Go Into The Story

Alexander Payne on appealing characters vs. sympathetic characters

In my current Create a Compelling Protagonist 1 week class, the subject came up about writing characters who don’t fit into the conventional role of a sympathetic figure, Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) in Bad Santa for example. Whenever this subject comes up, I default to an interview I read

Interview: James DiLapo (2012 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters. Today: My May 2013 interview with James DiLapo whose original screenplay

Screenplays are stories, not formulas

William Goldman has famously written, “Screenplays are structure.” That is true in a tangible sense because at some point, a script becomes a blueprint for the production of a movie. And in a very real way, everything hangs on the structure of the narrative — how one scene flows to the

Classic 30s Movie: “Dracula”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Sheila Seclearr. Movie Title: Dracula Year: 1931 Writers: Garrett Fort adapted the screenplay from Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderson’s Broadway play, all based on the novel by Bram Stoker Lead Actors: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, Dwight

Screenwriting 101: Martin Scorsese

“The films that I constantly revisit have held up for me over the years not because of plot but because of character.” — Martin Scorsese

Daily Dialogue — May 3, 2016

Mufasa: Scar! Brother, help me! Scar: Long live the king. — The Lion King (1994), screenplay by Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Robert and Linda Woolverton, story by Brenda Chapman & Burny Mattinson & Barry Johnson & Lorna Cook & Thom Enriquez & Andy Gaskill & Gary Trousdale & Jim Capobianco &

Guest Column: “Actually, Feature Film is Devouring TV”

A guest column from screenwriter and TV writer Tom Benedek (Cocoon): People will say TV is swallowing film. But perhaps it is the reverse. The best TV is becoming more like feature film — evolving into the feature form more and more. With a few differences, of course. The “one hour”

Interview: Elijah Bynum (2013 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters. Today: My April 2014 interview with Elijah whose screenplays “Mississippi Mud”

There is no right way to write

It is perhaps the single most fundamental truth about screenwriting in particular and writing in general that I know… There is no right way to write. No single formula. No one system. No mystical process that guarantees success. Think about it: Why should there be? Stories are organic. Living, breathing,

Classic 30s Movie: “The Adventures of Robin Hood”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Clay Mitchell. Movie Title: The Adventures of Robin Hood Year: 1938 Writers: Norman Reilly Raine and Seton I. Miller Rowland Leigh was brought on to write the screenplay early in the process, but the studio didn’t like

On Writing

“The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” — Samuel Johnson

Daily Dialogue — May 2, 2016

BLACKWOLF: The trouble with you, my brother, is that you’ve always been too good. AVATAR: Well, that may be, but I still think I look more like Ma than you do; y’know, uh, lots of character. I’m aging better. BLACKWOLF: Brother, there is no need for me

30s Movies

I asked Go Into The Story readers to post about a favorite movie from the 30s with two goals: To provide background and analysis on movies from this decade, and to inspire you to watch movies which is critical to learning the craft of screenwriting. All Quiet on the Western

Writing and Known Knowns, Known Unknowns, and Unknown Unknowns

One of my online students asked a great question today about whether it’s possible to over-analyze characters too much, to overthink them. What follows is my brain-dump response, slightly edited, that winds all around and incorporates the wit and wisdom of Donald Rumsfeld: Screenwriting Guru. Note: Our

Learning How to Make a Movie

I read an interview some years ago in which James Cameron advised creatives to do this: “Make stuff.” Per Cameron, actually making movies is the single best way to learn, really learn the entire process of cinematic storytelling. Screenwriter Ian Fowler did just that and wrote a reflection on his

Screenwriting News (April 25-May 1, 2016)

This week’s writing deals and movie project news. Adam Cooper and Bill Collage adapting World War II novel “The Noble Assassin” for DreamWorks with Cary Fukunaga to direct. James Coyne writing “Sherlock Holmes 3” for Warner Bros.. Evan Dickson writing horror comedy “The Wildness” for The Realm and Bron

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month (2016)

An annual series I run every April: 30 story ideas I collect from news sources over the course of the year. These ideas are free for you to use, but more importantly, the series is a reminder about how important the story’s central concept is to the success of

Interview (Audio): Judd Apatow

A 100 minute Nerdist podcast chat with writer-director Judd Apatow (The Larry Sanders Show, Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin). Talk radio, podcasts and live radio on demand in 1 mobile app | Stitcher Web AppDiscover the Best of 15,000 shows on demand. Hear CNN, BBC, Fox News,

Daily Dialogue — May 1, 2016

“Earn this.” — Saving Private Ryan (1998), written by Robert Rodat The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: War. Trivia: The script went through over ten revisions, changing many things from the original draft. The list of changes (1) Mellish and Caparazo did not exist in the original draft. As a

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Brothers

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Brothers. The Darjeeling Limited (2007) All sorts of movie brothers. If you need some help, check out this site which features 10 notable brothers in cinema. Let’s see if we can summon up 7 great examples of brothers dialogue. The usual drill:

Spec Script Deal: “Exposure”

Entertainment One Films International acquires drama bio spec script “Exposure” written by Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi. From Deadline: Rosalind Franklin, a scientist whose role in the discovery of DNA’s structure in 1953 has been long forgotten, has a chance to be immortalized in a feature film. eOne has

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 236th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other things of writerly interest. LA Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige Explains Why He Loves Using Indie Directors For MCU Films. Disney Rules Hollywood’s

A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 30

This is the seventh year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today’s story: Confess all your sins to this robot. Have you ever wanted to confess your crimes, bear your soul, and spill your secrets? Have you ever thought, “No, better to not. Better to

Interview (Written): Steven Baigelman and Don Cheadle (“Miles Ahead”)

A WGA interview with Steven Baigelman and Don Cheadle, co-writers of the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. Tell me about the decision to pick this story up about one of the most important and prolific American musical icons from a period in his life when he’s silent. Don

Daily Dialogue — April 30, 2016

Kurtz: Did they say why, Willard, why they want to terminate my command? Willard: I was sent on a classified mission, sir. Kurtz: It’s no longer classified, is it? Did they tell you? Willard: They told me that you had gone totally insane, and that your methods were unsound.