Go Into The Story

Excellent work, Tara.

The script (and movie) works for many reasons, not the least of which is the universal theme of ‘be true to yourself.’

Here’s a breakdown of the characters in Crazy Rich Asians per their character archetype functions:

Protagonist: Rachel

Reader Question: 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…

Go Into The Story Resource: A Screenwriter’s Guide to Aristotle’s “Poetics”

You know you should read it. This 44 part series takes you through all of “Poetics” and offers analysis from a screenwriter’s perspective.

Script Analysis: “Crazy Rich Asians” — Part 4: Themes

Read the script for the smash hit romantic comedy and analyze it this week.

How They Write A Script: Lawrence Kasdan

“I wrote screenplays as a way to get into production. I wrote six or seven before I sold one; that was The Bodyguard. I thought if I…

The Business of Screenwriting: When getting fired can be good news

No one likes to get rewritten, but sometimes there’s a silver lining.

Daily Dialogue — May 2, 2019

“‘Wine is sunlight, held together by water.’ The poetic wisdom of the Italian physicist, philosopher, and stargazer, Galileo Galilei. It…

Is My Screenplay Big Enough to Be a Movie?

This is a fundamental question screenwriters must ask themselves at all stages of a screenplay’s development and writing. Why? Because…

Go Into The Story Resource: Annual Spec Script Market Reports

Detailed information and statistics on every verified spec script deal from 2008–2018, and analysis of the spec script market and business…

Script Analysis: “Crazy Rich Asians” — Part 3: Characters

Read the script for the smash hit romantic comedy and analyze it this week.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2019)

This is the 10th year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Script To Screen: “Say Anything”

A memorable scene from Say Anything (1989), written by Cameron Crowe.

Daily Dialogue — May 1, 2019

Margaret: Oh, Oliver! You can’t open that! Oliver: Why not? Napoleon just didn’t live long enough. Margaret: But it could be vinegar. I…

I always tell my students that by the end of Act One, a script reader should know where the story…

Girl gets Guy. Girl loses Guy. Girl gets Guy back. We know that.

Weird, Peter. I just checked the link and it’s for Stan & Ollie. Try this URL:

sonyclassics.com/awards-information/2018–19/screenplays/stanandollie_screenplay.pdf

Character Type: Innocent

“Perhaps this is because their innocent view of the world is an ‘enchanted’ one, seeing beauty and wonder all around them. The journey puts…

Script Analysis: “Crazy Rich Asians” — Part 2: Plot

Read the script for the smash hit romantic comedy and analyze it this week.

How They Write a Script: Ted Tally (“The Silence of the Lambs”)

Ted Tally is yet another screenwriter who started out as a playwright. His film credits include White Palace (1990), The Juror (1996), All…

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 30

This is the 10th year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Screenwriting 101: Liz Hannah

“The perspective of whose point of view you’re telling the story from, what character you want your audience to empathize with… At AFI we…

Daily Dialogue —April 30, 2019

Uncle Henry Skinner: [Bringing out two bottles of wine] I thought, as it’s your last night here, it only appropriate that we open something…

I saw the movie on an airplane returning from France and enjoyed it.

Alistair and Kitty Pong Eddie and Fiona Astrid and Michael Aramina and Colin (their wedding) Peik Lin and Rachel Astrid and Rachel Eleanor…

Script Analysis: “Crazy Rich Asians” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Read the script for the smash hit romantic comedy and analyze it this week.

5 Keys to the Screenwriting Craft

Think Concepts. Watch Movies. Read Scripts. Write Pages. Live Life.