Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — September 3, 2019

Jake: Disco pants and haircuts… Elwood: Yeah, lots of space in this mall.

2019 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 2

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

Breaking the 4th Wall in Scene Description

To everyone who claims there’s a screenwriting rule asserting we can’t include so-called ‘unfilmables’ in scene description, read this!

Scene-Writing Exercises [2019]

Here are 20 scene-writing prompts.

On Writing

“Perhaps it would be better not to be a writer, but if you must, then write. If all feels hopeless, if that famous “inspiration” will not…

Daily Dialogue — September 2, 2019

“Being in Old Orchard Mall kind of reminded me of being in Africa. By the watering hole. And the animals are in heat.”

Tips on How to Write While Holding Down a Job

Some practical advice to engender productivity even while working full-time.

2019 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 1

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

Interview (Video): Julian Fellowes

A 75-minute conversation with the noted actor, screen, and TV writer whose credits include the TV series and upcoming movie Downton Abbey.

Script To Screen: “Wall Street”

A scene from the 1987 movie Wall Street.

Daily Dialogue — September 1, 2019

“Institutionalization.”

Narrative Imperative: The Protagonist’s Destiny

Reflections by Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell invert the writing process.

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Shopping Mall

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 4,125 consecutive days and counting.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Writing for the Censors [Part 3]

“You must be twice as careful as writers in any other field or your story will surely be returned to you with a rejection slip.”

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 20

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Daily Dialogue —August 31, 2019

“Profits.”

The Disunity State of Clarice Starling

How the opening of The Silence of the Lambs establishes the Protagonist’s psychological starting point for her transformation-journey.

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 19

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 5: Reader Identification

Imbue the Protagonist with qualities with which a reader can connect.

Writing and the Creative Life: There are no useless ideas

“If it is true that the best way to come up with a good idea is to generate lots of them, that means we will intersect with plenty of ideas…

Daily Dialogue — August 30, 2019

“Excellent!”

The Writer as Psychologist

“It is our responsibility to understand each of characters to the core of their emotional, spiritual, and psychological being.”

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 18

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 4: Character = Function

Every character in a screenplay has to be there for a reason. That is their narrative function, who they are and what they do tied to the…

The Business of Screenwriting: Commencement of Principal photography

When your movie officially starts production, that triggers a writer’s payday.