Go Into The Story

Interview (Part 4): Joey Clarke Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 3]

“One method of heightening the suspense is by foreshadowing coming events without actually giving the secret away.”

The Business of Screenwriting: They don’t think like you [Part 2]

Hollywood studio executives can have a different way of seeing the world.

Daily Dialogue —February 28, 2019

“Yeah, I worked in a barbershop, but I never considered myself a barber. I stumbled into it. Or married into it, more precisely.”

Interview (Part 3): Joey Clarke Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Movies You Made: “ITILY”

Movies You Made is an ongoing Go Into The Story series to spotlight filmmakers and promote their storytelling. Today: ITILY, written and…

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 2]

“Never let anything superfluous creep into your plot. Never stop the progress of events to explore blind alleys.”

Script To Screen: “Philadelphia”

The 1993 movie Philadelphia was written by Ron Nyswaner and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

Daily Dialogue — February 27, 2019

Morris: Pound for pound, Sugar Ray Robinson’s the greatest fighter that ever lived! Clarence: Aw, come on, man! What about Joe Louis? Saul…

Movies You Made: “ITILY”

Movies You Made is an ongoing Go Into The Story series to spotlight filmmakers and promote their storytelling. Today: ITILY, written and…

Reader Question: Are there any script rules that really shouldn’t be broken?

Or this: “How can you break screenwriting rules if there are none?”

Interview (Part 2): Joey Clarke Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 1]

“The actors may walk around engaged in animated conversation, perhaps assault each other, but the only action which counts is that which…

Screenwriting 101: Cesar Vitale

“If you don’t like reading that much, chances are you’re not going to be a very good writer. Just read as much as you can, watch as many…

Daily Dialogue — February 26, 2019

Ray “Bones” Barboni: Let me explain something to you. Momo is dead. Which means that everything he had now belongs to Jimmy Cap, including…

Character Development Keys

Starting March 4, my 1-week online class not only immerses you in five key archetypes, you also use them to workshop one of your stories.

Go Into The Story Interview: Joey Clarke Jr.

My interview with the 2018 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Star Sympathy

“Be sure your audience is stirred to real sympathy, throw that sympathy to the star part, and be sure that this star part which you have…

On Writing

We’re all there trying to make the story, novel, or chapter as good as it can be. It’s a constant struggle to get it down, get it clear…

Daily Dialogue — February 25, 2019

Reporter: [to Al Capone] An article, which I believe appeared in a newspaper, asked why, since you are, or it would seem that you are, in…

Screenwriting News (February 18 — February 24, 2019)

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

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Theme

“Found your story on an original truth of such universal interest that when your climax comes everybody in the audience from stenographer…

Interview: Anna Bowden & Ryan Fleck

A video featuring the co-writers and directors of the new Marvel movie Captain Marvel.

Spec Script Deal: Untitled Chris Borrelli Action Thriller

Universal Pictures acquires action thriller untitled spec script written by Chris Borrelli. Via Deadline:

Daily Dialogue — February 24, 2019

“You’ve been formally charged with three counts of murder, the bombing of government property, conspiracy to commit terrorism, treason…