Go Into The Story

Go Into The Story Resource: Character Introductions

Everything you need to know about the subject… and probably more.

Interview (Video): Katie Silberman and Olivia Wilde

The co-writer and director of the new comedy Booksmart.

Daily Dialogue — May 26, 2019

Peter Warne: [on telephone] Hey, listen, monkey face. When you fired me, you fired the best newshound your filthy scandal sheet ever had…

Thanks, Tara.

Such a tragedy re Adrienne Shelly…

Cameron, you sound like a writer who has been down the road on several writing projects and learned…

It’s an iterative process. Do a draft. Assess. Rewrite. Repeat.

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 392nd installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

Character archetypes

Analysis of five primary character archetypes: Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The “Interest” [Part 1]

“What he means by this “interest” query is to ask if your story has the element of human sympathy.”

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Diner

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 4,027 consecutive days and counting.

Interview (Video): Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

The Season 9 episode of the PBS series “On Story” with the screenwriters of Avengers: Endgame as well as other Marvel hit movies.

Daily Dialogue — May 25, 2019

Michael Colin Gallagher: Why aren’t you married? Megan Carter: How do you know I’m not? Michael Colin Gallagher: I don’t see a ring. Megan…

Great Scene: “The Shawshank Redemption”

Red’s parole board scenes — three of them — are their own mini-story.

The Shawshank Redemption: Red as Protagonist

My take is The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a Dual Protagonist story. Here is an analysis of the movie with Red as a Protagonist…

The Shawshank Redemption: Andy as Protagonist

My take is The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a Dual Protagonist story. Here is an analysis of the movie with Andy as a Protagonist…

Go Into The Story Resource: Writing Mantras

Some writing inspiration I have picked up along the way.

Writing and the Creative Life: Nothing succeeds like failure

Re-thinking the role of failure in the creative life.

Daily Dialogue — May 24, 2019

Henry: I realize this doesn’t exactly get us off on the right foot. Paul Bladden, New York Sentinel: The right foot, are you out of your…

“Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking”

Not a fan of listicles. This one is different.

How They Write A Script: Robert Towne

“The single most important question, I think, that one must ask one’s self about a character is what are they really afraid of? What are…

Go Into The Story Resource: 10 Screenwriting Skills and Traits You Need

Develop your expertise in 10 areas to maximize your screenwriting potential.

Short Film: “Retouch”

A movie by Iranian director and screenwriter Kaveh Mazaheri is a master class in emotional subtext and the power of expression in the human…

The Business of Screenwriting: Who does what in a writer-representative relationship?

Let’s assume you get a manager and/or agent to represent you. Then what? What are their responsibilities as a representative? What are…

Daily Dialogue — May 23, 2019

“I had no idea she was this good.”

Trimming Tricks of the Trade

Page count. A screenwriter must be cognizant of it. Even if you don’t subscribe to the theories of screenwriting gurus like Syd Field, who…

Go Into The Story Resource: Writing and the Creative Life

Dozens of articles about creativity, what it is, how to nurture it, and steer our writing into the center of our creative soul.