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday:

Do query letters still work?

The odds are long, but query letters can work if you make it part of a holistic strategy of which the single most important part is this…

On Writing

“Assuming that you are a professional and that you know how to write, why would you be unable to do so? If an electrician said, I have…

Page One: “Tenet” (2020)

Written by Christopher Nolan

Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing”

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

Go Into The Story Resource: 140 Scene-Writing Prompts

At a fundamental level, screenwriting is scene-writing. Use these prompts to improve your scene-writing chops.

Scene Description Spotlight: “Unforgiven”

The ‘folksy’ narrative voice in sync with the movie’s Western genre and a clean read with strong bursts of imagematic writing.

Interview (Video): Liz Hannah

From Season 11 of the PBS series “On Story”.