Go Into The Story

What I Learned From Judging a Screenplay Competition

Reading and assessing 10 screenplays in 5 days drove home some points.

Script Analysis: “The Invitation” — Part 3: Character

Read the script for the acclaimed indie thriller and discuss this week.

Conversations With Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

Great Scene: “A Few Good Men”

A classic Sorkin moment marked by crackling dialogue and raw emotion.

Daily Dialogue — March 22, 2017

“You pompous, stuck-up, snot-nosed, English, giant-twerp, scumbag, fuck-face, dickhead asshole!”

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 21

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

Interview: Ava DuVernay

My in-depth conversation with the talented writer-director-producer.

Script Analysis: “The Invitation” — Part 2: Plot

Read the script for the acclaimed indie thriller and discuss this week.

Conversations With Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

Screenwriting 101: Joss Whedon

“Everybody has a perspective. Everybody in your scene has a reason. They have their own voice, their own identity, their own history… But…

Daily Dialogue — March 21, 2017

RAY: Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dick-less here. PECK: They caused an explosion! MAYOR: Is…

Reading the scene-by-scene breakdown confirms my reaction when I first read the script, then saw…

Act One: Drama. Act Two: Thriller Act Three: Horror

How to Create a Compelling Protagonist

Workshop your story’s central character in my 1-week online course.

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 20

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

Interview: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

My in-depth conversation with 5 time Black List writing duo.

Script Analysis: “The Invitation” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Read the script for the acclaimed indie thriller and discuss this week.

Conversations With Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

On Writing

“Writing, like life itself, is a voyage of discovery. The adventure is a metaphysical one: it is a way of approaching life indirectly, of…

Daily Dialogue — March 20, 2017

“I think… no, I am positive… that you are the most unattractive man I have ever met in my entire life. You know, in the short time we’ve…

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 19

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

Screenwriting News (March 13-March 19, 2017)

This week’s writing deals and movie project news.

Interview (Video): Tom Ford

A half-hour conversation with the Nocturnal Animals writer-director.

Daily Dialogue — March 19, 2017

JERRY: No, see, I don’t need a finder’s fee, I need — finder’s fee’s, what, ten percent, heck that’s not gonna do it for me. I need the…

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 18

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

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Insult

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