Go Into The Story

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Story Synopsis

“The first step in preparing a photoplay is to put it into plain English telling the entire plot in from 500 to 1,500 words. This is called…

Screenwriting 101: Stephanie Shannon

“To me, writing is a lot like playing God. You’ve got these people down there with free will. And you don’t want to tell them exactly what…

Daily Dialogue — March 5, 2019

“Good afternoon, this is the Barrow gang. Now if everybody will just take it easy, nobody will get hurt.”

When reading the scene-by-scene breakdown, I am struck by how the story goes against Hollywood…

In Roma, the Protagonist (Cleo) has no apparent conscious goal. Yes, for a time, she wishes to find Fermín and get him to accept some…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 4

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

Script Analysis: “Roma” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Read the Oscar-nominated screenplay and analyze it this week.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 5]

“Never take your audience off the path of the real plot.”

On Writing

“Why not revise as you go along? Some people do, but my own general insecurity and confusion are so high that if I revised as I wrote, it…

Daily Dialogue — March 4, 2019

“Make some noise. Keep these people back.”

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 3

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

Screenwriting News (February 25— March 3, 2019)

Script sales, pitch deals, greenlit projects, talent attachments, and more.

Go Into The Story Interview: Joey Clarke, Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Great Scene: “Psycho”

78 shots in 45 seconds = One of the most memorable movie scenes ever.

Daily Dialogue — March 3, 2019

“See, in my day, a barber was more than just somebody who sit around in a FUBU shirt with his drawers hanging all out. In my day, a barber…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 2

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

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 381st installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Robbery

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,943 consecutive days and counting.

Interview (Part 6): Joey Clarke Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Daily Dialogue — March 2, 2019

Anderson: [shaving Clinton’s face with a razor blade] This is tricky. They make it look so easy, don’t they? I got a question for you…

2019 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge: Day 1

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

Interview (Part 4): Joey Clarke Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 4]

“Action may be mental as well as physical.”

Writing and the Creative Life: Boundaries of Space, Boundaries of Time

We all know John Cleese from his work with Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers, but he has also emerged as something of an…

Daily Dialogue — March 1, 2019

“Shave and a hot bath.”

Character Type: Companion

“Often Companions are staunch allies to the Protagonist exhibiting loyalty, tenacity and unselfishness.”