Go Into The Story

Daily Dialogue — April 15, 2018

Suzanne and Michael in a motel room. She emerges from the bathroom in a negligee. He prepares a drink, his back to her. She approaches.

My big takeaway: Superhero movies CAN be emotionally engaging if they go SMALL with their plot.

You don’t need the imminent destruction of the universe to create meaningful stakes in a superhero story.

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 337th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 14

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Last week, I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit…

Script Analysis: “Logan” — Part 6: Takeaways

Read the script for the hit superhero movie and analyze it all this week.

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Technobabble

Join the Daily Dialogue crew: 3,621 consecutive days and counting.

Daily Dialogue — April 14, 2018

“You aren’t too smart, are you? I like that in a man.”

I’m going to go straight to the emotional jugular, the last few moments between Logan and Laura:

Logan: Take your friends and run… They’ll keep coming, and coming… You don’t have to fight anymore. [holds Laura’s hand] Go… Don’t be what…

Script Analysis: “Logan” — Part 5: Dialogue

Read the script for the hit superhero movie and analyze it all this week.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 13

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Last week I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit…

Writing and the Creative Life: One key to creativity… naps?

“There is a cultural bias against sleep that sees it as akin to shutting down…”

Daily Dialogue — April 13, 2018

“I’m poison, Swede, to myself and everybody around me! I’d be afraid to go with anyone I love for the harm I do to them!”

Nick, great take.

What I want to zero in on is not so much a theme as a trope: The Old Gunslinger. Imagine Logan as a Western. Logan is a washed up…

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs

Part 10: Creating Buzz.

Script Analysis: “Logan” — Part 4: Themes

Read the script for the hit superhero movie and analyze it all this week.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 12

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Last week, I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit…

Spec Script Deal: “The Toymaker’s Secret”

TriStar Pictures acquires family fantasy spec script “The Toymaker’s Secret” written by Alex Garland. From THR:

Daily Dialogue — April 12, 2018

Bridget Gregory: Could you leave? Please? Mike Swale: I haven’t finished charming you yet. Bridget Gregory: You haven’t started. Mike…

Great job, Dave.

Re the Munsons: In Part 3 of this series, I note what I think Logan spending time with the family is about — its narrative function. Check…

Dave, glad you’ve enjoyed reading the breakdown.

Having seen the movie on an airplane, I wish now I could have seen it in a movie theater like you and your wife. But as I say, I’m not a…

Well, this lays out pretty clearly:

Protagonist: Logan Nemesis: Pierce, Dr. Rice, Bad Logan Attractor: Laura Mentor: Charles Trickster: Caliban

How To Read A Screenplay

A 7 part series on ways you can dig into and analyze scripts.

Script Analysis: “Logan” — Part 3: Characters

Read the script for the hit superhero movie and analyze it all this week.

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 11

This is the 9th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Last week, I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit…

Script To Screen: “The Fisher King”

A notable scene from the 1991 movie The Fisher King, written by Richard LaGravenese.