Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — August 29, 2019

“Liar!”

Begin with character. End with character. Find the story in between.

A 6-minute video excerpt featuring… me.

Of Genres and Spec Scripts

Is it better to write a straight genre piece or is it harder to set up a script which mashes two different genres?

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 17

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 3: Plot Emerges From Character

No matter what paradigm or theory you use to craft your screenplay’s plot, the single most important thing you can do is this: Start with…

Daily Dialogue — August 28, 2019

“Adrian!”

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 16

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Hollywood and the ‘Similar But Different’ Business Model

The saga of K-9 and Turner & Hootch provides an object lesson into the mindset of movie development executives.

Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 2: The Protagonist’s Arc

Transformation lies at the heart of the Hero’s Journey.

Screenwriting 101: Simon Beaufoy

“With adaptations, all I promise the author I’ll do is remain true to the spirit of what they wrote. The first book adaptation that I did…

Daily Dialogue — August 27, 2019

“Whoa.”

There is no short cut

There is no golden method. There is no guaranteed approach to writing a million dollar spec script. All of that hype is bull shit.

Screenwriting Back to Basics, Day 1: Writing Scenes

With every scene, you should ask yourself this question: What is the scene’s Beginning, Middle, and End?

On Writing

“Writing is magical though. How else to describe the ability to physically and emotionally impact upon a stranger at the other side of the…

Daily Dialogue — August 26, 2019

“Australia.”

Paul, the sweet spot, as you say, is what we go for.

Thanks for your thoughts!

How do I know if it’s too much or too little scene description?

Reader question via email from Anonymous:

Script To Screen: “Wall-E”

One of the best scenes from the 2008 movie Wall-E, screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, original story by Andrew Stanton and Pete…

Interview (Video): Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky

The co-writers of the hit comedy Good Boys.

Daily Dialogue — August 25, 2019

Sundance Kid: [Butch and the Kid are on the edge of a cliff preparing to take on the posse pursuing them] Ready? Butch Cassidy: No, we’ll…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge!

30 days. Fade In. Fade Out. Write an entire zero draft.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Writing for the Censors [Part 2]

“While no human mind can remember the innumerable conflicting rules of these small town boards, since each local censor has his own ideas…

Daily Dialogue theme next week: One Word

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 4,118 consecutive days and counting.

2019 Scene-Writing Challenge: Week 3

Here are all of Week 3’s prompts for this year’s Scene-Writing Challenge.

Daily Dialogue — August 24, 2019

Romeo: O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Juliet: What satisfaction canst thou have tonight? Romeo: The exchange of thy love’s faithful…