Go Into The Story

Ways To Write: Email

How writer-director Judd Apatow emailed himself notes which became the foundation for the movie Knocked Up.

Tweetstorm: Daniel Kunka on the one thing a Hollywood writer can control

“What I have excelled at (and what keeps me from having to find a real job) is doing the one thing that you have total control over —…

Interview (Part 4): Grace Sherman

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

The Business of Screenwriting: Trailer Moments, Set Pieces, and Bits Of Business

You may have read countless screenwriting books. Attended seminars. Taken courses. But I doubt if you have stumbled across these three…

Daily Dialogue — March 28, 2019

Axel Foley: What? Y’all the second team? Detective McCabe: We’re the first team. Detective Foster: Yeah, and we’re not gonna fall for a…

Steven, that’s my take on theme:

Theme = Meaning. Specifically Emotional Meaning. We should *feel* a story’s themes as much as connect with them intellectually. When C.C…

Point well taken, Steven.

However, that is *not* a rule, it’s just a convention. So *if* a writer has *THE* perfect song which plays to the story’s central theme…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 27

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

Screenplay as a Series of Event-Reactions

“A movie is — in a way — simply a continuous series of event-reactions / moment-responses.”

Interview (Part 3): Grace Sherman

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Script To Screen: “Rebel Without A Cause”

Perhaps the most memorable scene from the 1955 movie Rebel Without A Cause, screenplay by Stewart Stern, adaptation by Irving Shulman…

Daily Dialogue — March 27, 2019

Bullitt: Chalmers, let us understand each other. I don’t like you. Chalmers: Come on now, don’t be naive, Lieutenant. We both know how…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 26

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

Write a Worthy Nemesis

Workshop your story’s antagonist character in my 1-week online course. Begins Monday, April 2nd.

Interview (Part 2): Grace Sherman

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Spec Script Deal: “Out There”

Entertainment One (eOne) and The Picture Co. acquire science fiction thriller spec script “Out There” written by Ian Levy. Via Deadline:

Daily Dialogue — March 26, 2019

“King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 25

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

Interview (Part 1): Grace Sherman

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Write what they’re buying or sell them your dream

There are many writing paths. Here are two of them.

On Writing

“Young writers often confuse dialogue with conversation, under the assumption that the closer you get to reality, the more convincing you…

Daily Dialogue — March 25, 2019

“All right, Popeye’s here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!”

Daily Dialogue — March 25, 2019

“All right, Popeye’s here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!”

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 24

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

Facing the odds

How to sustain creativity in the face of considerable odds against success.